Ocala Food Forest

From soil to plate, every person can make a difference.

OCALA FOOD FOREST · ZONE 9 · PERMACULTURE

From soil to plate—grow more, waste less, and plant what thrives in Central Florida

USDA Zone 9 ready Permaculture-minded picks Beginner → Advanced

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Learn about plants that are growing in our Food Forest

Browse the living plant list, see what's thriving, and get ideas for your own guilds.

Open Food Forest
Learn what grows well in North/Central Florida

Season-by-season guidance tailored for Zone 9 gardeners.

Open Florida Garden

Monthly Participation

What to plant next in North/Central Florida Planting Zone 9?
Participate in our monthly guild challenge.

Permaculture plant logbook cover

Permaculture Plant Logbook

Buy the book I created to keep a log of 58 plants. Unlike garden logbook that you can find everywhere. This book is designed for permaculture.

Buy on Amazon

These are our go-to seed and tool partners. We test what we recommend in Florida’s USDA Zone 9 climate and share real results so you can skip the guesswork.

Affiliate Disclosure

Ocala Food Forest participates in affiliate programs that help support our educational projects. When you purchase through the links provided on our site, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. This support allows us to keep the site free to access and continue researching what grows best in Central Florida’s Zone 9 climate. We only recommend products and resources we have personally tested and trust.

Hands dropping seeds into seed tray cells for starting seedlings

SeedsNow — Heirloom & Non-GMO Seeds

Reliable germination and clear labeling for succession planting. Strong variety depth for spring & fall in Zone 9.

Great for: core veggies & herbs
Shop SeedsNow
Raised garden bed suitable for Zone 9 gardens

Epic Gardening — Tools, Beds, Seeds, & Supplies

Durable gear that stands up to Florida sun and storms: beds, irrigation, trellises, and seed-starting kits.

Great for: resilient infrastructure
Browse Gear
Planting calendar with seedlings ready for transplant

SeedTime — Visual Planting Calendar with Store for Seeds & Supplies

Dial in sow & transplant timing for Zone 9 with an easy, visual calendar. Batch tasks and hit your windows.

Great for: timing & workflow
Plan with SeedTime

Why we recommend these three (for Zone 9)

Partner Best use Florida-specific perks
SeedsNow Reliable essentials for year-round succession planting. Good spring/fall rotation depth; easy sorting for shoulder seasons.
Epic Gardening Infrastructure that survives heat, sun, and storms. Raised beds, trellises, irrigation, and seed-starting kits built for UV and humidity.
SeedTime Scheduling sow/transplant timing and batching tasks. Visual calendar helps avoid heat spikes and time cool-season crops.
FREE version available.

Tip: Map dates in SeedTime → order varieties on SeedsNow → set up beds & trellises with Epic gear.

Quick Start for Central Florida

1) Pick your next 6–8 crops

Include at least 2 quick wins (radish, arugula), 2 staples (beans, zucchini), and 1 pollinator flower.

2) Open SeedTime & drop them on your calendar

Block sow/transplant windows, then batch watering, trellising, and harvest tasks.

3) Order seeds & infrastructure

Grab seeds from our affiliates; add a sturdy trellis/bed from Epic for hurricane-season resilience.

4) Plant for Zone 9 success

Use morning sun + afternoon shade for tender greens; mulch deep for heat and water savings.