Fall Garden Plants You Need To Grow This Season

As scorching summertime temperatures drop, fall garden plants can allow you to enjoy the great outdoors and make the most of the cooler weather.

However, an autumn flower bed or vegetable garden will have different requirements than spring and summer plots. Join us for a guide to planning and growing your best fall garden yet! 

Why plant a fall garden?

Autumn offers a respite from the relentless heat of Florida’s blazing summer months. But in most parts of the state, mild winter temperatures create a longer growing season. Here are a few more reasons to consider planting a fall garden: 

Cooler temperatures mean less watering

If you're gardening in Florida during the summer, you’re probably used to daily watering... unless it is raining. Then you are using a canoe to get to your garden beds. Fortunately, cooler temps in September, October, and November mean you can give the hose or waders- a break.

Fall garden plants are healthier. Less stress = less disease

Inconsistent water caused from bouncing between heavy downpours or complete drought coupled with high humidity and high over night temps, is extremely stressful for a lot of our favorite garden fruits and vegetables. As the season changes, those factors put less pressure on our plants often resulting in a more vibrant, productive fall garden.

Fewer garden insects

All those pesky insects that plague our gardens in spring and summer typically back off during the fall season. This can allow you to take a more relaxed approach to gardening and enjoy your time in the backyard instead of going to war with pests. A huge part of IPM- Integrated Pest Management  - is growing outside of a pests peak season.

Fall garden plants and crops to add to your plot

Excited to get your hands dirty and plant the fall garden of your dreams? Here are a few of the best plants to add to your plot: 

Flowers and herbs

Seasonal annuals like snapdragons, pansies, petunias, and chrysanthemums thrive during the cooler fall months. If you want your flowers to do double duty, edible flowering plants like chrysanthemum greens, nasturtiums, calendula, and our native bee balm can add color to the garden and food to the kitchen. Fall is also a great time for herbs like basil, cilantro, parsley, dill, chives, sage, thyme, tarragon, and oregano. Many of these herbs can handle our summer heat too, but they sure are a lot happier once the weather starts to cool down.

Fall vegetables

It’s hard to beat a fall harvest from your own vegetable garden! Root crops like carrots and beets tend to thrive during autumn, as do brassicas like cabbage and broccoli. Kale and collards really start to come into their own as the weather cools. Of course, “cools” is relative in Florida. We’re not talking jackets and boots. We’re talking about walking outside in the morning and not immediately regretting every decision in life that led you to live here. For leafy greens, stick with the more heat-tolerant varieties early in the season, then expand your choices as temperatures actually start to drop.

Fruit trees for the fall garden

Fall is the perfect time to plant fruit trees in your garden, as they’ll have time to get established before the brutal summer weather returns. Citrus plants like oranges, satsumas, and lemons often thrive in this region. 

How to choose your fall garden plants

Now that you have inspiration for your ultimate fall garden, you’ll want to grab your farmer's almanac and start making plans. Here are a few tips to help you pick the right plants for your plot: 

Consider frost-tolerant plants

Although it rarely freezes in Central and South Florida, frost is a different story. The first step to success is to know your hardiness zone and how it affects your garden. Mark the anticipated first frost date on your calendar so you can protect your plants if needed.

Of course, specific varietals are more frost-tolerant than others. The pros at Whitwam Organics are happy to help you find the best plants to meet your needs! 

Length to maturity

The average days to maturity tell you how long it will take for certain plants to produce a harvest. You can usually find this information on seed packets. This will give you an idea of when to plant, when to harden off seedlings, and help you estimate how long it will take transplants to fruit.

For the best results, create a list of everything you want to grow and write out a schedule of when to plant each crop based on the length to maturity and the estimated first frost. This way, you won’t have to play chicken with the weather. Just remember to check the forecast for unexpected cold snaps. 

Season length

An extended growing season is one of the joys of gardening in Florida. In fact, you can enjoy harvests from September to February in many parts of the state. Consider planting a mix of short and long-season varietals of your favorite cool-weather crops for an eclectic fall garden.

Nutritional value of crops

If you plan to enjoy the fruits of your labor on your plate this fall, think about the nutritional value your garden offers. You might find that cultivating your own food makes you a little more excited about eating your veggies.

In either case, a variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and leafy greens will help you get the daily recommended amount of vitamins and minerals, especially late in the year.

Whitwam Organics has the supplies you need for your fall garden!

Whitwam Organics has all the knowledge and supplies you need for a successful fall garden! Whether it’s your first growing season or your fiftieth, we’re here to help!

Browse our selection of plants and seeds, or contact us to learn more about our residential and commercial consulting services!