Growing season in zone 9

madamsolanum on 3/26/2011, 10:16 am

I've read on the USDA website that zone 9a has a 275-day growing period. I think that's awesome! But I am wondering, are the 90 days of non-growing season during the scorching summer months? If so, is it June/July/Aug?

TIA, trying to plan the fall garden on paper already.

Tee Hee,
Madam Solanum

barmstr on 3/26/2011, 1:19 pm

I was able to grow year round and am also in region 9. Just takes some creativity and plastic. Plan well ahead for placement. Shade the tomatoes in the afternoon. I had cooked tomatoes on the vine last summer-not this year. I had tomaotes this fall as well as celery and lettuce. Cabbage and cauiflower did not do well at all for some reason. Check your seed packets, talk to the nursery guys and plant, plant, plant. We are so luck to live in region 9.

Enjoy the planning and planting.
Bruce

madamsolanum on 3/26/2011, 1:33 pm

I had never heard of a hoop house until I got on this website. I've always seen them, just never knew what they were called!

So you think shade for tomatoes in afternoon sun, eh? Currently, mine are in full blazing sun from dawn to dusk. They are only about a foot tall, though. I may be in trouble this summer...I planted them at the front of the garden, too. Might have to get creative with the rebar and a tarp around August Shocked

.

acara on 3/26/2011, 8:37 pm

It all depends ...

If your not picky about what you grow, you can grow year round in Zone 9.

June-Aug are tougher to grow stuff in the blazing heat ....Dec to Feb is dodging frost/freeze.

Some of the hybrid tomatoes will make it through the summer heat & other will make it with some shade. A lot of folks switch to melons and/or root crops for the summer.

Dec-Feb is good for spinach & some of the other stuff that won't tolerate our usual heat.

shannon1 on 4/1/2011, 1:04 am

two things that like the heat in north florida are okra and edamame. There are most likely more. sunny

Growing season in zone 9

Growing season in zone 9

Year round

Re: Growing season in zone 9

Re: Growing season in zone 9

Re: Growing season in zone 9