A small Florida backyard garden
One raised bed, Florida's two real growing seasons, and what to plant when, from collards in fall to sweet potatoes in summer.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Time
- A weekend to build, then about 20 minutes a few times a week
- Cost
- About $100–200 for one bed, soil, compost and seeds
- Region
- Florida
- Safety
- Low: everyday care
This guide is a draft and hasn't been reviewed yet.
Florida gardening runs backwards from the seed packets. Summer is the hard season: hot, wet and full of bugs. Fall and spring are when most vegetables grow best. Get the timing right and a single bed can keep you in greens most of the year.
[AI illustration: a 4 by 8 foot raised bed in a sunny Florida backyard with collards, lettuce and onions]
Pick the spot
- Sun: at least 6 hours of direct sun a day. More is better for tomatoes and peppers.
- Water: close to a hose or a rain barrel. Sandy soil dries out fast.
- Drainage: not where puddles sit after summer storms.
Build one raised bed
A bed 4 feet (1.2 m) by 8 feet (2.4 m) and 10–12 inches (25–30 cm) deep is a good start. You can reach the middle from both sides without stepping on the soil.
- Frame it with untreated wood, concrete blocks or a metal kit. Don’t use old pressure-treated lumber made before 2004; it may contain arsenic.
- Fill it with a mix of bagged garden soil and compost, about two parts soil to one part compost. You’ll need about 1 cubic yard (0.76 m³).
- Mulch the top with 2–3 inches (5–7.5 cm) of straw or leaves once plants are up. It holds water and keeps the soil cooler.
Florida’s sandy soil holds little water and few nutrients. Add 2 inches (5 cm) of compost every season.
What to plant, and when
Florida has three regions, North, Central and South, with different planting dates. Use the UF/IFAS planting calendar for yours. As a rough guide:
| Season | When to plant (Central Florida) | Easy crops |
|---|---|---|
| Fall and winter, cool season | September to January | Collards, kale, lettuce, radishes, carrots, broccoli, green onions |
| Spring, warm season | February to April | Cherry tomatoes, bush beans, peppers, cucumbers, squash |
| Summer | May to August | Sweet potatoes, okra, southern peas, or let the bed rest |
North Florida starts each season a few weeks later and gets frost. South Florida’s main season runs from fall right through spring, and summer is too hot for most vegetables.
[AI illustration: a simple calendar wheel showing Florida’s cool season, warm season and summer, with crop icons]
Summer: rest and clean the soil
If you don’t want to fight the heat, use summer to clear pests from the soil. Water the bed, cover it tightly with clear plastic, and leave it in full sun for 4 to 6 weeks. The heat kills many weed seeds, diseases and nematodes (tiny worms that attack roots, common in Florida sand).
Keep it going
- Water deeply 2 or 3 times a week rather than a little every day, more in hot dry spells. Water the soil, not the leaves, in the morning.
- Feed with compost each season, and a balanced vegetable fertilizer as the label says.
- Check for pests every few days. Pick off caterpillars by hand. Most problems are easier to catch early.
- Before a hurricane, harvest anything ripe, and stake or take down anything tall.
Save it as a system
Copy this into My systems as a checklist for each season. Tick off what you planted and when, so next year’s garden starts from your own notes.