by Matthew Orwat | May 20, 2014
Healthy, Developing Tomato. Image Credit Matthew Orwat
One of the most common tomato problem home gardeners encounter in the late spring and early summer is blossom end rot. The good news is that blossom end rot can be prevented with the use of drip irrigation and adequate fertilization. Since tomatoes need a consistent supply of water to prevent blossom end rot, drip under plastic works well. Blossom end rot effects crops in the solanaceae family and appears as a grey, mushy dead area at the base of the vegetable. It is caused by calcium deficiency but is usually a result of wet / dry cycles brought on by an inconsistent irrigation program. The best cure for blossom end rot (BER) is a consistent level of soil moisture throughout the fruiting cycle.
Bacterial Leaf Spot Symptoms
Due to recent rain, warm days, and cool nights, leaf diseases could be developing, so now is a good time to scout tomatoes.Look for brown spots, spots with halos, wilting leaves, and yellowing leaves. This could be a sign of bacterial leaf spot, which is transmitted when rain splashes soil and water on leaves of the plants. Affected leaves should be removed from the growing area and destroyed. Once leaves are affected, there is no cure, but preventative sprays of copper-containing fungicide (bactericide) plus mancozeb sprays can reduce incidence of infection, if the spray program is initiated before too many spots are present.
For a detailed look at the various diseases of tomato, the EDIS publication “A Series on Diseases in the Florida Vegetable Garden: TOMATO” offers an excellent summary. Another resource UF/IFAS offers for disease diagnosis is the NFREC U-scout website. U-Scout provides information on over 40 potential disease issues in tomato. Additionally, any plant disease can be diagnosed through your County Extension Office and the Plant Pathology lab at the North Florida Research and Education Center.
by Eddie Powell | Apr 29, 2014
Five Gallon Container Plants
Credit: Eddie Powell
One Gallon Container Plants
Credit: Eddie
GARDENING IN A BUCKET: Grow wholesome, healthy vegetables in a container with this plan.
Materials
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5 Gallon plastic buckets
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40 pound sacks of Potting soil
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40 pound sacks of compost
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garden trowels or shovels
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wheel barrow or other large mixing container
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controlled release fertilizer
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packs of vegetable seeds
Recommended: All Herbs, Tomato, Cucumber, Squash, and Zucchini
Procedures:
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In a large container or on a plastic mat on the ground, mix potting soil and compost in a 2:1 ratio. Two scoops of soil and one of compost, add ½ cup time release fertilizer, every 6 weeks
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Drill 6 to 8- ½ inch holes in the bottom of the 5-gallon buckets. Make sure that the buckets did not contain toxic materials!
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Fill the bucket to within 3 inches of the top of the container
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Place container in sunny spot that will allow drainage
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Plant chosen vegetable with two seeds in center of the container
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Water well and keep moist but not wet
Plant requirements:
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Minerals. Basic needs in plants are Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K). These are listed on all fertilizers as a ratio, example – 8-8-8 contains 8 % Nitrogen, 8% Phosphorus, and 8% Potassium 76% being filler.
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Sunshine or artificial sources of light (grow lights).
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Water. Soil must be kept moist but not wet. Wet soils will create root-rot and encourage fungus. Measure moisture by pinching the soil to determine if the soil is moist. Adding water as needed; plants in full sun will need much more water than plants in partial shade. Wilted plants need more water!
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Carbon Dioxide (CO2). Plants absorb CO2 and give off Oxygen making them VERY important to human and all animal life.
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Proper Temperatures. Too cold, plants die, too hot plants die. Make sure that if your plants are outside and the temperature goes below freezing, the plants are protected.
by Roy Carter | Apr 21, 2014
Corn Field. Image Credit Matthew Orwat
Sweet corn is a favorite among home gardeners. As long as the space is available, it’s not difficult to grow.
Corn is a new world native crop, with archaeological evidence suggesting that it was first domesticated in Mexico. This crop was the basis of the Mayan, Incan and Aztec civilizations, and by the time European explorers came to the New World in the 1500s, corn had become a staple for the native people.
Corn is monoecious (mon-ee-shuss) which means that there are both male and female flowers on each corn plant. In some monoecious plants, male and female parts are in the same flower. In corn, male and female flowers are in different locations, the male flowers form a tassel which is at the top of the plant. The female flower is located at the junction of leaves and stem. It consists of collection of hairs (silks) enclosed in the husks of what will become the ears. There silks are pollen receiving tubes. Wind-blown pollen from the mole flower (tassel) falls on the silks below. Each silk leads to a kernel, and pollen must land on all silk for the ear to fill out completely with kernel.
Corn comes in a variety of colors and sugar contents. Look for sugary enhanced varieties, with firm and sweet kernels, or the super sweet varieties, with tender and very sweet kernels. Some varieties of white and yellow corn that perform well in Florida are Silver Queen (white), “How Sweet It Is” (white), “Sweet Ice” (white), “Merit” (yellow), “Kandy Korn” (yellow), and “Peaches and Cream” (bicolor).
Sweet corn thrives best in well-drained soils but will tolerate a wide range of soil types. Optimum pH ranges from 6.0 to 6.5.
Till the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches using a spade, plow or rototiller. Avoid tilling the soil while it is too wet because clodding may occur.
Sweet corn is a warm-season vegetable requiring soil temperature between 60-90 degrees F°. Avoid planting seed in cool soils. Wait until after the last average dates of the last killing frost before planting. If planted too early, weak stands, stunted growth or frost-killed seedling may result. The newer, sweeter varieties are even more sensitive to cool, wet soils any may not perform well in these conditions.
Plant corn in an area that receives at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight. It is beneficial to plant near a water source for needed irrigation.
Plant seed approximately 1 to 1 ½ inch deep in rows 3 feet apart with 8 to 12 inches between each seed in the row. A hand pushed mechanical planter can make seeding much easier for larger stands of corn.
A soil test through the local County Extension Office is always the best way to determine the lime and fertilizer needs. If lime is required, it can be tilled into the ground during soil preparation but is most effective when applied 2 to 3 months prior to planting.
If a soil test is not done, a general guideline is to apply 3-4 pounds of 10-10-10 per 100 linear row feet before planting. Side dress two or three times during the growing season with ammonium sulfate (21-0-0-17) at the rate of 2 pounds per 100 feet of row space. More frequent side dressing may be required on sandy soils or when excessive ran occurs.
Corn requires a minimum of 1 inch of water per week for normal development. The most critical period for water is during pollination and during final ear filling.
Sweet corn matures in 60 to 100 day, depending on the varieties. Sweet corn should be ready for harvest about 20 days after the appearance of the first silk stands, sweet corn is picked during the “milk stage” when the kernels are fully formed but not completely mature.
After picking, cook and eat corn that day or store it in cool temperatures, such as in a refrigerator, as soon as possible. It can then be canned, frozen or eaten fresh within few days. Keeping the corn cool is the key to better flavor as high temperatures will convert the sugar in the kernels to starch, giving it a bland taste.
by Blake Thaxton | Apr 8, 2014
Currently, there is an heirloom tomato variety trial being conducted in a high tunnel 
structure at the UF/IFAS West Florida Research and Education Center. Seven heirloom tomato varieties are being evaluated, along with one hybrid variety, for early season high tunnel production in the western panhandle of Florida. Now is a chance for vegetable producers and tomato garden enthusiasts to see the trial and get the most up to date production advice from UF/IFAS specialists and extension agents. Join us for the workshop, Tomatoes at Twilight!
Topics to be discussed:
• General Tomato Production
• High Tunnel Tomato production
• Heirloom Tomatoes
• Water & Nutrient Management
• Disease Control
by Eddie Powell | Apr 1, 2014
Soil Sampling may save you time and money!
As spring approaches, many Florida homeowners are gearing up to grow their own vegetables. The most frequently asked question this time of year is, “why do I need to fertilize my soil?” The answer is simple – – not all nutrients are present in the right amounts to support good plant health.
North Florida is a prime example of an area lacking certain nutrients, since the soils in this area are generally infertile and acidic. Especially with all the rain from this past year! Therefore, soils must be tested and appropriate amounts of lime and fertilizer must be applied to the soil for adequate plant growth. If this is not done then the crops will suffer from inadequate plant growth and yield will suffer.
Most vegetable crops grow and perform best at a pH range, 6.0-7.0. A soil sample must be taken to determine soil pH. Feel free to bring one of those samples by your local University of Florida IFAS Extension office for your soils pH results. If the pH extends far below or above this range, then crop productivity will be significantly reduced. This happens because the crop cannot utilize the fertilizer properly. In other words, this causes the plant to use too much of some nutrients (like manganese, zinc, and iron) that are required in very small amounts and too little of some nutrients (like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) that are required in larger amounts. The plant system becomes upset so to speak and does not function well and some plants may even die.
To avoid having your crop suffer because of a lack of fertilizer, contact your local University of Florida IFAS Extension Agent and ask he/she to help you select the best kind of fertilizer for your crop. After you have selected the correct fertilizer, make sure to ask your agent to assist you with the following:
- Be aware of the correct amount to be applied to the area where you plan to grow your vegetable crops
- Understand how to apply the fertilizer to the soil so that your plants will use it properly for an excellent crop yield.
Points to remember:
- For vegetables, keep your soil pH range between 6.0 -7.0 so that your crop can uptake the fertilizer properly
- Make sure to apply the correct amounts of fertilizer to the soil so that your plants will not suffer but produce high quality produce.
by Roy Carter | Mar 25, 2014
Image Credit UF IFAS Gardening solutions.
What does it mean to grow gardens organically? It depends upon who you talk to. The simple answer is that organic gardeners only use animal or plant-based fertilizers rather than synthetic. It also means use of natural pest control devoid of synthetically manufactured insecticides. In other words, using natural substances and beneficial insects to ward off pests instead of spraying with the backyard equivalent of Malathion. My information on organic vegetable gardening was provided by UF IFAS Extension Publication “Organic Vegetable Gardening” HS 1215.
Why garden organically? Since “USDA Certified Organic” does not apply to home gardening, why would any gardener give up all synthetic fertilizers? And why not use synthetic pesticides, when just one application could eliminate even the most devastating ravages of a crop insect or disease? Why work, so hard handling large quantities or organic soil amendments and manures when synthetic fertilizer of every description and purpose are so quickly available and easy to use?
Early organic gardeners did it to preserve a way of life that reduced pollution and environment decay, thus creating a more ecological society. Organic enthusiasts are extremely health-conscious, and hope that working vigorously outdoors and eating foods free from pesticides just might lead to better nutrition and health.
The biggest differences between organic and conventional gardening are in the area of fertilization and pest control. The organic gardener prefers organic materials and natural methods of dealing with insect problems and fertilizer requirements. The conventional gardener uses a combination of chemically prepared materials and scientific methods in approaching the vegetable garden.
Whichever method you choose, you need to select a plot of good, well-drained soil for planting vegetables. Also, it is important to choose vegetable varieties suited to Florida growing conditions.
Soil preparation is the most important step in organic gardening. Since organic fertilizers and soil conditioning materials work rather slowly, they need to be mixed into the soil at least three weeks ahead of planting time.
To have a successful organic garden, you need to use abundant quantities of organic material, usually in the form of animal manures, cover crops, compost or mixed organic fertilizer. These materials improve the tilth, condition, and structure of the soil. They help the soil hold water and nutrients better. In addition, organic matter supports micro-biological activity in the soil, and contributes major and minor plant nutrients. Another benefit is that as these organic matters decompose, they release acid which help to convert insoluble natural additives, such as ground rock, into forms plants can use.
