What to plant this week in Tallahassee, FL
Tallahassee gardeners are deep in the heart of summer, where sub-70°F nights have vanished and heat-driven crops like okra and Malabar spinach thrive. With your last frost date firmly behind us since mid-January, this week is all about maximizing yield on fast-maturing beans, melons, and squash before the late-season rains hit. Focus on harvesting frequently to encourage production during our typical hot, humid Florida summer.
The next 7 days
Tallahassee, FLGrowing in Tallahassee right now
- Tackle our notorious sandy soils by mulching heavily with pine straw or shredded hardwood to retain moisture and suppress weeds in this flat terrain.
- Our frequent afternoon thunderstorms can cause nutrient leaching; apply light fertilizer solutions every other week rather than heavy doses that wash away quickly.
- Watch for powdery mildew on cucurbits like cantaloupe and zucchini, which spreads rapidly when humidity stays above 70% with stagnant air.
- Since transplanting isn't an option now in this zone, stick strictly to sowing direct seeds or harvesting what is already growing.
Sow this week
34 crops- Basil
- Black-Eyed Susan
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cantaloupe
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Edamame
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Honeydew Melon
- Lima Bean
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Pumpkin
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
36 crops- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cantaloupe
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Edamame
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Garlic
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Honeydew Melon
- Lima Bean
- Loofah (Luffa)
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Pole Bean
- Pumpkin
- Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus)
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Seasonal tips
- Succession sow Bush Beans and Pole Beans every two weeks now for a continuous summer supply.
- Mulch around newly transplanted Warm-Season crops like Zucchini to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
- Pinch back the tips of young Sunflowers to encourage bushier growth before they start flowering.
- Prepare soil beds with compost if you plan to sow Pumpkin or Winter Squash soon.
Pest & disease watch
- Spider mites will explode in populations during these dry spells between thunderstorms on ornamental Fennel and Zinnias.
- Aphids often swarm the new growth of Pole Beans and Sweet Corn when temperatures exceed 90°F for several days straight.
- Root maggots can be a persistent issue in our sandy loam if you see wilting Cowpeas or Garden Verbena seedlings.
Watering this week
Water deeply in the early morning to minimize evaporation, especially as temperatures rise past 85°F.
Harvest Basil regularly by snipping leafy stems from the top to keep the plant producing new growth all summer long.
Tallahassee gardening questions
3Can I still start cool-season crops like Black-Eyed Susans now?
Yes, Cosmos and Black-Eyed Susan are on your sow list this week as they tolerate the heat well enough to bloom before winter. However, avoid heavy-feeding them, as our sandy soil provides plenty of drainage but low natural nutrients.
My Okra is growing slowly despite the heat; what am I missing?
Okra thrives in Tallahassee's 90+ degree weather, so slow growth usually points to a nitrogen deficiency or lack of water retention. Amend your beds with compost and ensure you aren't letting the sandy soil dry out completely between rains.
Should I be harvesting my Zucchini multiple times a day?
Absolutely; in our humid climate, zucchini vines can produce two sets of fruit daily if left unchecked. Pick them when they are small to prevent the plant from wasting energy on oversized gourds that rot before maturity.
Other cities in zone 9a
9See the full zone 9a guide → · Plan your Tallahassee garden in SproutGuide →