by Les Harrison | Mar 4, 2014
An assortment of Heirloom Tomatoes. Image Credit Dan Culbert
Thursday night’s temperatures have confirmed the winter of 2014 is not over. This year’s cold days and freezing nights have taken a toll on power bills, auto batteries, and the mosquitoes.
Still there is indication that spring will soon be coming. The most tangible evidence is arriving in north Florida mailboxes almost daily.
Garden catalogs from every part of the nation are finding their way into many area homes. Their pages promise the buyer the potential for legendary success and the envy of their friends and neighbors.
After all, who can resist the full color beauty of giant flowers, large luscious fruit and vegetables which are sure to win a prize at the fair? There is not a runt, reject or cull in all the pages of these publications offering the mortal version of horticultural heaven.
Before ordering, the would-be gardener should consider several factors to increase the likelihood of a positive gardening experience. A failure will waste not only funds, but also much time and hard work and may introduce a long-term problem or two.
Cultivar selection for a tree, shrub, vegetable or fruit is critically important to producing the desired results. While a specific plant cultivar may grow and produce in one environment, it may not do so in all situations.
A common example of this problem is grape vines offered. Only muscadine grapes will grow and produce locally because Pierce’s disease kills other varieties.
Carefully examine the growing zones recommended by the catalog for specific cultivars. Check with fellow gardeners and the UF/IFAS Extension Office to see if they have any information or experience with any cultivars under consideration.
Heirloom varieties are especially sensitive to the variances in growing conditions. While they offer unusual and sometimes unique taste and culinary traits or landscaping characteristics, these antique varieties can be a challenge to grow.
Their genetic potential can make a consistent yield, especially for the novice growers, a real effort. Also, as an open pollinator variety, the results can be inconsistent.
Another question for the catalog company customer is new or untried plants varieties. Some of these plants are patented and few or no trials have been performed with them in north Florida’s growing zone.
Caution should be used when ordering these seed or plants. Being the first in North Florida to cultivate a new variety may require a large commitment of time and resources, and may produce only a large disappointment.
Check with fellow gardeners, local nurseries and your UF/IFAS Extension Office for available information on these new or patented varieties. It may save much wasted motion.
Lastly, be sure the plant or seeds under consideration do not have the potential as exotic invasive pests. As hard as this may be to believe, this does occur.
Some catalog vendors will advise buyers in the ordering instructions or at the time of ordering. Either way, the purchaser should check to verify the plant ordered does not have the potential to escape control and damage the environment.
by Carrie Stevenson | Feb 18, 2014
Backyard gardens have increased in popularity the last few years, with record calls to Extension offices statewide on how to grow tomatoes and preserve produce. Along with the boom in home gardening, schools have steadily added gardens to their campuses. There are countless benefits to including children in growing their own food. Personal experience and numerous studies have shown that children improve their attitude towards fruits and vegetables and are more likely to try new foods if they’ve helped grow it themselves. Urban-dwelling youth find a safe place to interact with nature, increase their awareness of where food comes, and learn to be responsible for a living thing. Youth of all ages can gain critical math and science skills from measuring, planting, observing and problem-solving. Even toddlers enjoy scooping up soil, holding worms, and seeing the growth of a tiny seed or plant over time. Any veteran gardener will tell you that the fresh air and physical work improves their health and mental outlook.
This raised bed garden is used at the Roy Hyatt Environmental Center to teach youth about gardening and provide food for numerous animals housed at the center. Photo credit: Molly O’Connor
School gardens are being used around the country to achieve all of these objectives, including intangible skills such as teamwork, confidence, and patience. The utility of gardens for lessons on art, poetry, creative writing, and music should not be underestimated; countless writers and artists have been inspired by the natural world.
Across the country, Extension programs, Master Gardeners, and 4-H staff are lending their gardening expertise to schools and learning centers from preschool to the University level. The Junior Master Gardner 4-H program is an excellent hybrid between horticultural and youth education, and is set up with curriculum and lessons for working with kids in both a classroom and field setting. The Florida Ag in the Classroom “Gardening for Grades” program has curriculum for elementary through high school levels correlated with state standards and ready to go for a classroom. Youth study soil structure, chemistry, botany, environmental science, agriculture, meteorology, and wildlife ecology in an engaging, hands-on way. In-service training workshops are held periodically to prepare teachers for beginning and teaching from a school garden, so ask your local Horticulture or Agriculture agent about these programs.
Typically, backyard gardeners, schools, or Scout groups will create a raised-bed garden, which reduces weeds and water needs and allows for easier control of soil type and maintenance. Guidelines for raised bed gardens, for home or educational institution, are available here.
Vegetable gardens aren’t the only teaching tool in the horticultural world. Butterfly and wildlife gardens are (pardon the pun) perennially popular, and are typically easy to implement. Youth may learn valuable lessons on food webs and insect life cycles in addition to the soil and botanical information. For more information on the benefits of gardening with youth, visit the UF school garden site or contact your local horticulture Extension agent.
by Eddie Powell | Jan 27, 2014
A bountiful harvest
Every winter, many Florida homeowners enjoy growing their own vegetable plants. It is definitely cheaper to buy vegetable seeds than vegetable transplants, and some vegetables grow better when direct seeded.
One factor to take into consideration when planning a vegetable garden is that each vegetable has a different germination response to temperature. Some seeds germinate best under low soil temperature while other respond best under high soil temperatures.
When planting vegetable seeds, remember that cool season crops, such as cabbage, turnips, and cauliflower, will perform best under cooler soil conditions.
The key to getting the highest seed germination rate is to match the correct soil temperature to the vegetable seed of choice.
Below is a listing of correct soil temperatures needed for vegetable seed germination.
MINIMUM Soil Temperature for Germination in Degrees Fahrenheit
- 32- Endive, Lettuce, Onion, Parsnip, and Spinach
- 40 -Beet, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Parley, Pea, Radish, Swiss Chard, and Celery
- 50-Asparagus, Sweet Corn, Tomato, and Turnip
- 60-Lima bean, Snap Bean, Cucumber, Okra, and Pepper
- 65-Eggplant, Muskmelon, Pumpkin, Squash, and Watermelon
OPTIMUM Soil Temperature for Germination in Degrees Fahrenheit
- 70-Celery, Parsnip, and Spinach
- 75-Asparagus, Endive, Lettuce, and Pea
- 80-Lima Bean, Carrot, Cauliflower, Onion, Radish, Tomato, Turnip
- 85-Snap Bean, Beet, Broccoli, Cabbage, Eggplant, Parsley, Pepper, Sweet Corn, and Swiss Chard
- 95-Cucumber, Muskmelon, Okra, Pumpkin, Squash, and Watermelon.
MAXIMUM Soil Temperature for Germination in Degrees Fahrenheit
- 75 -Celery, Endive, Lettuce, and Spinach
- 85-Lima Beans, Parsnip, and Pea
- 95-Asparagus, Snap Bean, Beet, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Eggplant, Onion, Parsley, Pepper, Radish, Swiss Chard, and Tomato
- 106-Cucumber, Muskmelon, Okra, Pumpkin, Squash, Sweet Corn, Turnip, and Watermelon
by Taylor Vandiver | Jan 21, 2014
Florida-grown potatoes. Photo courtesy UF/IFAS.
The time to plant potatoes is now!
Potatoes are a good way to usher in the growing season of your home garden. They are easy to grow and their harvesting date doesn’t coincide with many other vegetables. In North Florida you can plan to put in your potatoes around the end of January through February. It’s easy to grow red- and white-skinned Irish potatoes. Also, brown-skinned russet potatoes do nicely in the garden. However, before we get ahead of ourselves, the first step you need to take is preparing your soil and garden plot.
Since potatoes prefer a loose, well-drained, slightly acidic soil (pH 5 to 6), little needs to be done in many Florida gardens. However, potatoes do not grow well in flooded conditions. Care must be taken to ensure that the root zone has adequate drainage. To help alleviate flooding conditions, beds should be formed into mounds (hills) about 10 to 12” above soil level. It’s always a good idea to add in organic matter to your soil, this will provide nutrients and structure to your soil.
The potato tuber is the plant “part” required to grow a new potato plant. When a piece of the tuber is planted, it is called a “seed” potato. Only certified seed potatoes should be planted in the home garden. Certification ensures that the seed tubers are free of disease and viruses. Certified seed can be obtained from a number of reputable garden supply stores. Do not purchase potatoes from the grocery store to plant in the home garden. Potatoes from grocery stores are often sprayed with chemicals that inhibit sprouting and they can contain diseases that would be harmful to your garden. Also, remember to never store tubers in direct sunlight. Seed potatoes should be cut so that each piece is about the size of an egg with at least one eye per seed piece. Seed potatoes should be allowed to “heal” before planting; this will reduce the risk of rot upon planting.
Potato plants should be spaced at about 6–8 in. within the row with at least 36 in. between rows. Seed pieces should be planted with the cut side down and eyes (or sprouts) facing up. Due to the fact that the seed piece should be planted only 4 in. below soil surface, new tubers could emerge from the soil surface. These exposed tubers will turn green and inedible in the sun. Therefore, hilling is a necessary process in growing potatoes. Hilling is the act of adding about 2 – 3 in. of soil to the top of the potato row.
Potatoes, in Florida are generally grown during the drier times of the year. As a result, supplemental irrigation may be required to provide plants with an adequate amount of water. Moderate soil moisture levels should be maintained throughout the season. Just remember to never over water!
Most potatoes are ready for harvest between 80 and 115 days after planting. To harvest, carefully dig potatoes below the potatoes and remove them from the root system of the plant. Potatoes are best stored in cool, dark, well-ventilated locations. An important fact to remember when harvesting potatoes is to always avoid eating green potatoes. Green potatoes have high levels of a toxin called solanine, which has a bitter taste. It is toxic even at very low levels. Potatoes can “green” in the field, in storage, and at home when exposed to the light.
As always, if you have any question or need further information please contact your local extension agent!
by Mary Salinas | Jan 7, 2014
Broccoli, a popular winter vegetable. Photo by Mary Derrick, UF IFAS
In the Florida panhandle, we are fortunate to be able to grow crops throughout the year. The key is to know what to plant at the various times of the year.
Vegetables that can be planted now include beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, collards, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, green onions, English peas, radish and turnips. For those that are started from seed, especially carrots and radish, sow seed every 2 to 3 weeks to stagger the harvest.
During this cool time of the year, take stock of the vegetable garden area and decide if changes need to be made, such as moving or adding on to it. This is a good time of year to do the heavy labor before the warm, sweaty weather sets in. A popular choice is to add raised beds for growing herbs and vegetables. An advantage of a raised bed is that the garden starts with clean, rich soil that is weed and pest free. Grass and weeds do not have to be dug out for the garden; they can simply be covered by heavy groundcloth, newspaper or cardboard and the raised bed is placed on top.
[important]Consider getting a soil test if one has not been done within the past few years. Always get a soil test before adding lime – it will indicate if lime is needed and exactly how much to apply for best results. The cost is only $7 through the University of Florida. Contact the local Extension office for a soil test kit.[/important]
Stepping outside of the vegetable garden for a moment, for those interested in deciduous fruit such as peaches, pears and apples this is a great time to plant trees to give their roots time to develop before the warm, dry spring months. Be sure to select varieties that are proven performers for North Florida.
For further information please see:
Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide
Gardening in Raised Beds
Soil Sampling and Testing for the Home Landscape or Vegetable Garden
Deciduous Fruits for the Home Gardener in North Florida and North Central Florida
by Beth Bolles | Dec 24, 2013
For best root development, thin carrots to 2-3 inches between each plant.
Many common cool season vegetable garden plants are started in raised beds by direct planting of seeds. It is important to follow the guidelines in the ‘Monthly Vegetable Planting Guide’ (Page 6) for plant spacing and seed depth. It is possible to thin out seedlings that are growing too close, but seeds that are planted at the incorrect depth may not germinate.
Vegetable seedlings will need to be thinned out after germination to allow for adequate space for leaf or root development. Crowded vegetables will compete with each other for water, nutrients, and sunlight and never produce quality plants.
Here are some tips for thinning seedlings:
- When plants are about 1 to 2 inches tall or have two sets of ‘true leaves’, it is time to thin out any crowded plants.
- Look up the proper spacing between plants and thin out appropriately.
- Pull out seedlings with fingers or forceps to make space or use small
scissors to cut off seedlings at the ground level.
- It will initially look like there is lots of room between seedlings but realize plants will grow quickly to utilize all available space.
