Local planting guide · Southeast
zip 33317
Fort Lauderdale is in USDA hardiness zone 10b, with average winter lows of 35°F to 40°F. The local growing season runs roughly 01/24 through 01/20 (~365 days). This zip falls within the Southeast growing region.
- USDA zone
- 10b 35°F to 40°F
- Last spring frost
- 01/24
- First fall frost
- 01/20
- Growing season
- 365 days
- Compatible crops
- 23
- Growing region
- Southeast
Right now in Fort Lauderdale
Week 18 priorities
On the docket: transplant out after last frost · direct sow after last frost. See the full calendar →
Gardening in Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale's tropical climate offers year-round growing potential nearly unmatched in the continental United States. With a growing season of 365 days and frost risk limited to a narrow window in late January, gardens here can support both cool-season and heat-loving crops in succession without the extended dormancy most North American gardeners experience. The dominant constraint is not cold but heat and humidity. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 90°F with high moisture in the air, creating relentless pressure from fungal diseases and tropical pests. Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants thrive in the warm months; figs flourish year-round; basil and rosemary are near-permanent residents. The brief window around January 20 to 24 introduces the zone's primary weather risk: a hard frost can damage tender tropical plants and interrupt the productivity of cool-season crops. Gardeners here operate in a fundamentally different seasonal rhythm than their counterparts elsewhere in zone 10b.
Regional context · Southeast
What the Southeast brings to Fort Lauderdale
Hot, humid, long growing season. Disease-resistant variety selection is the difference between a productive and a failed planting. Strong region for muscadines, blueberries, peaches, persimmons, figs, and warm-season vegetables.
Common challenges
Issues that most often defeat home gardeners in zone 10b, drawn from the broader USDA zone profile.
- ▸ No winter chill
- ▸ Tropical pest and disease pressure
- ▸ Saltwater intrusion in coastal soils
What defeats new gardeners in Fort Lauderdale
Three obstacles recur frequently. Fungal diseases including powdery mildew, leaf spot, and root rot proliferate in the moisture-rich summer environment (June through September), particularly affecting tomatoes and peppers in their second season unless varieties are chosen carefully. The late-January frost window, though brief, can devastate tender tropical plants like avocado and mango and interrupt cool-season crops just as they reach harvest. Tropical pest pressure is relentless: spider mites, whiteflies, and scale insects attack both ornamentals and edibles year-round, requiring either strategic variety selection for pest resistance or consistent monitoring and intervention. Soil pH often leans acidic in the sandy substrate common to South Florida, which can complicate nutrient availability for vegetable crops.
Crops that grow in Fort Lauderdale
23 crops from our catalog match zone 10b, grouped by type.
Tree fruit
12 crops
zone 10b Fig
Ficus carica
zones 7a–10b
zone 10b Lemon
Citrus limon
zones 9a–11b
zone 10b Orange
Citrus sinensis
zones 9a–11b
zone 10b Lime
Citrus aurantiifolia
zones 9b–11b
zone 10b Grapefruit
Citrus paradisi
zones 9a–11b
zone 10b Mango
Mangifera indica
zones 10b–13b
zone 10b Avocado
Persea americana
zones 9b–11b
zone 10b Banana
Musa acuminata
zones 9b–13b
Berries
2 crops
Nuts
1 crop
Vegetables
6 crops
zone 10b Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum
zones 3a–10b
zone 10b Sweet Pepper
Capsicum annuum
zones 4a–10b
zone 10b Hot Pepper
Capsicum species
zones 4a–10b
zone 10b Eggplant
Solanum melongena
zones 5a–10b
zone 10b Sweet Potato
Ipomoea batatas
zones 6a–10b
zone 10b Okra
Abelmoschus esculentus
zones 6a–10b
Herbs
2 crops
Plan the year
Planting calendar for Fort Lauderdale
Year-view of seed starting, transplanting, planting, pruning, fertilizing, harvest, and pest-watch windows tuned to Fort Lauderdale's local frost dates.
Week ? · loading
This week in Fort Lauderdale, FL (zone 10b)
Quiet week in Fort Lauderdale, FL (zone 10b). this week is a good time to step back and plan ahead.
Nothing critical on the calendar this week.
128 bars · 23 crops
Calendar logic combines NOAA frost normals with crop-specific timing data. Local microclimate and weather always overrules the calendar; use this as a starting point.
Top pests for zone 10b
Ranked by how many crops in your zone they affect. Click through for IPM controls and signs to watch for.
Pseudococcidae spp.
Soft white waxy insects that cluster at leaf joints, fruit stems, and root crowns. Honeydew secretion supports sooty mold; root mealybugs cause decline that mimics drought.
Coccoidea spp.
Sap-sucking insects that attach to bark, leaves, and fruit, secreting honeydew that fuels sooty mold. Heavy infestations weaken trees and cause leaf yellowing.
Ceratitis capitata
Quarantine pest in many regions. Adult females puncture ripening fruit to lay eggs; larvae tunnel through the flesh, causing premature drop and rot.
Multiple species (Aphididae)
Small soft-bodied sap-sucking insects that reproduce explosively in spring. Excrete honeydew that supports sooty mold and attracts ants. Transmit viral diseases.
Meloidogyne species
Microscopic soil-dwelling worm that forms galls on roots, reducing vigor and yield.
Multiple species (Aleyrodidae)
Tiny white moth-like flying insects that feed on plant sap and excrete honeydew. Transmit numerous viral diseases including tomato yellow leaf curl virus.
Multiple species (Chrysomelidae)
Tiny black or bronze jumping beetles that put hundreds of small holes in seedling leaves. Most damaging on direct-seeded brassicas and young eggplant.
Anastrepha suspensa
Tropical fruit fly endemic to Florida and the Caribbean. Less aggressive on commercial citrus than Mediterranean fruit fly, but devastating on guava, carambola, and other thin-skinned tropicals.
Top diseases for zone 10b
Ranked by how many crops in your zone they affect. Click through for symptoms, controls, and resistant varieties.
Capnodium spp.
Black fungal coating that grows on honeydew secreted by aphids, scale, mealybugs, and whiteflies. Doesn't infect plant tissue directly but blocks photosynthesis and disfigures fruit.
Colletotrichum gloeosporioides
Most damaging mango disease worldwide. Fungal spores infect blossoms and developing fruit during humid weather, producing black sunken lesions that expand on ripening fruit.
Sclerotium rolfsii
Soil-borne fungal disease most damaging in warm humid Southern conditions. White mycelial fans and small mustard-seed-sized sclerotia at the soil line are diagnostic.
Fusarium oxysporum
Soil-borne fungal disease that plugs vascular tissue and kills affected plants. Persists in soil for many years; impossible to eliminate once established.
Verticillium dahliae
Soil-borne fungal disease similar to fusarium wilt but with broader host range and cooler temperature optimum. Persists in soil for 10+ years.
Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus
Devastating bacterial disease vectored by the Asian citrus psyllid. Once infected, trees decline progressively over several years and there is no cure. Has destroyed commercial citrus across Florida and threatens production worldwide.
Xanthomonas citri
Bacterial disease producing raised corky lesions on leaves, twigs, and fruit. Spread by wind-driven rain and contaminated tools. Quarantine-regulated in many areas.
Xanthomonas euvesicatoria and X. perforans
Bacterial disease causing leaf spots and fruit blemishes on pepper and tomato. Severe in warm humid weather, transmitted via splashing water and seed.
Companion planting suggestions
Beneficial pairings drawn from companion data, filtered to crops that grow in zone 10b.
- Fig + Rosemary
Rosemary tolerates the dry sites figs prefer and provides aromatic pest deterrence.
- Tomato + Basil
The classic Italian pairing. Basil's volatile oils are reported to repel hornworms and whiteflies, and the two crops share the same warm-season schedule and water needs. Plant basil between tomato cages.
- Sweet Pepper + Basil
Same warm-season culture, same watering schedule. Basil reportedly improves pepper flavor and repels aphids and thrips that are pepper's primary pests.
- Hot Pepper + Basil
Compatible heat-loving culture, similar water needs. Basil interplanted between hot pepper plants supports beneficial insects and reduces aphid pressure.
- Okra + Hot Pepper
Both heat-loving warm-season crops with similar water and fertility needs. Hot pepper at okra's base benefits from the slight afternoon shade in extreme summer heat.
Soil types reference
Soil texture and pH decide what grows easily on your specific lot. Find the closest match below for crop recommendations and amendment guidance.
Practical tips for Fort Lauderdale
Start tomatoes and peppers in two waves to avoid peak disease and heat: one planting in late August through September for a winter and spring harvest when temperatures and disease pressure are low, and a second around late February using heat-tolerant varieties if another summer crop is desired. This approach extends the productive season and reduces total fungal disease losses. Second, protect tender tropical plants as January approaches by grouping them in a sheltered microclimate (south-facing wall, under eaves) and monitoring the forecast for frost warnings between January 15 and 25; a simple row cover can protect against light frost. Third, manage air circulation relentlessly: prune lower branches, space plants wider than typical, and avoid evening overhead irrigation. This discipline alone reduces fungal disease pressure dramatically during the humid months.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the best time to plant tomatoes in Fort Lauderdale?
Late August through September gives the most reliable crop. Tomatoes mature through the cool, dry winter months with optimal flavor and low disease pressure. A second planting in late February works with heat-tolerant varieties, though summer heat and fungal diseases stress most types. Spring planting should be avoided; summer conditions make success difficult.
- Will a late-January frost kill my tropical plants?
Late-January frost is uncommon but possible, typically occurring once every few years. Light frost (35 to 40°F) damages tender foliage but rarely kills established trees. Avocados, mangoes, and tender ornamentals are at highest risk; tomatoes and peppers will die back. Shelter tender plants and keep frost cloth ready from January 15 to 25.
- What crops grow year-round in Fort Lauderdale?
Figs, basil, rosemary, peppers, and eggplant thrive across seasons with variety selection. Cool-season crops like lettuce, kale, and broccoli excel October through April. Succession planting of tomatoes and peppers in two windows gives constant production without the winter dormancy other zones experience.
- How do I manage fungal diseases in the summer humidity?
Air circulation is the primary defense: space plants wide, prune lower branches, and avoid evening overhead watering. Choose tomato varieties with disease resistance (marked EB for early blight or LS for leaf spot). Remove affected leaves immediately if disease appears. Prevention through spacing and airflow beats treatment.
- Which vegetables are reliably productive in Fort Lauderdale's summer heat?
Peppers, eggplant, okra, and southern peas thrive in summer heat. Sweet potato and basil perform well year-round. Tomatoes succeed in the cooler half of the year. Choosing heat-tolerant varieties is critical for summer success; most common tomato varieties decline in peak heat.
- Is there an off-season for gardening in Fort Lauderdale?
No genuine off-season exists. With 365 frost-free days, planting and harvesting happen every month. The practical rhythm divides into two seasons: October through May (cool, dry, ideal for most crops) and June through September (hot, humid, suited to heat-tolerant crops and tropical fruits). Peak summer slows vegetable production but growth continues year-round.
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Frost data: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020, station USW00092826. Local microclimates can shift these dates by a week or more.
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