Sarasota, Florida planting calendar and frost dates

Frost dates in Sarasota

A 32°F night is rare here: it happens in about 31% of years, so median frost dates do not describe a typical year.

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Sarasota Bradenton Airport, 5.1 miles NNW of the city center. Low-lying and rural spots often frost later in spring and earlier in fall than airports and city centers.

What to plant each month in Sarasota

The vegetable season is reversed from most of the U.S.: the main planting window is September through February, with tomatoes, peppers and squash growing through the mild, dry winter. By March the season winds down. Summer brings heat, heavy rain and pests, so summer planting is limited to tropical crops such as sweet potatoes, pineapple, ginger and heat-tolerant herbs. The months below follow the planting calendar for South Florida from the Cooperative Extension sources listed.

1. January

   Plant: beets, blueberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, cantaloupes, carrots, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, cucumbers, dill, eggplants, green beans, green onions, kale, lettuce, okra, parsley, peas, peppers, pineapples, potatoes, radishes, roses, snapdragons, spinach, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, thyme, tomatoes, turnips, watermelons, winter squash, zucchini

2. February

   Plant: blueberries, cantaloupes, carrots, celery, cucumbers, eggplants, ginger, green beans, green onions, lettuce, okra, peas, peppers, pineapples, radishes, snapdragons, spinach, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, tomatoes, watermelons, winter squash, zucchini

3. March

   Plant: cantaloupes, carrots, celery, ginger, green beans, green onions, okra, pineapples, radishes, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, watermelons, winter squash, zinnias, zucchini

4. April

   Plant: basil, ginger, green beans, mints, pineapples, sweet potatoes

5. May

   Plant: basil, ginger, pineapples, rosemary, sweet potatoes

6. June

   Plant: basil, ginger, pineapples, rosemary, sweet potatoes

7. July

   Plant: mints, oregano, pineapples, sweet potatoes

8. August

   Plant: eggplants, ginger, okra, peppers, pineapples, pumpkins, rosemary, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, winter squash, zucchini

9. September

   Plant: basil, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, collard greens, cucumbers, dill, eggplants, green beans, green onions, kale, lettuce, mints, okra, peppers, pineapples, rosemary, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, tomatoes, turnips, winter squash, zucchini

10. October

    Plant: beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, collard greens, cucumbers, dill, eggplants, green beans, green onions, kale, lettuce, okra, onions, parsley, peppers, petunias, pineapples, potatoes, radishes, snapdragons, spinach, strawberries, sweet corn, swiss chard, tomatoes, turnips, winter squash, zucchini

11. November

    Plant: beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, collard greens, cucumbers, dill, eggplants, garlic, green beans, green onions, kale, lettuce, parsley, peas, peppers, petunias, pineapples, potatoes, radishes, sage, snapdragons, spinach, strawberries, sweet corn, swiss chard, thyme, tomatoes, turnips, winter squash, zucchini

12. December

    Plant: beets, blueberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, cantaloupes, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, collard greens, cucumbers, dill, eggplants, garlic, green beans, green onions, kale, lettuce, parsley, peas, peppers, petunias, pineapples, potatoes, radishes, roses, sage, snapdragons, spinach, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, thyme, tomatoes, turnips, watermelons, winter squash, zucchini

Frost dates and zones by ZIP code in Sarasota

All 5 of Sarasota's main ZIP codes take their frost dates from Sarasota Bradenton Airport, so the dates on this page apply across the city. Every one of them is in zone 10a.

Nearby cities

• Bradenton, FL zone 10a
• North Port, FL zone 10a
• St. Petersburg, FL zone 10b
• Pinellas Park, FL zone 10a
• Largo, FL zone 10a
• Tampa, FL zone 9b