What to Plant in Florida in Winter

November in Ohio means putting the garden to bed. November in Central Florida means the garden is just getting started.

Our winter season — roughly October through February — is the best time of year to grow cool-season vegetables, and a great time to establish new shrubs, trees, and perennials before summer heat arrives. If you've been waiting for the right moment to plant, this is it.

Cool-Season Vegetables: October Through February

This is the heart of the Florida vegetable gardening season. Temperatures are mild, pests are reduced, and most cool-season crops thrive without the fight they'd put up in summer.

Plant These Now

Leafy greens are the easiest wins of the season. Lettuce, spinach, arugula, kale, collards, mustard greens, and Swiss chard all love our mild winters. Direct-seed or transplant from October onward; they'll produce steadily through February and into March.

Brassicas — broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi — need to go in by October or early November so they mature before spring heat arrives. Start from transplants for the best results; direct-seeded brassicas often don't have enough time to reach harvest size.

Root vegetables do beautifully here in winter. Carrots, beets, radishes, turnips, and parsnips all prefer cool soil. Direct-seed them in October and November; they'll be ready to pull in 60–90 days.

Herbs — parsley, cilantro, dill, and fennel — are cool-season plants that bolt in summer heat. Plant them now and they'll produce for months.

Still Going Strong

If you planted tomatoes and peppers in September, they should be fruiting well through November and December. Keep them watered and fertilized; they'll slow down as days shorten but often produce a second flush in late winter.

Flowers for Winter Color

While the vegetable garden is busy, the ornamental garden can be spectacular.

Pansies and violas are the workhorses of Florida winter color — plant them in October for blooms through March. They prefer full sun and well-drained soil.

Snapdragons, petunias, and dianthus all perform well in our mild winters and provide long-lasting color in beds and containers.

Wildflowers seeded in October and November — blanket flower, coreopsis, black-eyed Susan — will bloom in late winter and spring and reseed themselves for years.

Trees, Shrubs, and Perennials

Fall and winter are actually ideal times to plant woody plants and perennials in Central Florida. The mild temperatures and seasonal rains let roots establish without the stress of summer heat. Plants put in the ground now will be far better established by the time summer arrives than anything planted in spring.

Good choices for fall planting include:

• Native shrubs like firebush, beautyberry, and Simpson's stopper
• Ornamental grasses, which establish quickly and look great by spring
• Flowering trees like crape myrtle and tabebuia, which will bloom their first spring
• Palms, which establish well in warm soil even as air temperatures cool

A Few Things to Watch

Frost is rare in Brevard County but not impossible. Keep an eye on the forecast from December through February, and have frost cloth ready for cold-sensitive plants. Most years you won't need it, but it's good to have on hand.

Watering is still necessary in winter, especially for newly planted material. Our dry season runs roughly November through April, so don't assume winter rain will do the job.

Come See What's Ready to Plant

The nursery at 3170 Grissom Parkway in Cocoa is stocked with cool-season transplants, vegetable starts, and winter-blooming annuals right now. Stop in and we'll help you put together a plan for the season.