Orlando, FL · zone 9b · ~308 frost-free days
When to plant in Orlando: frost dates and zone 9b.
In Orlando, the typical last spring frost lands around Feb 5 and the first fall frost around Dec 10, giving you about 308 frost-free days. Cool-season crops go out before the last frost; warm-season crops wait until after it.
The 2026 windows
Sow dates for Orlando, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Jan 1 to Mar 3 | Feb 12 to Apr 14 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Dec 29 to Feb 12 | Sep 26 to Nov 25 |
| Carrot | — | Dec 29 to Jan 31 | Sep 14 to Oct 10 |
| Bush Bean | — | Feb 5 to Mar 28 | Aug 26 to Sep 28 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Feb 12 to May 14 | Aug 9 to Sep 9 |
| Pepper, bell | Jan 10 to Mar 3 | Feb 21 to Apr 14 | — |
| Kale | Nov 17 to Dec 15 | Dec 29 to Jan 26 | Sep 9 to Oct 25 |
| Spinach | — | Dec 15 to Jan 26 | Sep 26 to Nov 14 |
Orlando sits in Zone 9b, but two gardens in the same city can be a week or two apart. The planner works from your ZIP code's frost dates, not the zone, so the dates land right for your block, not the metro average.
Build your Orlando garden plan.
Tell the free planner what you want to eat and who you're feeding. It returns plant counts, spacing, and frost-safe sow dates for ZIP 32801 in about 60 seconds.
Orlando planting questions
What planting zone is Orlando, FL?+
Orlando is in USDA hardiness zone 9b. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 9b here. It tells you what survives winter, not when to plant. Frost dates set your planting time, and the free planner uses your exact ZIP code's frost dates, which can differ by weeks across one metro.
When is the last frost date in Orlando?+
The typical last spring frost in Orlando, FL is around Feb 5. That is an average from local history, not a guarantee, so tender crops like tomatoes and peppers are safer with a week of buffer after it.
When is the first frost date in Orlando?+
The typical first fall frost in Orlando, FL arrives around Dec 10, closing a growing season of roughly 308 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Orlando?+
It depends on the date. Cool-season crops like lettuce, kale, and spinach go out weeks before the last frost; warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers wait until after Feb 5. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.