Fall Vegetables for North Florida

The Neighborhood Newspaper
of Niceville, FL

The Front-Yard Farmer

Cool season (fall) vegetables for north Florida

Here's a list of the cool season (fall) vegetables commonly grown in north Florida home gardens from the University of Florida IFAS Extension. Included are Suggested Varieties, Plant Family, Harvest Information, and Helpful Comments.

Suggested varieties are based on availability, performance and pest resistance. Other varieties may produce well also.

In column 2 in the chart below the plant families are named to help practice crop rotation. Avoid planting family members following each other.

Column 3 in the chart is a transplantability rating: I, easily survives transplanting; II survives with care; III, use seeds or containerized transplants only.

Column 4 is pounds of yield per 100' row.

Column 5 is days from seeding to harvest. The values in parentheses are days from transplanting to first harvest.

COOL SEASON VEGETABLES
Beets
Early Wonder, Detroit Dark Red, Cylindra, Red Ace, Little Ball	Chenopodiaceae	I	75	50-65
Comment: Beets require ample moisture at seeding or poor emergence results. Leaves edible
Broccoli
Early Green Sprouting, Waltham 29, Atlantic,Green Comet, Green Duke	Cruciferae	I	50	75-90 (55-70)
Harvest small multiple sideshoots that develop after main central head is cut.
Cabbage
Gourmet, Marion Market, King Cole, Market Prize, Red Acre, Chieftan Savoy, Rio Verde,Bravo	Cruciferae	I	125	90-110 (70-90)
Comment: Buy clean plants to avoid cabbage black-rot, a common bacterial disease that causes yellow patches on leaf margins. Keep an eye out for loopers, use Bt for control.
Carrots
Imperator, Thumbelina, Nantes, Gold Pak, Waltham Hicolor, Orlando Gold	Umbelliferae	II	100	65-80
Comment: Grow carrots on a raised bed for best results. Sow seeds shallow and thin to proper stand.
Cauliflower
Snowball Strains, Snowdrift, Imperial 10-6, Snow Crown, White Rock	Cruciferae	I	80	75-90 (55-70)
Comment: Tie leaves around flowerhead at 2-3 inch diameter stage to prevent discoloration. For green heads, grow broccoflower.
Celery
Utah Strains, Florida Strains, Summer Pascal	Umbelliferae	II	150	115-125 (80-105)
Comment: Celery requires very high soil moisture during seeding/seedling stage.
Chinese Cabbage
Michihili, Wong Bok, Bok Choy, Napa	Cruciferae	I	100	70-90 (60-70)
Comment: Bok Choy is open-leaf type,while Michihili and Napa form round heads.
Collards
Georgia, Vates, Blue Max, Hicrop Hybrid	Cruciferae	I	150	70-80 (40-60)
Comment: Tolerates more heat than most other crucifers. Harvest lower leaves. Kale may also be grown.
Endive/Escarole
Florida Deep Heart, Full Heart, Ruffec	Compositae	I	75	80-95
Comment: Excellent ingredient in tossed salads. Well adapted to cooler months.
Kohlrabi
Early White Vienna, Grand Duke, Purple Vienna	Cruciferae	I	100	70-80 (50-55)
Comment: Both red and green varieties are easily grown. Use fresh or cooked. Leaves edible.
Lettuce
Crisp: Minetto, Ithaca, Fulton, Floricrisp. Butterhead: Bibb, White Boston, Tom Thumb. Leaf: Prize Head, Red Sails, Salad Bowl. Romaine: Parris Island Cos, Valmaine, Floricos.	Compositae	I	75	50-90 (40-70)
Grow crisphead type in coolest part of season for firmer heads. Sow seeds very shallow, as they need light for germination. Intercrop lettuce with long-season vegetables.
Mustard
Southern Giant Curled, Florida Broad Leaf, Tendergreen	Cruciferae	II	100	40-60
Consider planting in a wide-row system. Broadleaf type requires more space. Cooked as "greens".
Onions
Bulbing: Excel, Texas Grano, Granex, White Granex, Tropicana Red Bunching: White Portugal, Evergreen, Beltsville Bunching, Perfecto Blanco Multipliers: Shallots	Amaryllidaceae	III	100100100	120-160 (110-120) 50-75 (30-40) (30-40)
Comment: Plant short-day bulbing varieties. For bunching onions, insert sets upright for straight stems. For multipliers, divide and reset. Bulbing onions may be seeded in the fall, then transplanted in early spring (Jan-Feb). `Granex' used for Vidalia and St. Augustine Sweets.
Parsley
Moss Curled, Perfection, Italian	Umbelliferae	II	40	70-90
Comment: Grow parsley root similarly (Hamburg type). Curly and plain types do well.
Peas, English
Wando, Green Arrow, Laxton's Progress, Sugar Snap, Oregon Sugar.	Leguminoseae	III	40	50-70
Comment: Edible podded type are "Oregon" (flat) and "Sugar Snap" (round) - be sure to trellis.
Potatoes
Sebago, Red Pontiac, Atlantic, Red LaSoda, LaRouge, Superior	Solanaceae	II	150	85-110
Comment: Plant 2-ounce seed pieces with eyes. Do not use table-stock for seed. Remove tops two weeks before digging to "toughen skin." Varieties planted by seeds produce less than from tubers.
Radish
Cherry Belle, Comet, Early Scarlet Globe, White Icicle, Sparkler, Red Prince, Champion, Snowbelle	Cruciferae	III	40	20-30
Comment: The winter type (Daikon) grows well in Florida, too. Inter-crop summer type with slow growing vegetables to save space.
Spinach
Virginia Savoy, Melody, Bloomsdale Longstanding, Tyee, Olympia	Chenopodiaceae	II	40	45-60
Comment: Grow during coolest months. Malabar spinach is a more prolific type that grows well in Florida.
Strawberry
Florida 90, Chandler, Dover, Florida Belle, Oso Grande, Sweet Charlie, Selva	Rosaceae	I	50	(90-110)
Comment: Plant short-day varieties. Grow as an annual crop starting with disease-free plants in the fall.
Turnips
Roots/Tops: Purple-Top White Globe, Just RiteTops: All Top	Cruciferae	III	150	40-60
Comment: Grow for roots and tops. Broadcast seed in wide-row system or single file.