Check solutionsforyourlife.com. They have a number of articles about what to grow and when. There used to be a table that showed when to sow what veggies, but my link keeps bringing up "No Release Version", so I do not know if this link is now broken, if this is an issue with my phone or if they are updating the article. If you have specific vegetables in mind that you want to grow, you can type in the names in the search field and find loads of information on when and how to plant the crops depending on if you live in North, Central or South Florida. You can also sign up for their eNewsletter and get monthly guides on what to plant, fertilize, harvest, etc. Invaluable information in my book and I will often download and store the newsletters so I have them for future reference.

That one is in pdf format, but it looks like the same one they had on their site. Nice part about pdf format is I now have a internet independent version. Thanks, Xentar.

They have just updated that veggie growing guide too, and the dates are now a lot different. Like some things here they say can be planted until March, but I know for a fact that's too late for some of them. You have to know your specific area well, but that's a great place to start.

Thanks for pointing out the update, dirtygardener. It sure has changed.

I just moved down here in October from upstate New York,and I have the same questions.It is like a whole new world here.

I can't count the number of times I have heard a Transplant say, "I had to relearn everything I thought I knew when I moved here." Some, sadly, don't come to this realization for years, if ever. So "Congrats" Wenders on figuring this out now.

I personally didn't get into gardening until after I moved here, but in my 5 short years (has it been that long?) I have learned to take general garden instructions and advice with a grain of sand, pretty much ignore tags in stores and look for more Florida specific information.

edis.ifas.ufl.edu and solutionsforyourlife.com (which is associated with UF/IFAS) are two sources for a plethora of gardening information.

www.floridata.com is good for finding out how well more decorative plants do in Florida, though sometimes even their information can be slightly off.

www.floridayards.org has a nice searchable database where you can input your conditions and it will give you rather broad suggestions for "Florida-Friendly" plants available to you.

And there is the most indisposable information ever found from the knowledgeable people on the Florida Gardening forum.

Michael you offered great solutions but your last one is my favorite. I use the ufl.edu PDFs a lot but I prefer to ask real gardeners here.

Yes, Bea. I often use many sources of information when trying to find a plant to fill a certain role, including the sites I listed as well as books written by the 'Florida Gardening Gurus', but when it comes right down to it, especially if I find slightly conflicting information, I turn to this forum to get real-world experiences. Nothing beats it.

Thanks everyone for all your help! I really appreciate it. I think I found the solutionsforyourlife.com the most helpful

When I was working at garden centers, people would come in looking for northern plants (hostas, lilacs, etc.) and I would always ask them where they were from. It was always from up north, so I'd say "O.K., the first rule of gardening in FL is to forget everything you know about gardening up north, because you just entered an entirely different world." They would laugh, and then I would explain how our seasons are reversed, not cold enough for their plants, etc. They usually walked out with something suitable. I also gave out fliers with links to the relevant UF sites.

The funniest thing that ever happened was when a very uppity woman came in asking for something that never got over 3 feet tall, never needed pruning or spraying and bloomed all year long. I told her the silk flower store was right down the road. She was absolutely LIVID that no such plant existed, and said she "refused" to have anything that got "out of control." I just smiled and said "You're in S. Florida now. Everything grows out of control." She looked at me like I had just passed gas in her face. I wanted to slap her so badly.

I have similar conversations, but with people at the hot dog stand in front of my local big box store. Except I tell them that unlike the north, we only have two seasons, Tourist and Hurricane. Sometimes I get a laugh, other times (not too often thankfully) I get indignation.

I have this "thing" about Master Gardeners from up north. They tend to come down here and try to stand you down that they are master gardeners, so they know everything! I just tell them to retake the MG class down here and they will find out exactly how little they do know. Heck, I don't know it all, and I'm a horticulturist who has been gardening for 59 years; 23 of those in Florida! I learn something new every day.

I have nothing against Master Gardeners, I intend to take the class some day myself. But while I will readily admit that there is a lot I do not know (anyone who has seen me ask questions on this forum can attest to that), there have been times when I have been able to talk rings around even UF-certified Master Gardeners. I have been to events where someone will ask a Master Gardener what a plant is (that the Master Gardeners themselves are selling even) only to be met with, "I don't know, let's see if we can find it in a book." and I was able politely step in and rattle off what the plant is, what kind of conditions it likes, how best to propagate it, etc. etc. So to me, and this is backed by some past observations of MG's on this forum, becoming a Master Gardener is really just a feather in a cap and is not necessarily a reflection of one's knowledge. So yeah, when I'm offering advice to someone and someone else starts with, "I'm a Master Gardener and I can tell you (insert inaccurate information for Florida here)", it really doesn't impress me much.

Well folks, UF has released a new App called Florida Fresh. It is available through iTunes and Google App Store. Once installed, input your zip code into the box that appears and it will give you a list of what you can be planting at this moment along with recommended varieties for Florida. Within the app there are links to the most commonly referenced webpages, like the Vegetable Gardening Guide. Be aware that after installing, the App's name is simply "Planting". It took me a moment to figure out where the app was in my menu (I have auto-magic shortcuts disabled).