Planting Calendar
January
Winter is peak bloom season for your cool-season flowers and the structural maintenance period for your woody perennials. Fertilizing: Do not heavily fertilize your entire garden. Only apply a diluted, water-soluble fertilizer to active winter bloomers (like Alyssum, Dianthus, Lobelia, and Primrose) to boost flower production. Avoid fertilizing dormant warm-season plants.
February
Pruning: Perform your heavy structural pruning now. January and February are the months to prune non-spring flowering shrubs to improve their shape. Deadheading: Pinch off faded flowers weekly on winter annuals (Petunias, Violas, Snapdragons) to force continuous buds.
March
April
Pruning: Prune spring-blooming shrubs immediately after they finish flowering. If you cut them before they bloom, you will slice off all their flower buds.
Warm Annual Planting Schedule:
Primary Window: March through May is the ideal period to establish heat-loving annuals as the spring temperatures rise.
Early Window: Late February works very well in Zone 10b due to rare frost risks.
Summer Warning: Avoid planting new delicate annual starts during peak rainy, high-heat summer months (July and August) unless they are tough, drought-hardened varieties.
May
Summer brings intense heat, humidity, and daily downpours. Plants grow rapidly, but heavy rain can quickly wash nutrients right out of South Florida’s sandy soil.
June
Fertilizing: Use light, frequent feedings or organic products. Heavy summer downpours cause synthetic granular fertilizers to leach away and pollute local waterways. Opt for monthly slow-release options or liquid foliar feeding (like fish emulsion) for heavy summer feeders like Giant Heliconia and Ginger.
July
Pruning: Perform light maintenance trimmings only. Do not heavily cut back shrubs now, as the humidity can trap fungal diseases in open plant wounds. Focus strictly on removing dead, diseased, or storm-damaged wood.
August
Pruning: Perform light maintenance trimmings only. Do not heavily cut back shrubs now, as the humidity can trap fungal diseases in open plant wounds. Focus strictly on removing dead, diseased, or storm-damaged wood.
September
Fall is your second major planting window in Zone 10b as the weather shifts back to cooler nights.
October
Fertilizing: October is the absolute last month to fertilize. According to UF/IFAS rules, you should wrap up your final application of controlled-release fertilizer for shrubs and trees by late October. Applying fertilizer any later will force tender new growth that can be easily damaged by dry winter winds or brief cold snaps.
November
Pruning: Stop major pruning. Avoid cutting back woody perennials or shrubs from November onward. Deadheading: Deadhead your summer survivors (like Lantana and Salvia) one last time to tidy them up for the winter dry season.
October to November: The ideal window to put plants in the ground. Soil temperatures drop enough for roots to establish without heat stress.
December
December is a period of rest and minimal intervention for a South Florida garden. Fertilizing: Pause all fertilization. The days are at their shortest, and plant growth naturally slows down. Pruning: Do not prune. Keep your shears tucked away to protect your tropical plants. If a surprise cold snap or freeze hits, leaving dead or damaged leaves on the plant actually acts as a natural shield to insulate the tender inner wood from frost.
Cool Annual Planting:
December: Acceptable for a secondary planting, though early-season blooms will arrive slightly later.