New to South Florida Gardening? Read This First

Backyard pineapples in Miami Springs

Ready to tackle your backyard garden? With more time on their hands, some South Floridians have decided to try their hand at growing food. First-time gardeners or those new to the area should be aware of some key truths about gardening in the subtropics so you won't be disappointed:

• We're located in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 10A, 10B and 11. This is the standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a location. It's based on temperatures, which is why winter is suitable here for growing vegetables like tomatoes, lettuces and strawberries, while summer is the time for tropical fruits and heat-loving plants like tropical spinaches, peppers, many herbs and okra.
• Buy seedlings or plant starts from local suppliers rather than big-box retailers. Local gardeners sell what works best here in South Florida.
• Summer is also our rainy season. This means generally it's a good time to plant fruit trees and bananas.

Good Follows for South Florida Gardening Info

UF/IFAS offers lots of resources online geared to Florida's different regions.

Little River Cooperative has launched a new YouTube channel with videos on backyard growing.

Dylan Terry of Ready-to-Grow Gardens is a good source of plant information and plants.

Tree Amigos Growers in Davie share excellent growing information regularly.

In Oakland Park, Talk@10 covers steps to a successful summer garden from Urban Farming Institute. 

Gourmet Gardeners offers plants, raised bed gardens and other South Florida garden information here.

Happy growing!