Theresa Badurek, Urban Horticulture Agent, UF/IFAS Extension

Florida is a unique place with distinctive challenges and a nearly limitless growing season. Our challenges include heavy rains, periods of drought, poor soils, high temperatures and humidity, and lots of bugs. Because of these challenges there are certain varieties of vegetables that are better suited to our climate and growing conditions. Suggested varieties for Florida are better adapted to our challenging weather patterns and more resistant to Florida pests and diseases. The following varieties are separated into cool season and warm season vegetables.

Selected cool-season vegetable varieties and planting times for Central Florida:

• Beets: Tall Top, Early Wonder, Detroit Dark Red, Cylindra, Red Ace, Yellow Detroit (Oct.-Mar.)
• Broccoli: Early Green, Early Dividend, Green Sprouting/Calabrese, Waltham, Packman, De Cicco, Broccoli Raab (Rapini) (Aug.-Jan.)
• Carrots: Imperator, Nantes, Danvers, Chantenay (Oct.- Mar.)
• Celery: Utah Strains (Aug.- Feb.)
• Lettuce (Crisphead): Great Lakes Parris Island Cos (Sept.- Mar.)
• Lettuce (Romaine): Outredgeous (Sept.- Mar.)
• Lettuce (Loose Leaf): Simpson types, Salad Bowl, Red Sails, New Red Fire (Sept.- Mar.)
• Onions (Bulbing): Granex (Sept.- Dec.)
• Onions (Bunching): Evergreen Bunching, White Lisbon Bunching (Aug.- Mar.)
• Peas (English or Snow): Wando, Green Arrow, Sugar Snap, Oregon Sugarpod II (Sept.- Mar.)

Selected warm-season vegetable varieties and planting times for Central Florida:

• Beans (bush): Bush Blue Lake, Contender, Roma II, Provider, Cherokee Wax (Feb.-Apr. & Sept.)
• Beans (pole): McCaslan, Kentucky Wonder, Blue Lake (Feb.-Apr. & Aug.-Sept.)
• Cucumbers (slicers): Poinsett, Ashley, Dasher, Sweet Success, MarketMore 76, Straight Eight, Space Master (Feb.-Mar. & Sept.)
• Cucumbers (picklers): Liberty Hybrid, Eureka, Boston Pickling (Feb.-Mar. & Sept.)
• Eggplant: Black Beauty, Dusky, Long, Ichiban, Cloud Nine (white) (Jan.-Mar. & Aug.-Sept.)
• Peppers (bell and other sweet): California Wonder, Red Knight, Big Bertha, Sweet Banana, Giant Marconi, Mariachi, Cubanelle (Jan.-Mar. & Aug.-Sept.)
• Pumpkin: Big Max, Connecticut Field, Prize Winner, Jack Be Little, Jack O Lantern (Feb.-Mar. & Aug.)
• Squash (summer): Early Prolific Straightneck, Summer Crookneck, Early White Scallop (Feb.-Mar. & Aug.-Sept.)
• Squash (winter): Spaghetti, Table King, Table Queen, Table Ace, Waltham, Early Butternut (Feb.-Mar. & Aug.)
• Tomatoes (large fruit): Celebrity, Heat Wave II, Better Boy, Beefmaster, BHN444-Southern Star, Amelia, BHN 640 (Jan.- Mar. & Sept.)
• Tomatoes (small fruit): Sweet 100, Juliet, Red Grape, Sun Gold, Sugar Snack, Sweet Baby Girl (Jan.- Mar. & Sept.)

For more information about vegetable gardening in Florida, including planning, soil preparation, composting, fertilization, watering, pest management and more, please visit this fact sheet provided by the University of Florida Extension: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/VH/VH02100.pdf

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