will cool weather vegetables actually grow in Florida?

6 years ago

There is a possibility that later this year I will be in southwest Florida (on the west coast). I will be in Fort Myers, which to my knowledge has a growing zone of 9.
I know you don't have to worry about frosts killing stuff like you do where I currently live (which is northern MI). However I know that southern Florida is very hot and humid, so it's challenging to grow cold weather vegetables.
Will cool weather vegetables actually grow in a grow zone that is as hot and humid as zone 9? By that I mean will they grow without getting eaten alive by bugs, and will you get a harvest decent enough that makes it worth the time and effort required to grow them.

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Comments (5)

Pea
6 years ago
Fort myers is more like a 10a zonewise maybe zone 9b if you are more inland. I am just a tad north of there. You do have to worry about freezes but not often. The plants like tropicals can not take a dip below 32° and can die if the temp holds long.

You start to collect old blankets and sheets for that eventuality. When it threatens to dip below 36° my yard becomes mounds of faded floral sheets and pilly blankets and even in a pinch thread bare towels gets wrapped around sheltered container plants.

as for veggies...i have no idea what a cold weather veggie is cause i am a florida native and have always known florida fruits and veggies. The main growing season is in the fall and winter and you might get one more crop in the early spring to early summer depending what you grow..i grow bell peppers and green onions and herbs and of course citrus. i failed at cucumbers tho my dad grew them wonderfully.

the summers are hot. I try not to garden in july and august because it is so hot...the yard fends for itself with a mow when needed and a little water if the afternoon thundershower fails to show.
flsusie
6 years ago
I'm a bit north of you in the tampa area and plant cool season vegs. in the fall. they do well and not much problem with bugs. this winter was so warm though brussell sprouts did nothing and broc. cabbage, and caulif. didn't head as large as they usually do. Greens did well as always and carrots also. even some of the summer vegs did well.
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I think it probably wouldn't hurt and might help in her climate. I probably wouldn't use one here because we have so much sunlight, even on cold days, that plants inside these little plastic houses tend to roast on sunny days. Since she lives in a sunlight-challenged area, I doubt her plants will roast on the occasional sunny day. However, to ensure they don't roast, if I were using one and were leaving for the day, I'd unzip the door to vent the little growhouse/greenhouse in order to avoid a heat buildup if the sun amazingly comes out from behind the clouds. The great issue in Seattle isn't the length of the growing season, as you've noticed, but rather the lack of heat units or heating degree days. They stay above freezing a long time but don't have a lot of real heat, and tomatoes need a steady supply of heat in order to produce well and in order to produce tomatoes with good flavor. Beefsteak might not have been the best variety for her to pick. It can take a very long time to fruit and flower. If I were in Seattle, I'd likely choose something with a shorter DTM. Dr. James Baggett and other plant breeders at Oregon State University have bred tomatoes specifically for that climate that she might like to try in some future year. Bell peppers are more tolerant of cooler temperatures and won't suffer from the heat there the way they can here. If I were trying to grow tomatoes and peppers there, I'd have them in containers and place them on a concrete slab, if possible as they might pick up a little more heat that way. A concrete slab with a south-facing or west-facing wall would be even better as there likely would be more heat gain from sunlight (when they have it) reflecting from the wall and the slab up onto the plant. Also, the slab would heat up during the day and release the heat at night when might keep her plants a few degrees warmer. That's important in terms of fertilization. Territorial Seed Company is based in Oregon and specializes in plants for the kind of conditions they have there in the Pacific Northwest. I'm going to link their website below. Dawn Here is a link that might be useful: Territorial Seed Company
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Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
6 years ago
Fort Myers is Zone 10a

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map - Florida

Carol in Jacksonville
carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
6 years ago
I gave up on Brussels sprouts, but broccoli & kale & even cabbage have done fine - in the fall/winter as mentioned above. I've grown spinach, chard, lettuce, parsley, coriander/cilantro, peas as well. My tomatoes, peppers & pole beans do better during the fall to spring season too. I use the UF veggie gardening guide for recommended planting dates. Asian & most other greens are easy to grow here too. Most of the greens do better in containers than in the ground, IMPE.

FL Vegetable Gardening Guide
garden_gal_fl (z10)
6 years ago
Many of the traditional up north veggies will have to be planted in fall- such as the cabbage, kale, carrots, beets. Sometimes a well established collard or kale will avoid enough bugs to last a few years. Tomatoes grow nicely in the fall and spring, but do not grow as well in the hot humid summers.

will cool weather vegetables actually grow in Florida?

Comments (5)

Pea

flsusie

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Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)

carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b

garden_gal_fl (z10)

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