Fall Vegetable Gardening in Florida: We’re Just Getting Started Here!

Theresa Badurek,

Urban Horticulture Extension Agent
and Master Gardener Coordinator

If you come to us from up north, fall is the time of year you would normally be finishing your harvest and putting your vegetable garden to bed. That’s not the case here in Florida. Fall is a great time to garden and August is the time to get started. So, prepare before the kids go back to school and by the time the snowbirds flock south again, you can have a beautiful vegetable garden to brag about!

What to Grow Now

There are lots of crops for fall in Central Florida. Things like bush and pole beans, corn, eggplant, peppers, squash, and tomatoes are great to plant in August and September. In October and November we can plant crops such as beets, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, spinach, and strawberries. If you have not yet started your garden, it’s time to get diggin’!

Soil Preparation

We have very sandy soils throughout most of central Florida, so organic matter should be worked into your soil at least three weeks ahead of planting. If you are using compost and mulches be sure that there are no large clumps of unrotted organic material. These can harbor disease problems as well as hinder seedlings or their growth. When your conditions are right, these organic materials will be processed by microorganisms like fungi, algae, bacteria, molds, and earthworms. As they do this they make important nutrients available to your plants. For detailed information on various soil amendments, please visit: http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/giam/maintenance_and_care/soil_fertilizer_and_nutrients/soil_amendments.html .

Seeds and Transplants

The most important thing you can do is select the right crops and varieties for our area and plant them at the right time. We are often tempted to plant crops or varieties that we know and love from some other geographic location, but these are often not suited to our unique subtropical climate. How do you know what and when to plant? Refer to the following publication, “Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide” whose link is found at the end of this article. Use this to plan your garden layout and bring it with you when shopping for seeds and plants. Pay special attention to Table 4, “Suggested Varieties for Florida Gardens” and Table 3 “Planting Guide for Florida Vegetables”.

Pests and Diseases

So, how do you keep uninvited guests from eating all of your hard work in the garden? Well, you must have a regular scouting routine for pests. At every step of your gardening adventure you should be looking for signs of pests. Hopefully you selected resistant varieties from the “Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide” publication (see link above) and inspected your plants for pests and diseases before purchase and planting. Learn to recognize the beneficial insects that help control the “bad guys” that cause damage. Not using pesticides will help preserve the “army” of beneficial insects in your garden. A great guide to start learning about beneficial insects is “Natural Enemies and Biological Control”: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/IN/IN12000.pdf .

There are more things you can do to help prevent and control pests and diseases, though:

• Use mulch; vegetables touching the soil may rot.
• Good garden mulch tends to reduce damage caused by nematodes. 
• Keep out weeds which harbor insects and diseases. 
• Water in morning so plants are not wet at night. 
• Dispose of severely diseased plants before they contaminate others. 
• Hand-pick insects. 
• Clean up crop refuse early. 
• Rotate garden areas.

All of the usual tips and techniques apply when gardening in fall. Things like mulching to keep down weeds and scouting for pests regularly to avoid infestation are always great advice. Keep an eye on plants to make sure they are getting enough water. We usually get plenty of water from rain in the summer, but the rains usually taper off around October. Be sure to avoid letting your garden wilt in the drier weather- check the soil a few inches down near the plant roots to make sure it’s damp but not overly wet. Plants grown in containers will need more frequent watering to avoid wilting.

For even more about vegetable gardening in Florida- at any time of year- please visit the “Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide” at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/VH/VH02100.pdf . This handy link will give you the tools to succeed in your Florida garden any time of year, including planting dates, best varieties for Florida, and times to harvest. Once you get your fall vegetable garden in the ground you can start looking for recipes that showcase the fruits and vegetables of your gardening efforts. Enjoy!

Florida Summer Gardening 101

Theresa Badurek,

Urban Horticulture Extension Agent 
and Master Gardener Coordinator

It’s almost June and the weather is still pleasant… for now.  Soon we will be battling hot summer sun, bugs, humidity, and torrential rains every afternoon.  These conditions present several challenges for the home gardener, but there are things you can do now to prepare your garden (and yourself) for the heat.

If you use annuals in your landscape you probably know by now that many of them don’t tolerate the Florida heat very well.  Just because a plant is being sold in local garden centers does not necessarily mean it’s the right time to plant them here in Florida.  However, there are several annual plants that take our temps in stride.  They include salvia, torenia, wax begonia, coleus, and ornamental peppers. When shopping for annuals choose compact plants with healthy leaves, good color, and lots of flower buds (they don’t have to be in bloom at the time of purchase).  For more information about gardening with annuals in Florida, click here.

Since annuals are seasonal they should make up focal areas in the garden, but not too much space, as they require a lot of energy and resources for such a short life-span.   Right now is also a great time to plan new perennial plantings, including trees, palms, shrubs, and groundcovers.  If you have a plan at the ready you can be prepared to install once the rainy season starts- then you won’t need to water as often yourself.  Just remember that if you plant something before you go on vacation you should ask a friend or neighbor to care for it while you are gone.  For more information on establishing new trees and shrubs, click here. 

But that’s not all you can do this time of the year.  You can also plant some herbs that like the heat such as basil, Mexican tarragon, and rosemary.  Since some herbs are annuals and some are perennials remember to group them accordingly so you won’t be disturbing the perennials when replanting the annuals.  Many herbs are also suited to planting in containers- but you must remember that those plants in containers will dry out faster than those in the ground and will need more irrigation attention.  For more information about growing herbs in your Florida garden, click here.

If you think your new herbs might get lonely out there, don’t hesitate to try your hand at vegetable gardening.  But (and this is a biggie) you can’t plant the same veggies in the summer that you can up north.  Our hot temps just won’t work with many of the usual veggies, but there are several crops you can grow here in the heat including okra, southern pea, and sweet potato.  For more information about vegetable gardening in Florida, including suggested crops and their planting dates, click here.

Summer (June, July and August are great) is also a good time to solarize your vegetable garden, so you can add this to your summer gardening plan.  What does that mean?  Well, this one prep can help reduce soil pests and even kill weed seeds, making your garden more successful throughout the fall gardening season.  Solarizing involves harnessing the heat of the sun by covering the soil with clear plastic and is most effective in the summer months.  To solarize, you want to prepare your soil with any amendments such as compost or manures before you begin.  Make sure your garden is clear of rocks, twigs, weeds, and other debris.  Till the soil to at least 6 inches to make sure the heat will penetrate deeply enough to be effective.   The day after a good rain or irrigation is best for applying the clear plastic sheeting over the soil.  Lay sheets of clear plastic over the soil and bury the edges to keep it in place.  Clear plastic is the only kind that will be effective- do not use black.  Finally, leave plastic in place for at least 6 weeks.  For more info on solarizing your garden, visit “Introduction to Soil Solarization”.

A discussion of summer garden preps wouldn’t be complete without a mention of hurricane season.  Now is your last chance to prepare for hurricane season by checking trees for damaged or weak branches and prune if needed.  Be sure to hire an ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) certified arborist to do this work- they are trained to care for trees and continually participate in ongoing education to maintain this certification.  This can help lengthen the life of your trees and minimize the chance of property damage.  To find a certified arborist near you, visit the ISA website tool to locate a tree professional.

Last, but definitely not least, make sure to watch out for your own health in the heat.  Slow down, dress for summer, do not get too much sun, drink water, do not drink alcoholic beverages, and spend more time in air-conditioned places.  The University of Florida Extension has a great webpage for heat safety that everyone should read before it gets too hot.  Be safe and have a great summer!

Urban Farming in Pinellas County

Jane Morse,
University of Florida, IFAS Pinellas County Extension Agent 

The first urban farming conference is being held at Pinellas County Extension. Urban farming promotes self-sufficiency, sustainable living and the efficient use of space. Learn the latest trends in hydroponic vegetable gardening, backyard chickens and integrated pest management – the control of pests with minimal environmental impact. Learn the business aspects for getting started with business planning and cost analysis, cottage industry regulations, marketing with market maker and protected agriculture.

The class will be held on Saturday, February 9, 2013 at the Pinellas County Extension Service, Magnolia Room, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo, FL 33774.

The morning session is for both homeowner and commercial farmers while the afternoon session is geared for those interested in going into business as a commercial farmer.

For class information and registration please visit: http://pce-commercialhort.eventbrite.com/ or http://pce-lawnandgarden.eventbrite.com/ or call 727-582-2100 and press 2.

The conference fee is $7.50 for the morning or afternoon sessions, and $12 for the full day. Attendance is limited to 200 participants.

Summer Vegetable Gardening: Can you stand the heat?

Black-Eyed Peas

Theresa Barduek
Urban Horticulture Extension Agent


If you come to us from up north, this is the time of year you would normally enjoy vegetable gardening. That’s not usually the case here in Florida. Sure, there’s plenty of sunshine and usually lots of rain… but the heat, oh my, the heat. Most crops people really want to grow just won’t perform in our subtropical summer temps, and it can be downright brutal to weed your garden mid-July. But what if you are determined to garden in the summer anyway? Besides sunscreen and lots of water to hydrate yourself, what do you need to know?

Summer crops for Florida are limited. Things like watermelon, black-eyed peas, okra, and sweet potatoes are best this time of year. If you are more interested in getting ready for the more diverse fall vegetable gardening season, black-eyed peas are a great choice. They are legumes and the help fix nitrogen in their roots. If you grow these as a cover crop and turn the plants into the soil before they produce peas, you will help nourish your soil with more nitrogen for the fall. You can grow and harvest the peas if you like, but this will reduce the amount of nitrogen put back into the soil.

Okra Flower

Sweet potatoes are healthy (superfood anyone?) and they grow on rather beautiful vines. Growing this crop is a great way to keep down weeds in your garden while keeping it beautiful all summer long. I don’t have much to say about okra- can you tell I’m not a fan? But, if you like gumbo this is the crop for you! Finally, watermelon is a fun crop, and a summertime favorite that would be ready late August or early September if you got it planted right now. You’re going to need some space for this one, as watermelon vines can grow up to 12’-16’ long! Plan accordingly.

All of the usual tips and techniques apply when gardening in the summer as well. Things like mulching to keep down weeds and scouting for pests regularly to avoid infestation are always great advice. Keep an eye on plants to make sure they are getting enough water. We usually get plenty of water from rain in the summer, but not always. Be sure to avoid letting your garden wilt in the extreme summer heat. Plants grown in containers will need more frequent watering to avoid this. For this and much more about vegetable gardening- at any time of year- please visit http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/VH/VH02100.pdf. This handy link will give you the tools to succeed in your Florida garden any time of year, including planting dates, best varieties for Florida, and times to harvest.

Or you could just hit the beach… it’s hot out there!

Urban Agriculture: What is it and why is it important?

Mary Campbell,
Extension Director and Urban Sustainability Agent

In the past few years, there has been an ever increasing interest in home vegetable gardening, community gardens, and backyard poultry. All of these can be considered a form of urban agriculture. Urban agriculture is defined as the growing of plants and the raising of animals within and around cities. There has been a resurgence of interest for local food production since it supplies fresher, healthier and tastier foods, saves money, and provides recreation and relaxation. 

The most interesting feature of urban agriculture, which distinguishes it from rural agriculture, is that it is integrated into the urban community with urban residents as farmers, and has direct links to consumers and impacts on the urban environment. Urban agriculture includes the growing, processing, and distribution of food through plant cultivation and animal husbandry. It is vegetable plots in community gardens, food production in vacant inner-city lots, fish farms, poultry/vegetable growing at jail facilities, municipal compost facilities, community supported agriculture, schoolyard gardens, restaurant-supported salad gardens, backyard fruit trees, rooftop gardens and beehives, window box gardens, and much more.

There is a large potential for food production in cities and dozens of model projects are demonstrating successfully that urban agriculture is both necessary and viable. Health and nutrition supporters are joining with community gardeners, Extension, and faith communities in city-wide coalitions and food policy councils to maintain and expand urban food availability. Community economic development organizers, city planners, and environmentalists concerned with urban waste reduction and recycling, see the potential of urban farming. A growing consumer demand for fresh, local, and often organic food creates new markets for urban food production. Many of these efforts address the needs of urban residents who are living in poverty and experience poor nutrition and hunger.

In American cities such as Detroit and New York, thousands of acres of land have been given over to unemployed workers for food growing. Urban agriculture contributes to local economic development, as well as to the greening of the city by turning derelict open spaces into green zones and cleaning up blighted areas. Vacant lands are often used as informal waste dumpsites and are a source of crime and health problems. When vacant land is turned into productive green spaces, not only is an unhealthy situation eliminated, but the neighbors will enjoy and possibly participate in farming.

Innovative examples of urban agriculture are popping up all over. In Brooklyn, New York, Bright Farms will put a hydroponic greenhouse on top of a former Navy warehouse that the city acquired last year and will occupy up to 100,000 square feet of rooftop space. It is expected to yield a million pounds of produce a year — without using any dirt. Lettuce, tomatoes and herbs will be grown for local markets. A Michigan State University study indicates that a combination of urban farms, community gardens, storage facilities and greenhouses used to extend the growing season – could supply local Detroit residents with more than 75 percent of their vegetables and more than 40 percent of their fruits.

Urban agriculture supports a healthy community and a healthy environment, while providing food availability where the majority of people now live – in the cities.

Urban Agriculture: 
University of Florida
University of Georgia
University of Nebraska

Oh Deer…

Photo by Tyler Jones

Lara Miller
Natural Resource Agent

Tired of planting trees, shrubs, vines and flowers only to find them damaged by deer just days later? Pinellas County is a very urbanized county where human developments have replaced native deer habitats. This in turn limits the availability of natural food preferred by deer. In cases like this, deer adapt by feeding on gardens around homes. While fencing and chemical repellents are options for reducing damage by deer, a simpler, less expensive and usually more effective alternative is to landscape your yard with plants that deer do not like to eat.

Deer feed upon a variety of vegetation, but are turned away by certain tastes and digestibility. This preference for certain plants can be altered if deer populations increase in an area forcing them to feed on other vegetation they wouldn’t normally consume.

There are many common garden plants in Florida that are least susceptible to damage by deer. For example, many palms, some holly, several ferns, and certain lilies have been identified as deer-resistant plants. The tables of rarely damaged plants found in the link above may be used to guide planting decisions in areas where damage from deer is likely to be problem. Additional information on Pinellas county natural resources can be obtained through attending educational programs offered by University of Florida Extension Agents. For a list of upcoming programs visit the http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/calendar.shtml page.

Frequently asked questions of Pinellas County residents are posted at www.AskExtension.org . Visit this site to see if your question has already been asked or to post a question of your own. Stay up to date with publications from Extension by liking us on Facebook.

Source: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw137

Organic Vegetable Gardening Toolbox

Theresa Badurek, Urban Horticulture Extension Agent, Pinellas County Extension

As we approach the fall vegetable garden season here in Central Florida we need to take a look at the tools we have to help build a successful organic garden. The intention here is not to achieve organic certification, but to grow healthy food for our families and use healthy practices for our planet. If you are starting a new garden or going organic for the first time, you should understand that it may take time to build a healthy garden. The soil structure must be built and you must hone your practices to watch for pests and diseases.

Soil Preparation
Organic matter and any organic fertilizers should be worked into your soil at least three weeks ahead of planting. If you are using compost and mulches be sure that there are no large clumps of unrotted organic material. These can harbor disease problems as well as hinder seedlings or their growth. When your conditions are right, these organic materials will be processed by microorganisms like fungi, algae, bacteria, molds, and earthworms. As they do this they make important nutrients available to your plants. This is one reason why it is important to NOT use pesticides in your garden. Pesticides destroy these critical organisms that work so hard for your garden. For detailed information on the various soil amendments, please refer to the publication link at the end of this article.

Seeds and Transplants
While it may seem obvious to buy organic seeds and starts, or transplants, there is much more to your plant material than that if you want a successful organic garden. The most important thing you can do is select the right crops and varieties for our area and plant them at the right time. We are often tempted to plant crops or varieties that we know and love from some other geographic location, but these are often not suited to our unique subtropical climate. How do you know what and when to plant? Print the following publication, Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide. Use this to plan your garden layout and bring it with you when shopping for seeds and plants. Pay special attention to Table 4, “Suggested Varieties for Florida Gardens” and Table 3 “Planting Guide for Florida Vegetables”.

Watering
A good organic soil will be full of organic materials that help the soil retain water, as will good garden mulch. There is more you can do to use water wisely in an organic garden, though. To begin, a good soaking once a week throughout the root zone will be necessary unless there is sufficient rainfall. Drip or trickle irrigation will help you conserve water while avoiding wetting the leaves. Wet leaves can encourage disease, and disease prevention is an important tool in the organic gardener’s toolbox. If you use overhead irrigation, be sure to water in the early morning hours, not in the evening. Always follow local watering restrictions.

Pests and Diseases
So, how do you keep uninvited guests from eating all of your hard work in the garden? Well, you must have a regular scouting routine for pests. At every step of your gardening adventure you should be looking for signs of pests. Hopefully you selected resistant varieties from the “Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide” publication (see link above) and inspected your plants for pests and diseases before purchase and planting. Learn to recognize the beneficial insects that help control the “bad guys” that cause damage. Not using pesticides will help preserve the “army” of beneficial insects in your garden. A great guide to start learning about beneficial insects is “Natural Enemies and Biological Control”: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/IN/IN12000.pdf.

There are more things you can do to help prevent and control pests and diseases, though. Here is a sampling from the “Organic Vegetable Gardening” publication whose link you will find at the end of this article:

• Use a mulch; vegetables touching the soil may rot.
• A good garden mulch tends to reduce damage caused by nematodes.
• Keep out weeds which harbor insects and diseases.
• Water in morning so plants are not wet at night.
• Dispose of severely diseased plants before they contaminate others.
• Hand-pick insects.
• For cutworms, place a cardboard or tinfoil collar around plant stems at ground level.
• Clean up crop refuse early.
• Rotate garden areas.

There is so much to be gained from a beautiful organic garden- fresh healthy produce, a safe environment for the gardener, and a balanced ecosystem that allows nature to do some of the work for you. For more information and tools for your organic garden, please see this Organic Vegetable Gardening publication