Matthew Lollar said daytime highs are still hovering in the mid-to-high 80s, peaking into the 90s, which is warmer than most cold crops prefer.
“I would hold off for a couple more weeks,” Lollar said.
He recommends waiting until early to mid-October to plant cold items, which include a variety of items such as:
- Arugula
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Onions
- Radish
- Turnips
- Tomatoes (supported)
While the region’s commercial agriculture is dominated by peanuts, cotton and corn, Lollar said home gardeners can grow a range of vegetables not usually associated with the area, such as leafy lettuce, like romaine.
Lollar said the advice shifts a bit for south-end residents, where sandier soil and coastal winds create different challenges than in the county’s northern half.
“I would recommend having some sort of windbreak to help break up some of that wind we get off the Gulf,” he said. “Anybody in the south end is going to have really sandy soils, so they’re going to need to irrigate a little more frequently.”
Gardeners countywide, Lollar said, should test their soil annually. The extension office offers free pH testing, and residents can mail samples to the University of Florida for a full analysis for $10 plus shipping.
He noted that if residents take advantage of testing, they should dry out lawn samples for a day or two before testing.
As for lawn care, Lollar said mowing frequency should drop as grass growth slows with cooler temperatures, though timing varies by species.
“Bermuda Grass goes completely dormant in the winter. Centipede and St. Augustine kind of do a partial dormancy, depending on the time of year,” he said.
Lollar recommends raising the mower deck about a half-inch during cooler months so the grass can photosynthesize better.
Homeowners should also avoid applying herbicides before rain events. Pre-emergent herbicides for winter weeds should go down once nighttime lows have held in the mid-50s for about a week, and most products require water to be effective.
October and November are also good months to plant trees and shrubs, since most perennial plantings establish well in the cooler months.
