September and October may be next to each other on the calendar, but they are quite different months for gardening here in northeast Florida

September is a very transitional month. It usually starts off too hot, and often brings us tropical rains in sudden large quantities. But by the end of the month, we often start to feel those cooler nighttime temperatures. By October, we are firmly in the cool season. Days are often sunny and much less humid. Nights are refreshingly cool. How does this impact our edible gardening?

In early September we prepare for a new gardening season!

We start seeds indoors for transplanting to the garden. Many of our cool-season crops germinate well at average indoor temperatures. We grow them under fluorescent or LED tube lights for 4-6 weeks until they are ready to transition to the outside. While they are growing happily indoors, we refill any beds that need soil or organic matter, repair beds, set up irrigation for the crops we will be growing and weed, weed, weed! We don’t want to start off a new season with old weeds.

By October our beds and our seedlings are usually ready for planting

We harden the seedlings off for a week or two by gradually exposing them to the conditions they will face in their new outdoor beds. We expose them to sun for a short time each day; we expose them to light wind with an oscillating fan; and we gradually reduce watering. When a cloudy day is forecasted, we put them in their new locations. We also sow some of our seeds directly where they will grow in the garden.

For more information about which crops to plant now and how to do it, refer to the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide.

Article written by Beth Marlowe, Urban Garden Program Assistant, October 2023

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