The Secret to an Easy Fall Florida Garden
- Leah Brooks
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Why the Tower Garden Is the Easiest Way to Grow a Fall Garden in Florida
The Tower Garden FLEX makes fall gardening in Florida simple because you can grow both cool-season and warm-season crops at the same time. Unlike traditional gardens, you don't have to worry about which vegetables should be direct sown and which need to be transplanted. Every crop starts the same way—in a rockwool cube—making the planting process easy for both beginners and children.
Quick Start Guide
🌱Everything you need to know!
How do I order my Tower Garden FLEX on MyScholarShop?
How do I set up my Tower Garden FLEX?
When does Florida's fall gardening season begin?
Which seeds should I plant in my Tower Garden?
When do we plant strawberries in the outdoor Tower Garden?
Let's make the Tower Garden educational!
🍁 When Does Florida's Fall Gardening Season Begin? 🍂
Florida's fall planting season begins when three things happen:
Nighttime temperatures consistently fall below 73°F
Summer's heavy rains begin to slow
Insect pressure starts to decrease
A Fun Learning Activity
Have your child become a weather detective! Visit Weather.com and look at your city's monthly forecast. Click through the upcoming months until you find when the nighttime low temperatures consistently reach 72°F or lower. That's a good indicator that your fall gardening season is beginning.
Early Fall Planting Timeline
City | Fall Garden Starts | Start Most Seeds |
Pensacola | Mid-September | September 1 |
Jacksonville | Early September | August 15 |
Orlando | Early September | August 15 |
Melbourne | Mid-September | September 1 |
Sarasota | Early October | September 15 |
Miami | Mid- to Late October | October 1 |
Key Largo | Early October | October 1 |
The seed-starting dates above are approximately two weeks before planting outdoors. This gives seedlings time to develop healthy roots and true leaves so they're ready to plant in your Tower Garden as soon as the weather becomes favorable.
Don't Worry If You're Running Late
If you aren't ready to plant by the suggested dates, don't stress. One of the advantages of growing on a Tower Garden is its longer planting window. The continuously circulating water helps keep plant roots cooler during warm weather and slightly warmer during cool weather, reducing temperature stress.
As winter approaches, it's also easy to extend your growing season. Simple frost protection, such as a portable greenhouse, frost cloth, or other plant covers, can shield your crops from light freezes. In colder areas of Florida, adding an aquarium water heater to the Tower Garden reservoir can help keep the nutrient solution warm, protecting the roots during chilly nights.
With just a few simple techniques, you can often keep your Tower Garden producing well beyond the traditional growing season.
🌱🍂 What Can I Plant on My Tower Garden This Fall? 🍅🥬
One of the biggest advantages of a Tower Garden is that you can grow cool-season and warm-season vegetables at the same time, extending your harvest throughout the fall.
🍅 Fall seeds and easy-peasy seed pods are available from Tower Garden on MyScholarShop:
Cherokee Purple Tomatoes
Peppers (Anaheim, Jalapeno, and Red Sweet)
Eggplant
Cucumbers
Summer squash
Patty Pan squash
Lettuce
Kale
Baby Greens
Sorrel
Arugula
Swiss chard
Radicchio
Parsley
Basil, Dill, Thyme, Sage, Oregano, and Chives
Cauliflower
Cilantro (plant in October)
Spinach (plant in October)
🌼 Don't Forget Flowers!
Cool-season flowers attract pollinators and beneficial insects while adding beauty to your Tower Garden. Violas and Snapdragons can be planted in late fall and enjoy cold weather.
We aren't done yet!
Make sure to plant broccoli, cucumber, zucchini, cherry, Roma, and beefsteak tomatoes, and green beans.
Let's Make this Educational with a Student Guide!
Help your students dig into the science and joy of growing with Let’s Plan! A Student’s Guide to Growing the Tower Garden Outdoors (Florida Edition)—a fun, hands-on workbook designed especially for kids in the Sunshine State!
Created by Florida Master Gardener–trained educator Leah Brooks, this interactive guide is packed with simple lessons, experiments, journal prompts, and planning sheets that walk students through every step of the growing process—from seed to harvest.
Whether your Tower Garden sits on a patio, porch, or in your backyard, your students will learn how to plan, plant, observe, and harvest year-round while discovering real-world science and the beauty of Florida’s unique growing seasons.
Won't you join us for support and encouragement on your gardening journey in our exclusive Facebook group?
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