What to plant this week in Zone 11b
Welcome to Zone 11b, where frost-free temperatures let you garden all year round with minimums around 45°F. This week is perfect for sowing warm-season favorites like basil, cantaloupe, and okra while harvesting your current crop of squash and melons.
The next 7 days
Sample: Key West, FLToday
7/28
91°
80°
💧25%
Wed
7/29
91°
81°
💧13%
Thu
7/30
90°
81°
Fri
7/31
86°
85°
Sat
8/1
86°
85°
Sun
8/2
86°
85°
💧17%
Mon
8/3
87°
85°
💧17%
Avg high 88°F
Rain total 1.5"
Humidity 70%
Wind 7.8 mph
In the ground
Sow this week
19 crops- Basil
- Cantaloupe
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- French Marigold
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Honeydew Melon
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Sunflower
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Move out
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Coming ripe
Harvest soon
21 crops- Basil
- Cantaloupe
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- French Marigold
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Honeydew Melon
- Loofah (Luffa)
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus)
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Sunflower
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Do this now
Seasonal tips
- Succession sow beans or peppers every two weeks to ensure a continuous harvest throughout the season.
- Mulch around heat-loving crops like tomatoes and peppers to retain soil moisture during hot spells.
- Pinch back the tops of basil, zinnias, and marigolds regularly to encourage bushier growth and more flowers.
Keep watch
Pest & disease watch
- Monitor for aphids on new basil and sunflower leaves; spray with strong water if needed.
- Check under leafy greens like cowpeas and malabar spinach for flea beetles.
- Inspect squash vines for cucumber beetles, which can spread wilt disease quickly.
Water
Watering this week
Water deeply in the early morning to reduce evaporation and keep foliage dry to prevent fungal issues.
One more thing
Harvest basil leaves frequently before flowering to keep the plant producing new growth all summer long.
All year
Zone 11b planting calendar
58 cropsAverage planting and harvest windows for everything that grows in zone 11b — dates shift a week or two with the season, so treat them as a starting point and check the weekly guide above for what's open right now.
- Start indoors
- Sow outdoors
- Transplant
- Harvest
Vegetables 27
| Crop | Start indoors | Sow outdoors | Transplant | Harvest | Maturity | JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim (New Mexico) Pepper | Dec 7 – Dec 21 | — | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | May 1 – May 20 | 78d | |
| Banana Pepper | Dec 7 – Dec 21 | — | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 21 – May 20 | 73d | |
| Beefsteak Tomato | Dec 21 – Jan 4 | — | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Apr 29 – May 28 | 88d | |
| Bell Pepper | Dec 7 – Dec 21 | — | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 16 – May 30 | 75d | |
| Cayenne Pepper | Dec 7 – Dec 21 | — | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 26 – May 20 | 75d | |
| Cherry Tomato | Dec 21 – Jan 4 | — | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Apr 4 – May 3 | 63d | |
| Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea) | — | Feb 15 – Sep 2 | — | Apr 16 – Dec 1 | 75d | |
| Cucumber | — | Feb 15 – Sep 27 | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 6 – Dec 1 | 58d | |
| Eggplant | Dec 7 – Dec 21 | — | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 21 – May 25 | 75d | |
| Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia) | Nov 23 – Dec 7 | — | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | May 26 – Jun 29 | 110d | |
| Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle) | — | Feb 15 – Aug 3 | — | May 26 – Dec 1 | 110d | |
| Habanero Pepper | Dec 7 – Dec 21 | — | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | May 16 – Jun 9 | 95d | |
| Jalapeño | Dec 7 – Dec 21 | — | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 21 – May 25 | 75d | |
| Loofah (Luffa) | — | Feb 15 – Jul 4 | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | May 16 – Dec 1 | 120d | |
| Malabar Spinach | Jan 11 – Jan 18 | Feb 15 – Sep 22 | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 16 – Dec 1 | 65d | |
| Marconi Pepper | Dec 7 – Dec 21 | — | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | May 1 – May 25 | 80d | |
| Okra | — | Feb 22 – Sep 27 | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | Apr 18 – Dec 1 | 60d | |
| Poblano Pepper | Dec 7 – Dec 21 | — | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 21 – May 20 | 73d | |
| Roma Tomato | Dec 21 – Jan 4 | — | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Apr 19 – May 13 | 75d | |
| Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus) | — | Feb 22 – Jul 4 | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | Jun 2 – Dec 1 | 125d | |
| Serrano Pepper | Dec 7 – Dec 21 | — | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | May 1 – May 20 | 78d | |
| Shishito Pepper | Dec 7 – Dec 21 | — | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 11 – May 5 | 60d | |
| Sweet Potato | — | — | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | May 16 – Jul 13 | 105d | |
| Tomatillo | Dec 21 – Jan 4 | — | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Apr 24 – Jun 2 | 88d | |
| Tomato | Dec 21 – Jan 4 | — | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Apr 9 – May 18 | 73d | |
| Yellow Summer Squash | Jan 11 – Jan 18 | Feb 15 – Oct 7 | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 1 – Dec 1 | 50d | |
| Zucchini | Jan 11 – Jan 18 | Feb 15 – Oct 7 | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 1 – Dec 1 | 50d |
Herbs 6
| Crop | Start indoors | Sow outdoors | Transplant | Harvest | Maturity | JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basil | Dec 21 – Jan 4 | Feb 15 – Sep 22 | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 6 – Dec 1 | 60d | |
| Ginger | — | — | Mar 1 – Mar 29 | — | 270d | |
| Lemongrass | — | — | Feb 1 – Mar 1 | — | 105d | |
| Rosemary | — | — | Feb 1 – Mar 1 | — | 273d | |
| Shiso (Japanese Basil) | Dec 21 – Jan 4 | Feb 8 – Sep 7 | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Apr 19 – Dec 1 | 78d | |
| Thai Basil | Dec 21 – Jan 4 | Feb 15 – Sep 17 | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 16 – Dec 1 | 68d |
Fruits 14
| Crop | Start indoors | Sow outdoors | Transplant | Harvest | Maturity | JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avocado | — | — | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — | 4.0 yr | |
| Banana | — | — | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — | 360d | |
| Cantaloupe | Jan 11 – Jan 18 | Feb 15 – Sep 2 | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 26 – Dec 1 | 80d | |
| Fig | — | — | Feb 1 – Mar 1 | — | 1.5 yr | |
| Guava | — | — | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — | 2.5 yr | |
| Honeydew Melon | Jan 11 – Jan 18 | Feb 15 – Aug 23 | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | May 6 – Dec 1 | 90d | |
| Kaffir (Makrut) Lime | — | — | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — | 2.5 yr | |
| Key Lime | — | — | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — | 2.5 yr | |
| Kumquat | — | — | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — | 2.5 yr | |
| Mango | — | — | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — | 4.0 yr | |
| Meyer Lemon | — | — | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — | 2.5 yr | |
| Persian (Tahiti) Lime | — | — | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — | 2.5 yr | |
| Pineapple | — | — | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | — | 1.6 yr | |
| Watermelon | Jan 11 – Jan 18 | Feb 15 – Aug 28 | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | May 1 – Dec 1 | 85d |
Flowers 11
| Crop | Start indoors | Sow outdoors | Transplant | Harvest | Maturity | JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmos | — | Feb 8 – Sep 2 | — | Apr 9 – Dec 1 | 75d | |
| French Marigold | Dec 28 – Jan 11 | Feb 8 – Oct 2 | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Mar 25 – Dec 1 | 53d | |
| Garden Geranium (Zonal) | Nov 23 – Dec 7 | — | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Apr 19 – May 23 | 80d | |
| Hearts & Flowers (Heartleaf Iceplant) | — | — | Feb 8 – Mar 1 | — | 75d | |
| Lantana | Dec 7 – Dec 21 | — | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Apr 19 – May 23 | 80d | |
| Nasturtium | — | Feb 8 – Sep 27 | — | Mar 30 – Dec 1 | 58d | |
| Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine | — | — | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | Apr 16 – Jun 13 | 75d | |
| Petunia | Nov 23 – Dec 7 | — | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Apr 19 – May 23 | 80d | |
| Sunflower | — | Feb 8 – Aug 23 | — | Apr 19 – Dec 1 | 85d | |
| Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle) | Jan 4 – Jan 18 | Feb 8 – Sep 17 | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Apr 9 – Dec 1 | 68d | |
| Zinnia | Jan 4 – Jan 18 | Feb 8 – Sep 17 | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Apr 9 – Dec 1 | 68d |
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