Now
30°C · Clear
Today
32° / 26°
Soil 6 cm
30°C
First frost
~108 days (Dec 25)
Gardening in New Orleans
AI field guide · refreshed weeklyNew Orleans Gardening: Early Fall Planting & Transition
Zone 9b means your average first fall frost arrives December 25—you have 108 frost-free days ahead, plenty of time for cool-season crops. Soil at 30°C (86°F) is still warm but cooling; it's ideal for sowing heat-tolerant greens and brassicas that will mature before winter. Last spring frost was January 19, so you're 232 days past that threshold and fully into autumn planting season.
Sow outdoors now
Collards (Georgia Southern, Blue Max)
Direct sow now; they thrive in 25–30°C soil and tolerate the heat while establishing roots before cooler weather accelerates growth.
Kale (Lacinato, Winterbor)
Sow now for harvest starting in 60–70 days as temperatures drop; both varieties are cold-hardy and sweeten after frost.
Mustard greens (Southern Giant Curled, Tendergreen)
Fast-growing (40–50 days); sow now and succession-sow every 2 weeks through November for continuous harvest.
Turnips (Purple Top, Tokyo Cross)
Sow now for roots and greens; mature in 60–75 days and store well through winter.
Spinach (Space, Bloomsdale)
Sow now; germinates best when soil cools below 29°C, so wait for next week's dip or soak seed 24 hours before planting.
Start indoors now
Broccoli (Calabrese, Arcadia)
Start indoors now for transplant in 4–5 weeks; gives you a head start on a 70–80 day crop before December frost.
Cabbage (Early Jersey Wakefield, Savoy Perfection)
Seed indoors now; transplant in 5–6 weeks for harvest in November–December when heads firm up in cool weather.
Cauliflower (Snowball, Graffiti)
Start indoors now for transplant by late September; needs 60–80 days and benefits from steady cooling to form tight curds.
Harvest now
Okra (Clemson Spineless, Burgundy)
Still producing in heat; pick pods every 2–3 days when 7–10 cm (3–4 in) long before they toughen.
Southern peas (Black-eyed, Crowder, Purple Hull)
Harvest mature pods now; let some dry on the plant for shelling if you want dried peas for storage.
Eggplant (Black Beauty, Ichiban)
Still fruiting; cut fruit with stem attached and harvest regularly to encourage more blooms before first frost.
Tasks this week
- Prepare beds for cool-season crops: add 5 cm (2 in) compost and work in balanced fertilizer; soil is still warm enough for quick decomposition.
- Scout for spider mites and whiteflies on warm-season crops—humidity and heat stress make them worse; spray neem oil at dusk if needed.
- Water deeply after sowing; the forecast shows scattered rain but not enough to rely on; keep soil consistently moist until seedlings emerge.
- Mulch newly sown beds lightly (2–3 cm) to keep soil cool and retain moisture as September heat persists.
- Deadhead flowers on ornamentals and herbs to extend bloom and prevent self-seeding before fall cleanup.
Watch out for
- Armyworms and fall webworms are active now; check collards and kale seedlings daily and hand-pick or use Bt if populations spike.
- Soil still 30°C: spinach and lettuce seed may rot or bolt; wait until September 12–14 when soil cools, or pre-chill seed.
- Tropical storm season peaks in September; secure trellises and stake tall crops; heavy rain can cause root rot in poorly drained beds.
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