Fall/Winter Garden (Oct–Feb)
This is Tampa’s prime vegetable-growing season. Our heat and humidity knock out cool-weather crops from June through September; once nights cool off in October, the planting window swings wide open until roughly March.
What to plant now
Per UF/IFAS Vegetables I–III for Florida and the PCG Info Packet:
- Transplants: tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, broccoli
- Direct seed: carrots, lettuce, beans, strawberries (yes — strawberries are a fall/winter crop here)
Start transplants early enough to establish before the coolest weather; succession-sow lettuce and beans a few weeks apart for a longer harvest.
Water & weather
- Rule of thumb: ~1″ of water per week, but check raised beds by finger — container-style beds dry faster than ground soil, especially on warm January days.
- Use the 10-day forecast on our homepage before watering: a stretch of heavy rain means skip a round or two.
- Water at the base, early morning. Wet foliage + mild winter nights = fungal disease pressure.
Pests & problems this season
- Aphids and whiteflies show up in drier cool spells; blast them off with water before reaching for anything stronger.
- See something odd? Bring a sample (or photo) to the UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough Master Gardener plant clinic rather than guessing with sprays.
Frost watch
Tampa (USDA zone 9b–10a) gets occasional cold snaps Dec–Feb. Tender crops (tomatoes, peppers) want frost cloth on advisory nights — the forecast widget flags freeze risk in Nov–Feb.
Sources
- UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County — https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/hillsborough/
- Ask IFAS (Vegetables guides) — https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/
- PCG Information Packet (seasonal planting guide) — https://www.tampa.gov/sites/default/files/document/2025/2025-2026-parking-division-community-garden-information-packet.pdf
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