by Julie McConnell | Mar 2, 2016
Those familiar with the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Principles know that the number one rule is Right Plant, Right Place. But proper timing is important and should not be discounted! Experienced gardeners recognize that certain flowering and annual vegetable plants have distinctive seasons, but may not realize that turfgrass is seasonal, too.
Warm season and cool season turfgrasses fall into the classes of either annuals and perennials. In North Florida, the most commonly grown turfgrasses are warm season perennials such as Zoysiagrass, Bermudagrass, Centipedegrass, and St. Augustinegrass. These grasses thrive in warm weather and, although they may slow down or even turn brown in the winter, are still very much alive and resume growth readily in the spring. Because they are warm weather lovers, plan to seed one of these species when soil temperatures are warm enough for successful seed germination and when young new grass has enough time to become established without danger of frost damage.
Annual ryegrass label says to plant early spring – but that is too late in North Florida. Photo: Julie McConnell, UF/IFAS
On the flip side there are cool season grasses such as fescue, ryegrass, and bluegrass. These grasses prefer cool weather and do poorly and may go dormant or die when subjected to hot weather. These grasses may be perennials in other areas of the country, but should be treated as cool season annuals if grown in Florida. Cool season grasses may be used as a groundcover in bare spots or to overseed warm season grass from fall through early spring.
When purchasing turfgrass seed, be sure to check with your local extension office to verify that the timing is right for that particular grass. Seed products sold locally may have recommendations that are more relevant to northern climates and performance will differ.
For more information about seeding lawns please read Establishing Your Florida Lawn
by Julie McConnell | Feb 3, 2016
Potatoes planted in mid-February were ready to harvest in mid-May in Panama City. Photo: Vicki Evans, UF/IFAS Master Gardener
A common misconception is that all potatoes come from the Midwest. However, select Irish potato varieties are produced commercially in Florida on over 20,000 acres. Potatoes can also be grown in Florida home gardens if care is taken to select the correct type and recognize proper timing.
Potatoes are a cool season crop and the ideal time to plant in the Florida Panhandle is in January and February. Valentine’s Day is a good target planting date for home gardeners with plants producing tubers after about three months (variety and weather dependent).
The ideal site for potatoes has well-drained soils with a pH range of 5-6. To increase drainage, beds can be formed into hills that are 10-12 inches above the soil. Another option is to grow potatoes in raised beds or containers to ensure the plants will not sit in water during heavy rains.
Certified seed potatoes are available in garden centers. Photo: Julie McConnell, UF/IFAS
Use certified “seed” potatoes to ensure you are starting with healthy tubers. Cut seed potatoes into egg sized pieces that contain at least one eye each. Allow the cut seed pieces to heal for a couple of days in a cool, dark spot with good ventilation. After healing they can be planted about four inches deep 6-8 inches apart with three feet between rows.
Sometimes potatoes will push to the surface of the soil and will need to be covered with more soil (hilling). If the potatoes are not covered, they can become damaged by the sun and inedible.
Keep your garden weed free to minimize competition with your crop and to also reduce the likelihood of weeds harboring insects or disease that can be harmful to potato plants.
A few weeks after planting seed potatoes, you should begin to see some vegetative (leaves and stems) growth above the soil. Potato plants can grow over a foot tall and are bushy. Small new tubers start to form underground before blooming, but they need more time to bulk up before harvesting. The entire growing process takes between 80 and 115 days from planting to harvest.
If you plan to store your potatoes, allow them to remain in the ground for 2-3 weeks after the top of the plant has died to fully mature. If the vegetative portion of the plant does not die on its own the top can be cut to induce maturation of the tubers.
For recommended varieties and more information on care and harvesting please see “Growing Potatoes in the Florida Home Garden.”
by Julie McConnell | Dec 30, 2015
Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’ is an evergreen perennial that adds some pizazz to winter landscapes. This low growing plant performs well in sunny, well-drained spots in the landscape but will also tolerate some shade. In the summer, the foliage is a brilliant chartreuse but after a few cold snaps it takes on a coppery bronze tinge that brightens up winter landscapes.
Angelina sedum is an easy to grow groundcover that contrasts nicely with deep greens, burgundy, or black foliage. It grows well along the ground or in containers where it may drape down the sides. It roots where the stems touch the ground, but is not aggressive and can be easily divided and transplanted into new garden sites or shared with friends.
Small, delicate yellow flowers appear in the late spring or early summer but the plants are mostly grown for foliage texture and color.
by Julie McConnell | Nov 24, 2015
You may have heard “group plants with similar needs together” but struggled to come up with some combinations that work. The most important things to consider when creating functional garden space is the cultural needs of the plants you want to combine. Sunlight, water, and fertilizer needs should be very similar when planting multiple plants together. For fall and winter gardens, choose annuals that are frost tolerant and/or evergreen perennials.
Here are some plants that work well together in cool weather:
- Strawberries and romaine lettuce – both are cool season annuals that can be planted in late October or early November. The lettuce can be harvested from outside leaves after growth begins or let it form a head and cut the entire plant. Strawberries will spread out but remain fairly low growing compared to the upright lettuce. These plants combine well in a container if given room to expand.
- Rosemary and oregano – these culinary herbs thrive in sunny, well-drained spots. Rosemary is an upright woody perennial and oregano spreads along the ground making a fragrant groundcover for a tough spot.
- Snapdragons, pansies, and parsley – this combination gives foliage contrasts in addition to colorful flowers. This combination will work in full sun or a slightly shaded spot in th
e garden. In the spring, replace the snapdragons and pansies for warm season annuals for continued color.
- Cabbage, cauliflower, and strawberries – all cool season edible crops that have attractive foliage and similar needs.
- Snapdragons, violas, and petunia – this colorful combination has three height levels of tall snaps, bunching violas, and trailing petunias.
To learn more about these plants and other options Growing Strawberries in the Florida Home Garden, Herbs in the Florida Garden, and Gardening with Annuals in Florida.
by Julie McConnell | Oct 27, 2015
Variegated lemon thyme. Photo: JMcConnell, UF/IFAS
If you have ever thought about gardening but feel too intimidated to give it a try, consider starting with a herb garden!
Culinary herbs are generally very easy to grow and very forgiving of the neglectful gardener. They have relatively few pest or disease problems and thrive in hot climates on poor soils. An added benefit of growing herbs is that some parts are edible and can really liven up a plain dish.
Just like with other plants, there are both annual and perennial herbs. Annuals only live for one season and will need to be replanted or allowed to go to seed for the next season’s plant. An example of an easy to grow herb with an annual life cycle is basil. Basil comes in many different flavors and can be purchased as a transplant (small plant) or grown from seed. It performs well in warm weather and will be killed by a hard frost. Basil grows well in part to full sun and when it flowers it is attractive to bees and other pollinators. If you allow it to go to seed, you will have more plants throughout the growing season and more the following year.
Some perennial herbs that are easy to grow are rosemary, thyme, and mint. All of these plants can live for many years in the home garden. Rosemary and thyme like sunny spots but have very different growth habits. Rosemary will grow into a large woody shrub while thyme is low growing and hugs the ground. Both like full sun and good drainage. Another perennial herb that fits into shady sites with moist soil is mint. Mint has a vining habit and can either trail over the edges of pots or can form a dense mat in a flower bed. It will root wherever the stem touches the ground, so it is also easy to divide plants and share with friends.
To learn more about herbs read Herbs in the Florida Garden or attend our upcoming class “More Cooking With Herbs” where you will learn how to grow and cook with them! Class will be held on Saturday, November 14th from 9 a.m. – 12 noon. Pre-registration and payment of $10 is required no later than November 9th to attend the class. For more details or to register, call our office at 850-784-6105.
