Zone calendars · 6 min read
Vegetable Planting Calendar for USDA Zone 9
Zone 9 direct-seed and transplant windows, including the mid-summer heat break most planning calendars ignore.
USDA Zone 9 covers northern FL and coastal SC/GA/AL — average last frost around March 5, first fall frost around November 25. About 265 frost-free days, but a summer heat break where nothing cool-season will hold.
Winter/spring — direct seed
- Jan 15–Feb 5: peas, spinach, lettuce, radish, turnip, carrots.
- Feb 15–Mar 5: beans, sweet corn, cucumber, summer squash.
- Mar 15–Apr 5: okra, southern peas, watermelon direct.
Winter/spring — transplant
- Jan 15–Feb 5: broccoli, cabbage, kale, collards.
- Feb 15–Mar 10: tomato, pepper, eggplant.
The summer heat break (Jun–Aug)
Cool-season crops bolt or fail. Focus on okra, southern peas, sweet potato, and short-cycle cucurbits. Most farms use this window for cover crops (sunn hemp, sorghum-sudan) that suppress nematodes.
Fall — direct seed
- Sep 1–20: beans, cucumber, summer squash for a fall run.
- Sep 15–Oct 10: lettuce, spinach, kale, turnip, carrot.
Fall — transplant
- Sep 1–Oct 5: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower.
- Oct 1–20: onion sets, strawberry plugs.
Run this in BAU, not a spreadsheet
The planner, calculator, and buyer marketplace are included on every plan.