🌾 Fall Harvest AND Annual Veggie Garden Planting Guide: What’s in Season in Zones 9–10

The Start of Florida’s Gardening Season — Annuals, Tropicals & All Things Sow Exotic

Fall might mean slowing down for gardeners up north — but here in Florida and other Zone 9–10 regions, it’s the true beginning of the gardening year. While most of the country is putting their gardens to bed, we’re gearing up for an abundant cool-season harvest and planting everything from leafy greens to tropical fruit trees.

This is your season to plant and to enjoy. The soil is warm, the sun is gentle, and the air finally feels kind again — perfect for getting your hands in the dirt and your food forest thriving.

🥬 Cool-Season Crops: The Annual Garden Awakens

October through February is prime time to plant annual veggies in Florida’s subtropical climate. With warm soil and mild days, growth is fast, pests slow down, and harvests last longer.

In Season Now:

Leafy Greens – Arugula, kale, lettuce, spinach, mustard greens, collards, bok choy, and Swiss chard
Root Crops – Beets, carrots, radishes, and turnips
Brassicas – Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts
Alliums & Herbs – Green onions, garlic, dill, cilantro, and parsley
Legumes & Quick Crops – Snap peas, bush beans, and early lettuces for quick successions

💡 Pro Tip: Succession-plant small batches of greens every few weeks for a steady harvest through winter. In Florida, you can harvest salad from your backyard nearly all season long!

🌴 Tropical Fruits & Perennials: Your Ever-Bearing Fall Stars

While the veggie beds fill with cool-season crops, your tropical perennials and fruit trees are thriving too — many are ripening or ready to plant now. Fall is the perfect time to add new tropicals to your garden since the soil is warm enough for quick root growth and the sun is gentle enough for stress-free establishment.

Fruiting Right Now

Papayas – Fast-fruiting and heavy producers; ripe fruits glow golden and sweet this time of year.
Bananas – Red Cuban, Dwarf Namwah, and Ice Cream Bananas are often fruiting through late fall.
Star Fruit (Carambola) – Heavy with crisp, refreshing fruit in fall; prune after harvest to encourage spring blooms.
Passionfruit – Vines like Panama Red and Possum Purple are finishing their main flush; enjoy fresh or in smoothies.
Guavas – Tropical guavas, Cas guava, and strawberry guava ripen late summer through fall — fragrant, juicy, and full of vitamin C.
Pineapple – In containers or ground, fall is often when pineapples finish ripening, their golden sweetness concentrated by long sunny days.

Best Time to Plant

Fall is also ideal for planting fruit trees that will thrive for years to come:

Mangoes, Avocados, Lychee, Longan, Sapodilla, and Sugar Apple — take advantage of warm soil and lower stress to establish strong root systems before spring growth begins.
Citrus — Valencia, Key Lime, and Calamondin love fall planting; many bloom early winter for spring fruit.
Tropical Herbs & Medicinals – Moringa, Lemongrass, Cuban Oregano, and Chaya (Tree Spinach) continue to flourish in fall warmth.

🌿 Sow Exotic Tip: When planting tropical trees this season, mulch deeply and water regularly during establishment, but avoid heavy fertilization until late winter. This helps the roots focus on growing strong before the next flush of foliage.

🍊 Harvest Highlights from the Tropics & the Garden

Florida’s fall garden can produce a table full of colors and flavors few other regions can match. Combine your cool-season vegetables with tropical fruit for incredible homegrown meals.

Garden-to-Table Inspiration:

Star Fruit + Kale Salad with Citrus Dressing
Roasted Root Veggies with Lemongrass Butter
Papaya Salsa over Black Beans & Rice
Passionfruit Vinaigrette on Garden Greens
Fresh Guava Smoothies or Pineapple-Mint Agua Fresca

🌱 The Rhythm of the Season

Fall in Zones 9–10 isn’t an ending — it’s a renewal.

October: Plant greens, roots, and herbs; establish tropical trees.
November: Harvest leafy crops, enjoy tropical fruit, plant onions and garlic.
December–February: Maintain, harvest, and plant successions for continuous abundance.

Keep your soil covered, your plants mulched, and your beds diverse — that’s the subtropical gardener’s secret to thriving year-round.

🌿 Celebrate the Season with Sow Exotic

Whether you’re planting your first veggie bed or expanding your backyard food forest, fall is the best time to start fresh in Florida. Explore Sow Exotic’s collections of rare tropical fruit trees, medicinal herbs, and seasonal edibles, all shipped in biodegradable pots and ready to thrive in your garden.