When to plant kale in USDA Zone 9a

Plan your kale planting around local frost risk and soil temperature, then work backward from the harvest week your buyers need. The calendar below is a starting point, not a field-level weather forecast.

Gainesville FL, Houston, New Orleans, southern GA coast. Average last spring frost February 25, first fall frost December 1 — a 279-day frost-free season.

Zone fit: good
Cool-season crops bolt fast under Zone 9a heat. Prioritize the fall planting window and use shade cloth for any spring succession.

Key dates

Start seeds indoors
January 14 – January 28
Direct-seed or transplant outdoors
January 21 – February 11
Expected first harvest
March 24 – April 21
Fall planting window
September 15 – October 6
Fall harvest window
November 16 – December 14

Windows are calculated from your zone's average frost dates. Adjust ±1 week for microclimates, elevation, and your own frost records.

Spacing and soil

Plant spacing
12″
Row spacing
24″
Seed depth
0.5″
Soil temperature
55–75°F
Frost tolerance
hardy
Days to harvest
55 days

Grower notes for Zone 9a

Harvest outer leaves and leave the growing tip — a single plant can produce for 3+ months.

Plant near: beets, onions, herbs

Keep away from: tomatoes

Other brassicas for Zone 9a

Same crop, other zones

Track your own plantings

BAU Farm Intelligence turns these windows into per-field tasks — indoor seed-start reminders, transplant dates, harvest projections — using your farm's actual frost history.