by Matthew Orwat | Sep 16, 2014
Prolific producing muscadine cultivar ‘Granny Val’ – Image Credit Dr. Peter C. Andersen
Mother always said “never be late” but in the case of certain muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia) cultivars, it’s good to be late.
Although muscadine harvest can begin as early as July, gardeners with late bearing muscadines are still reaping the benefits of fruit harvest and may until early October.
Northwest Florida gardeners often grow muscadines as a substitute for traditional grape (Vitis vinifera) cultivars such as ‘Concord’ or ‘Thompson’s Seedless’, since they are prone to Pierce’s Disease. In fact, muscadines are native to the southwest USA and resistant to a variety of insect and disease pests, so much so that they can be grown in the home garden without the use of insecticides or pesticides.
An additional advantage of gardening with muscadines is that they can easily be asexually propagated. To mimic the natural asexual propagation of wild muscadines, home gardeners may use the pegging method. Pegging entails wounding the branch in several locations, then burying the wounded section of the branch in moist soil while leaving the shoot tip exposed. If this is done in the late spring or summer, roots should form from the main branch in about a month. After roots are confirmed, the connection with the mother plant can be cut.
Planting time for muscadines depends on the type of plant purchased. If gardeners want to plant bare root vines, they should plant them between December and January, but containerized plants can be planted any time.
Before muscadines are planted, soil tests should be performed to determine pH. Muscadines can be grown in the pH range of 5.5 to 7.0, with the optimal level between 6.0-6.5. Since many soils in northwest Florida are highly acidic, tests should be done at least 3 months before planting. This will allow the addition of an optimal lime source Dolomite, which takes 3 months to raise the pH but also adds magnesium to the soil.
If this article prompts the reader to plant muscadines, refer to HS # 753 “The Muscadine Grape” for information about establishment, irrigation and fertilization.
Here is a list of recommended late bearing cultivars to look for when selecting plants.
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Big Red
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Delight
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Doreen
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Farrer
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Granny Val
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Late Fry
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Nesbitt
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Polyanna
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Supreme
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Pineapple
by Mary Salinas | Sep 2, 2014
Need some advice to get started with a fall garden? The horticulture agents of the Northwest Extension District are pleased to present an interactive video series for the beginning gardener.
Broccoli, a popular winter vegetable. Photo by Mary Derrick, UF IFAS
The schedule is as follows:
September 9th – Starting a Home Vegetable Garden: Expectations, planning and site preparation
September 16th – Starting a Home Vegetable Garden: Tips to use whether you are starting with seeds or transplants
September 23rd – Tops and Bottoms for the Cool Season Garden: Cool season crops such as lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, chard, strawberries, onions, potatoes and carrots
Consult the list of Participating counties for the location nearest to you. The cost is $30 for an individual and $45 for a couple and covers all three sessions and informative handouts. All classes are held 6-7:30 p.m. Central time.
by Blake Thaxton | Aug 12, 2014
Color can make a landscape. Color highlights features of the landscape and draws the eye as a focal point itself. Spring color is dominated by lush new green growth, Summer brings on flowers of all kind, and fall brings the spectacular show of foliage.
[important]A new suggestion: use vegetable crops as fall color![/important]
Fall and winter vegetable crops for the panhandle of Florida bring a different hue of colors that can be utilized in the landscape. Let’s walk through a few that you may want to start seed for to brighten up your fall garden.
Swiss Chard
Swiss Chard brings several colors to our finger tips. Reds, Whites, Greens, and Yellows are all available from different varieties of these crops. Not only do they bring great color to the landscape but they also are sometimes referred to as the “Champagne” of greens. They can be directly seeded or transplanted and should be planted 6-12 inches apart.
Swiss Chard Varieties. photo credit – Blake Thaxton
Broccoli & Cauliflower
Broccoli brings a blue/green foliage and Cauliflower various colored heads. Both can bring great color to the landscape and allow for something delicious to eat in the very near future. Broccoli and Cauliflower transplants should be used for planting. Broccoli and cauliflower should be given plenty of room with approximately 24 inches between plants.
Broccoli Varieties. photo credit – Blake Thaxton
Cauliflower Varieties. photo credit – Blake Thaxton
There are many other crops to consider for fall color such as Lettuces, Cabbages, Kale, Etc. Comment below with other vegetable crops that can be used for fall color.
by Eddie Powell | Aug 12, 2014
Shade House for early fall crop
Credits: UF/IFAS
In fall, many Florida homeowners enjoy growing their own vegetables but are faced with late summer heat issues. This happens during the first few days of August here in north Florida. Most cole crops are recommended to be planted for the fall as early as August 1, but they must be protected from the hot weather or they may need to be replaced if hot weather damages them. A diverse selection of both heat-resistant and tender plants should be planted in order to prevent total devastation of the garden by extremely hot weather.
The site selection for tender plants should be number one on your list when protecting from heat. Fall vegetable plants need a site with good air flow to protect them from the early season hot temperatures. Arranging susceptible plants along a shade barrier can protect them from direct hot sun, especially from afternoon sun. Poorly drained soils result in weak shallow roots which are more susceptible to drying out during a heat wave.
Plants grown with the correctly applied rate of nutrients will tolerate hotter temperatures better and recover from wilt injury faster than plants grown with little to no nutrients. Watering vegetable garden plants early in the day can help protect them. A well-watered soil will stay cooler than a dry soil and keep plants hydrated. However, saturated soil conditions can damage the root systems of most plants over a few days, so make sure the ground is well-drained.
Healthy vegetable plants are more resistant to heat than vegetable plants weakened by disease, insect damage, or nematode damage. Routine inspection for pests and implementation of necessary control measures are essential. Feel free to contact your local county extension office for information on pest identification and recommended controls.
Shade cloth coverings can help protect vegetable plants more from extreme hot temperatures during the beginning of fall gardening. Shade Cloth that extend to the ground and are not in contact with the vegetable plants foliage can lessen heat injury to the plant. If the vegetable plant foliage is in contact with the cover it is often dried out or injured because of heat transfer from cover the foliage can burn the leaves. One example of excellent plant covers is shade cloth or even an old trampoline cover. To learn more on heat protection of vegetable plants call your local UF/IFAS Extension Service
by Roy Carter | Jun 10, 2014
Blueberry. Photo credit: Eric Zamora, UF IFAS.
Blueberries are native to Eastern North America. They are one of the few crop plants that originated here. The rabbiteye blueberry occurs mostly in certain river valleys in Northern Florida and Southeastern Georgia. The high bush blueberry is native to the eastern third of the United States and Southeastern Canada. Florida is rich in other native species. The woods and swamps of Florida are populated with at least eight wild blueberry species. No area of the state lacks wild blueberries, except where soil pH is above 6.0.
The two types of blueberries grown in Florida are Southern highbush and rabbiteye. The earliest ripening southern highbush varieties ripen about 4 to 6 weeks earlier than the earliest rabbiteye varieties grown at the same location.
Some rabbiteye varieties recommended for our area are: Alice blue, Beckyblue, Climax, Bonita, Brightwell, Chaucer and Tifblue. Some recommended Southern Highbush varieties are: Blue Crisp, Gulf Coast, Jewel, Sharpblue, Santa Fe, Star and Misty.
Blueberries need a fairly acid soil; a pH range of 4 to 5 is suggested. Blueberries grown on alkaline or deep sands will grow poorly. If you need to lower the soil pH before planting, mix in some acidic peat moss.
Blueberries have a shallow, fibrous root system. That means plants should be placed in the ground about an inch deeper than they were growing in the nursery. Rabbiteye blueberries grow poorly in soils with excessive drainage. But they won’t tolerate too much moisture for long periods of time either.
Blueberries are very sensitive to fertilizers. During the first growing season, no mineral fertilizer should be added at all. In the second season, apply about two ounces of an acidic fertilizer per plant. Blueberries can use the same fertilizer as camellias and azaleas, but be careful not to overdo it. Excessive amounts of fertilizer will kill the plants.
Before planting blueberries, you should cultivate the soil by plowing or roto tilling to a depth of at least six inches. Dig a hole large enough so that the roots won’t be crowded. Lightly pack the soil around the roots and water thoroughly. Keep in mind that newly set plants need a good water supply.
Bare-root bushes should be transplanted during the winter months; container grown bushes can be transplanted anytime. The first year after planting, the blossoms should be removed to help the bush grow more quickly.
Pruning is an important part of blueberry culture. It promotes the growth of strong wood, and rids the tree of weak twiggy growth. The strong wood growth is necessary for good fruit production.
Believe it or not, the worst pests of blueberries are birds. You need to protect your bushes with some kind of netting, or employ the old fashioned scarecrow to do the job. It you don’t protect your bushes, you can count on the birds getting to the fruit before you do.
Other than birds, rabbiteye blueberries have few pest or disease problems. Powdery mildew can occur on bushes that don’t get full sun, but this problem can be easily controlled with a sulfur spray. Bud mites, thrips, fruitworms, and defoliating insects can sometimes be a problem.
Weeds will compete with young blueberry bushes for nutrients and water, so keep the beds as free of weeds as possible. Mulches are good for controlling weed growth. If necessary, there are herbicides available.
For more information please see:
Blueberry Gardener’s Guide
by Eddie Powell | Jun 3, 2014
During this growing season monitor your plants and keep them healthy as a healthy plant will be able to better survive an invader attack.
Nematode populations can be reduced temporarily by soil solarization. It is a technique that uses the sun’s heat to kill the soil-borne pests. Adding organic matter to the soil will help reduce nematode populations as well. Nematodes are microscopic worms that attack vegetable roots and reduce growth and yield. The organic matter will also improve water holding capacity and increase nutrient content.
Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus
Credits: UF/IFAS
If you choose to use pesticides, please follow pesticide label directions carefully. Learn to properly identify garden pests and use chemicals only when a serious pest problem exists. If you have questions please call your UF/IFAS county extension office. We can provide helpful information about insect identification.
Organic gardeners can use certain products like BT(Dipel) to control pests. Please remember not every off-the-shelf pesticide can be used on every crop. So be sure the vegetable you want to treat is on the label before purchasing the product.
Follow label directions for measuring, mixing and pay attention to any pre-harvest interval warning. That is the time that must elapse between application of the pesticide and harvest. For example, broccoli sprayed with carbaryl (Sevin) should not be harvested for two weeks.
Spray the plant thoroughly, covering both the upper and lower leaf surfaces. Do not apply pesticides on windy days. Follow all safety precautions on the label, keep others and pets out of the area until sprays have dried. Apply insecticides late in the afternoon or in the early evening when bees and other pollinators are less active. Products like malathion, carbaryl and pyrethroids are especially harmful to bees.
To reduce spray burn, make sure the plants are not under moisture stress. Water if necessary and let leaves dry before spraying. Avoid using soaps and oils when the weather is very hot, because this can cause leaf burn.
Control slugs with products containing iron phosphate.
Cucumber Mosaic Virus
Credits: UF/IFAS
Many common diseases can be controlled with sprays like chlorothalonil, maneb, or mancozeb fungicide. Powdery mildews can be controlled with triadimefon, myclobutanil, sulfur, or horticultural oils. Rust can be controlled with sulfur, propiconazole, ortebuconazole. Sprays are generally more effective than dusts.
