When to Grow Lettuce in Florida?

[newb]

Hi I am a new gardener and this year decided to grow a vegetable garden. I know lettuce and other vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, and brussel sprouts are called cool weather crops. I live in central FL and we are already having weather in the mid 70s. Anybody know when or if I can grow cool weather crops here? Would I plant them in the fall and grow them in the winter? What temperatures are considered cool? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[applestar]

Mid-70's in the shade would be near 90's in the sun. Lettuce and other veg's you mentioned grow happiest in temp of 50's~70's. You might be able to grow fast maturing lettuce as mesclun/baby lettuce in the next 30~40 days in the shade if the 70's in the shade temp hold up.

Otherwise, you'd be better off either growing indoors under lights with A/C kept below 80º (if you keep your house that cool) or wait until fall. Lettuce can survive mid 20's and light frost. Planting in the fall is a good idea. I'll let your local experts advise on the best time.

[newb]

thank you very much for your reply.

the weather seems to be heating up quickly and i think in a few weeks we will be closer to 80s than 70s. so it looks like waiting till the fall to plant which works for me because i already have warm weather crops growing and don't really have room to plant lettuce now.

when you say lettuces can handle the mid 20s, we rarely get that cold but do they need to be covered to for that low of temperatures? we do get frosts and sometime freezes but nothing consistently that cold.

i know it's all early for me to really be worried about this but this is my first time gardening and I'm all excited about it.

[rainbowgardener]

You didn't say where in FL you are, but here's a planting chart for zones 9 and 10:

http://www.thevegetablegarden.info/reso ... g-schedule

It suggests planting lettuce in Feb for a spring crop or Sept or after for a fall crop, for zone 9.

[newb]

thank you for the planting guide "rainbow." i live in central florida so i believe that is zone 9.

i noticed on the chart you linked that parsley is considered a cool season crop. i thought all herbs liked heat. so should i bring the parsley i have indoors for the hot weather??

[rainbowgardener]

Parsley is pretty tough stuff. It is pretty cold hardy. I have some seedlings out hardening off now and it went down to freezing last night again. But it also tolerates the heat better than other cold weather crops like lettuce. Maybe just arrange a little shade for it, in the heat of summer?