When to plant radishes in USDA Zone 9a

Plan your radishes 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

Direct-seed outdoors
January 21 – February 11
Expected first harvest
February 25 – March 25
Fall planting window
October 13 – November 3
Fall harvest window
November 17 – December 15

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
1″
Row spacing
12″
Seed depth
0.5″
Soil temperature
45–70°F
Frost tolerance
hardy
Days to harvest
28 days

Grower notes for Zone 9a

Fastest crop in the garden. Interplant with slow germinators like carrots to mark rows.

Plant near: cucumbers, carrots, lettuce

Keep away from: hyssop

Other root crops 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.