What to plant this week in Zone 12a
Welcome to Zone 12a, where no frost dates mean you can garden year-round in this tropical paradise. This week is the perfect time to sow Malabar Spinach and Okra directly into your warm soil for a quick harvest.
In the ground
Sow this week
2 crops- Malabar Spinach
- Okra
Move out
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Coming ripe
Harvest soon
2 crops- Malabar Spinach
- Okra
Do this now
Seasonal tips
- Ensure consistent moisture as tropical heat accelerates plant growth.
- Apply light mulch around Okra plants to retain soil humidity during hot spells.
- Succession sow Malabar Spinach every two weeks for continuous leafy greens.
Keep watch
Pest & disease watch
- Watch for aphids clustering on new Malabar Spinach growth.
- Monitor Okra plants for bollworms that can damage developing pods.
Water
Watering this week
Water deeply in the early morning to help roots establish before the midday heat.
One more thing
Harvest your first Okra pods when they are young and tender, about 3 inches long, for the best flavor.
All year
Zone 12a planting calendar
3 cropsAverage planting and harvest windows for everything that grows in zone 12a — dates shift a week or two with the season, so treat them as a starting point and check the weekly guide above for what's open right now.
- Start indoors
- Sow outdoors
- Transplant
- Harvest
Vegetables 3
| Crop | Start indoors | Sow outdoors | Transplant | Harvest | Maturity | JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malabar Spinach | Jan 11 – Jan 18 | Feb 15 – Sep 22 | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Apr 16 – Dec 1 | 65d | |
| Okra | — | Feb 22 – Sep 27 | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | Apr 18 – Dec 1 | 60d | |
| Sweet Potato | — | — | Feb 15 – Mar 15 | May 16 – Jul 13 | 105d |