April Planting in the Florida Panhandle

Now is the perfect time to begin planting your garden for the summer haul! April is a good time to transplant gingers, roselle, and tomatoes. If you have any starters ready to put in the ground, now’s the time! April is also a good time to transplant long squash, luffa, papaya, Seminole pumpkin, and sweet potatoes; however, these baby plants are still a little sensitive to the weather, so be sure to watch these transplants carefully after planting them. There is also a number of seeds that can be planted in April including beans (bush, lima, pole), cantaloupes, corn, cucumbers, okra, peanuts, peas, squashes, and watermelons. 

If you’d like to begin preparing for May planting, consider starting tropical spinaches, pigeon pea, amaranth, calabaza, Seminole pumpkin, or sweet potatoes inside the home or in a greenhouse. This way they have time to root properly before it is time to transplant them in May. For more detailed information about gardening in the Florida Panhandle, visit THIS LINK to access the UF | IFAS Extension North Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide.