Florida · Garden vegetables
Typically early March to late October, with peak mid-May through late September.
Hatched chalk = early and late shoulders; solid = peak.
Dade County fields pick from March into November, heaviest in summer; the panhandle runs June through October.
From early March — first pickings, lighter supply, best prices come later.
mid-May through late September — full stalls, full flavor. This is the stretch to plan around.
Through late October — quantity for preserving, and the stalls start dealing.
about 34 weeks end to end, shoulders included.
Offered at Southern u-pick vegetable farms; wear gloves and long sleeves against the plants' irritating spines. The picking window tracks the band above: early trips get clean fields, peak (mid-May through late September) is the sure bet, late season is for quantity.
Farm-to-farm variation is real — up to two weeks either side of the typical window. Plan the trip, then call the farm before you drive.
Okra peak moves across the map. After this window, it lands next in:
In Florida, the okra season typically runs early March to late October, with peak availability mid-May through late September. Exact weeks shift a little with each year's weather.
Aim for peak: mid-May through late September. An early trip around early March gets first choice of clean fields; a late one is for stock-the-freezer quantity. Any single farm can run up to two weeks either side of the chart — call before you drive.
about 34 weeks end to end — early March to late October. The early and late shoulders are real but lighter; the solid stretch of chalk on the band is the sure bet.