by Les Harrison | Mar 24, 2015
Onions are simple to grow and take up very little space. This is an easy selection for a beginning gardener.
The winter weather is finally giving way to springtime. While temperatures have been erratic, the rain has been sufficient.
There are still plenty of cool season leafy garden crops in production, but they will not last long as the temperatures rise.
One in-ground selection does offer some options. Onions planted last fall provide the greens and the bulb for a nutritional flavor enhancer from salads to a variety of dishes.
The common onion, Allium cepa, has many varieties within the species, and is grown and consumed worldwide. Garlic, chives and leeks are in the same genus as onions with their use similar to onions, but not nearly as frequent.
This popular and simple to grow fall vegetable easily handled the harshest north Florida winters. The multiple mornings of subfreezing temperatures and hard frost had no appreciable effect on this versatile vegetable.
Most regional soils can provide a good growing medium for onions. The lack of sulfur in the dirt and the excellent drainage are two requirements for producing a potentially mild bulb, depending on the cultivar planted.
The high levels of available phosphate in most soils also are an advantage when growing onions.
The Granex yellow onion cultivar is likely the current favorite among many gardeners. This is the same cultivar which produces some the premium branded mild onions on the market today.
Onions can be planted from August to March, either by seed or bulbs. Two inch spacing between plants provide enough space to grow and does not waste limited cultivation area.
Days to harvest depend on how the onion is to be used. Green onions, sometimes known as scallions, take four months with bulb onions taking five months or longer.In reality, onions are biennial but are usually grown as annuals.
Historical evidence of onion usage dates back 7,000 years to the Bronze Age. It is uncertain if these bulbs were cultivated or collected in the wild.
Their ease of transportation, long shelf life, and many uses made them an ideal candidate for long distance travel and trade in the days before refrigeration and high-speed movement of vegetables. Every culture and nation has its own special uses for onions.
Today’s onions provide the consumer with a combination of excellent nutrition, and good storage and handling qualities while enhancing the flavor of many meats, vegetables and salads. The bulbs come in three colors (red, yellow and white) which add to the visual quality of the dining experience.
Onions deliver vitamins B-6, C and Folic Acid. They are naturally low in sodium and fats, and contain four percent sugar.
Onions have compounds such as favonoids and phenolics which have had numerous positive health benefits attributed to them. Their consumption can be part of a healthy diet.
Properly handled onions have a potentially long storage life. Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area with 45 to 55 degrees the ideal temperature range.
To learn more about growing onions grown in north Florida, visit your UF/IFAS County Extension office or read the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide.
by Les Harrison | Feb 24, 2015
Smilax is noted for its multiple thorns which scratch anyone who comes into contact
The yo-yo thermometer readings make it confusing for the panhandle’s human residents when choosing proper wardrobe selections. With few exceptions, the deciduous plants and trees continue to wait for consistently warmer weather and longer days before covering their trunks and stems with foliage.
The current season’s uncloaking allows for easy examination of the structure and configuration of what will be green and hidden in a few months. This exposure also reveals potentially painful hazards in the native landscape.
Smilax, the sinewy vine, puts up an intimidating barrier to man and beast. Also known as green briar, cat briar and other sometimes graphic terms, the native plant thrives in this area.
In Greek mythology, Smilax was a wood nymph who was transformed into a bramble after the unfulfilled and tragic love of a mortal man. Her final form in this fable was a reflection of her character.
Botanically, smilax is found in tropic to temperate zones. There are about 350 species worldwide and 12 in Florida, with nine being common.
The plant is very vigorous and is equipped with an enviable array of survival traits. It is ready to take every advantage to flourish and inhabit new territory, even under the most unfavorable conditions.
Individual plants can withstand harsh treatment and environments. If burned or mowed to the soil’s surface, they will regenerate from a segmented rhizome root system. Rhizome roots are the subterranean stems which spread roots and runners from its bulbous root nodes.
If pulled up, the rhizome root system will separate at joints. Even the smallest piece of root left in the dirt will generate a new plant.
Smilax has the additional resource of extra-floral nectaries, nectar-producing glands physically separate from the flowers. These nectaries may function as an organ for the plant to rid itself of metabolic wastes and/or to attract beneficial insects for pollination and defense.
Ants are especially attracted to the extra-floral nectaries in smilax and frequently establish mounds close by. The ants defend the smilax from herbivores which eat the leaves, if they can get past the thorns.
In addition to spreading by its root system, smilax produces berries which contain a seed. The berries appear in late summer or early autumn and ripen to a blue-black color.
The berries are usually consumed in winter after the smilax loses it leaves. Birds and animals will deposit the seed at a new site. Best chances for the seed to germinate occur after it is exposed to a freeze, as the panhandle has recently experienced.
Smilax vines will climb up trees, fence post, and any other stationary object to get better sun exposure. They have been known to reach over 30 feet in height, but do not tend to kill their host by shading out the sun.
Ants commonly use the vines as a readily available pathway on foraging trips. Ants may establish colonies in above ground locations, courtesy of smilax vines which provide a wide-reaching pathway.
Smilax can be controlled with some broadleaf herbicides, but repeated applications will be necessary. The best time to apply herbicides is in the early spring when the first leaves appear.
Once the leaves return, smilax can be difficult to identify and control, hidden in all the common greenery.
To learn more about smilax in Panhandle Florida read the Key to Nine Common Smilax Species of Florida or contact your local UF/IFAS Extension Office.
by Les Harrison | Jan 22, 2015
Fallen leaves add much to the landscape. They feed the plants and many insect, retain water, and help stabilize the soil
For the homeowner who feels the need to rake leaves and pine needles, the task can be something of a minor nuisance. The showers of earth-toned leftovers appear suddenly and at inconvenient times, and their removal is never added to a chore list without dispute.
Disarray aside, these organic remnants provide far more benefits than problems. Their suburban untidiness becomes an insulating blanket which nurtures plants, animals, and insects with time released nutrients for use by the efficient and fortunate in the wild and those of us in civilization.
First and foremost, leaf litter is critical to the water holding capacity of the woodlands. The dried leaves, needles and twigs absorb and shade rainwater from the evaporative effects of the sun and wind.
When heavy rains inundate the soil causing flooding and runoff, it is the leaves that act as part of the natural delaying system to minimize the negative impact on streams, creeks and rivers. The delayed or halted runoff provides time for water to be absorbed by the soil and be filtered by the natural screening capacity of this organic material.
The moisture works in conjunction with native bacteria and fungus to convert the leaf litter into nutrients usable by plants and trees. While not as concentrated as commercial fertilizers, many of the same plant nutrients are present in the decaying leaf litter.
The decomposition is aided by a variety of insects and worms which nest in, eat and overwinter under the debris. The animal activity breaks up and stirs the elements along with inoculating microbes in the matter which speeds nutrient availability to plants and trees during ideal years.
Luckily, the region’s leaf drop is spread over months with the plants and trees responding to the solar cycle and weather. Autumn, winter and spring each bring defoliation of specific trees and plants.
During dry years the bug and bacteria activity slows in accumulated leaf litter, but the naturally occurring fire cycle continues the nutrient recycling under the tree canopies. The easy to burn material aides in controlling insects and plants that can aggressively overpopulate an area if unchecked.
Controlled burns also prevent destructive wildfires which are harmful to all north Florida residents. While these uncontrolled fires do deposit nutrients, they have many negative effects which far outweigh this single benefit.
January’s weather is part of a continuing natural succession which the native plants and trees incorporate to continue the wild beauty so common in the region. The current cold and rain will combine with the leaf drop to produce much growth in the next few months.
by Les Harrison | Dec 16, 2014
Some plants will handle freeze events, while other will wither and die. Advance preparation will improve chances of saving sensitive plants from subfreezing weather.
Panhandle Florida gardeners face a new set of challenges annually dealing with the effects of cold weather. A little planning and creativity can make plant protection in the landscape successful.
Many homeowners and landscape managers want to know when plants will need protection. Depending on the plant, a frost warning is a good rule of thumb.
Note there is a difference in the terms used for cold weather conditions. Frost, freeze and hard freeze all describe different circumstances.
Frost is when water vapour freezes on surfaces. It happens on clear nights with still air and may even happen when temperatures are above freezing.
Freezing is when cold air moves in and causes temperatures to drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. This condition commonly involves low humidity and wind, making drying out a big problem for plants.
A hard freeze is when temperatures dip below 28 degrees Fahrenheit. Many tropical plants and fruit trees will survive a few degrees below freezing for brief periods, but extended periods of freeze or heavy frost may require lights or other heat used safely with a cover.
Many time freeze damage happens during the busy holiday season. People are busy, schedules are disrupted and the distractions, pleasant thought they be, may cause homeowners to miss a freeze alert.
A few simple actions can save these “green” friends for another year’s enjoyment. Some plants can be moved indoors for the winter and incorporated into the interior décor, rather than cramming them last-minute into a clutter when a freeze looms.
Identify old sheets, blankets and drop cloths which can be used as covers for tender plants which must remain outside. Test potential covers beforehand to assure all plants are thoroughly covered.
It is best if the covers enclose the plant entirely without crushing it. Heavy blankets are great insulation, but only a good idea on sturdy plants.
A tomato cage or other support structure can be used to keep weight off the plant. Covers also need to be secured at the ground with pins or weights to assure cold air does not creep in from below.
Finally, keep storage bins handy and remove the covers in the daytime if temperatures are above 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
Monitor weather reports and react accordingly so tender and tropical plants see another spring in a few more months.
To learn more about protecting delicate plants, see “Cold Protection for Landscape Plants”.
by Les Harrison | Nov 18, 2014
Even though the lawn and landscape are going dormant, there is much which can be done now to prepare for Spring 2015.
Even though it is not officially winter and the landscape is becoming dormant. With the exception of live oak trees, all the plants and trees which lose their leaves are now dropping them to the ground.
For the north Florida homeowners consumed with plans for the holidays, late November is a tempting time to let the landscape take care of itself during this winter’s nap.
This is not necessarily the best plan. There are plenty of task to handle which will make the upcoming growing season more productive and easier.
First on the list of winter’s lawn and garden task is taking a soil sample. It is simple, inexpensive, and efficient from both an economic and environmental standpoint.
Stop by the local UF/IFAS County Extension Office to pick up a free kit which is used to mail the samples, with a processing fee, to the UF Soil Test Lab. The report is usually returned in under two weeks.
Depending on the analysis chosen, the report will deliver the samples soil pH, or the nutrients needed and the soil pH. This is useful information for the spring and summer growing season, and during winter’s dormant period.
People with wood burning fireplaces should be particularly aware of the soil pH which is a measure of acidy or alkalinity. The pH range helps determine the potential success of plants, vegetables and shrubs which will grow in the sampled soil.
Fireplace ash is alkaline and an excellent soil amendment, if the soil pH is too low. However, if the soil pH is too high, then the fireplace ash only aggravates the existing problem of growing desirable plants and grasses.
Many Florida soils tend to have a high concentration of phosphate, an important and useful plant nutrient in the right quantities. Having a soil analysis early which identifies the amount of phosphate available in the land gives the homeowner or garden manager plenty of time to locate a source of blend-fertilizer with the correct amount of phosphate.
The second task on the list is to manage the leaves, mulch and thatch. Each has the potential to be an asset to the landscape, or a hazard.
Leaves should be raked up before they have the time to smother the grass. A carpet of leaves in the yard may appear very seasonal, but usually work against the objective of those who ultimately want a green grassy yard.
As leaves decompose, they leach acidic nutrient into the soil. This is especially true of oak leaves and pine needles.
Another issue is leaf litter and thatch, produced from grass clippings, which will provide an ideal breeding ground for fungi and diseases. The cool, moist recesses common to thatch will incubate any number of problems which will appear in the spring to ruin the perfect yard.
Rake the leaves and use in flower beds or compost heaps. The shrubs will overwinter better with the leaf insulation which keeps the root zone at the correct moisture level and provides desirable nutrients to the plants.
Dethatch lawn mechanically to remove excess debris. Use the excess organic material as mulch or in a compost pile.
The landscape will show its appreciation by returning in a healthy and strong condition in Spring 2015.
To learn more about winter landscapes visit the nearest UF/IFAS County Extension Office. Additional information will be found in the Florida Lawn Handbook
