GreenlyFrost dates and when to plant in Florida
United States
In Florida the last spring frost comes between 18 January (Tampa) and 26 January (Pensacola) — the median of 2016–2025 in 7 cities. The first autumn frost comes between 19 December (Pensacola) and 27 December (Jacksonville). The frost-free season lasts 327–341 days. 2 of the 9 cities had no frost at all. Tomato: plant out into open ground 25 January – 6 September, earliest in Tampa, latest in Jacksonville.
Frost dates by city in Florida
| City | Last spring frost | First autumn frost | Frost-free days | Climate zone | Tomato: window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando | 18 January | 25 December | 341 | 270 frost-free days or more | 25 January – 4 September |
| St. Petersburg | 18 January | none in ten years | — | Frost without a regular season | from 25 January |
| Tampa | 18 January | 24 December | 340 | 270 frost-free days or more | 25 January – 3 September |
| Gainesville | 22 January | 24 December | 336 | 270 frost-free days or more | 29 January – 3 September |
| Tallahassee | 22 January | 23 December | 335 | 270 frost-free days or more | 29 January – 2 September |
| Jacksonville | 23 January | 27 December | 338 | 270 frost-free days or more | 30 January – 6 September |
| Pensacola | 26 January | 19 December | 327 | 270 frost-free days or more | 2 February – 29 August |
| Fort Myers | none in ten years | none in ten years | — | No frost in ten years | — |
| Miami | none in ten years | none in ten years | — | No frost in ten years | — |
Median of 2016–2025 for the 25 km grid cell of the city: the last day at or below 0 °C in spring and the first in autumn (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo). In a cold year a frost can come a week or two later — Greenly warns 48 hours ahead.
When to plant in Florida: windows by crop
The earliest start and the latest end among the cities here, each with its city; every city’s own window is on its page. Each window starts on the Greenly calendar date and ends on the last day that still leaves the crop’s days to harvest (from its card) before the average first autumn frost, plus six weeks of picking for crops harvested over weeks (tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, courgettes, pumpkins, watermelons, beans) — our rule; earlier in the window is safer.
| Crop | Planting out or sowing |
|---|---|
| Tomato, Bell Pepper, Eggplant | 25 January (Tampa) – 6 September (Jacksonville) |
| Cucumber | 25 January (Tampa) – 12 October (Jacksonville) |
| Zucchini | 25 January (Tampa) – 10 October (Jacksonville) |
| Pumpkin | 25 January (Tampa) – 1 September (Jacksonville) |
| Watermelon | 25 January (Tampa) – 17 September (Jacksonville) |
| Peas | 28 December (Tampa) – 14 October (Jacksonville) |
| Garlic, Tulip, Daffodil, Crocus, Hyacinth | Autumn planting: by 27 November (Jacksonville) |
Weather by month in Florida
Across the 9 cities the warmest month is July (average days 30.8 … 32.6 °C) and the coldest January (average nights 6.9 … 16.1 °C). No city here averages below 0 °C at night in any month.
| Month | Day, °C | Night, °C | Rain, mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15.9 … 24.1 °C | 6.9 … 16.1 °C | 70 |
| February | 19.1 … 26.1 °C | 10.3 … 18.3 °C | 60 |
| March | 21.2 … 27.7 °C | 12.2 … 18.8 °C | 68 |
| April | 23.7 … 29.8 °C | 14.6 … 20.7 °C | 76 |
| May | 27.5 … 31.4 °C | 18.8 … 22.4 °C | 104 |
| June | 30 … 32.1 °C | 22.2 … 24.7 °C | 162 |
| July | 30.8 … 32.6 °C | 23.3 … 25.7 °C | 187 |
| August | 30.8 … 32.1 °C | 23.3 … 25.8 °C | 214 |
| September | 29.6 … 31.1 °C | 21.5 … 24.6 °C | 166 |
| October | 26.2 … 29.6 °C | 17.1 … 23 °C | 94 |
| November | 21.5 … 27 °C | 11.9 … 20.2 °C | 57 |
| December | 17.9 … 25.3 °C | 9.3 … 18.1 °C | 74 |
Day and night: the lowest … highest monthly average among the cities; rain: the middle city (ERA5 via Open-Meteo).
What to plant month by month: Florida
Other regions: United States
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York State
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington State
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
More about the United States
- Gardening in the United States: climate zones and crops by region
- United States: frost dates by city
- When to plant tomatoes in the United States
- When to plant cucumbers in the United States
- When to plant bell peppers in the United States
- When to plant peas in the United States
- When to plant garlic in the United States
- Gardening by country
