Vegetable Gardening in South Central Florida

This is another in a series of articles written about the new area program called Florida Yards & Neighborhoods.

Did the Brown Spot or Chinch Bugs take out part of your lawn this summer? If it is a nice sunny area maybe it is time to plant some vegetables instead of more grass. Here in south central Florida our vegetable planting season is the reverse of our northern neighbors.

Now is the time to plant warm season crops such as cantaloupe, collard, sweet corn, cucumber, eggplant, beans, okra, pepper, pumpkin, southern peas, squash, tomato and watermelon. It is also a good time to plant many of the herbs. In this area raised beds are a good choice and if space is limited you may wish to consider container gardening. The raised beds allow you to use superior soil with better drainage and moisture retention.

Make the frames no wider than 4 feet so you can reach inside without stepping on soil. Fill the bed with a mix of 70% sand and 30% top soil or muck and amend with compost. If you only use top soil or muck drainage will not be adequate. If you like you can use store bought potting mix instead of the 70-30 mix. It is a good idea to check the pH or acidity of your soil by taking a sample to your county extension office as veggies like a pH in the range of 5.5-6.5. Remember to have a source of water handy for irrigation; drip or trickle irrigation is encouraged as a method for conserving water.

Organic vegetable gardening is becoming very popular and differs from regular gardening mainly in the areas of fertilization and pesticides. By using natural and organic materials and methods you can avoid using synthetic chemicals that may be detrimental to health and environment.

If animal manures are available they are a good source of nutrients. Work in about 25 pounds per 100 square feet of cow, horse or hog manure before planting. For weed control try a mulch, such as pine straw, leaves or other material, that will keep weeds from growing.

Grow pest resistant varieties if available to help reduce losses without use of chemical pesticides. There are some naturally occurring materials available that can be used as pesticides such as diatomaceous earth, and pyrethrin. Insecticidal soaps may work well on some insects under average conditions.

If you use chemical fertilizer use about 2 lbs. per 100 sq. feet of a 15-0-15 or similar low phosphorous type, as phosphorous occurs naturally in our soils. If applying synthetic chemical pesticides always use recommended products and follow label instructions.

Contact your county extension office for further information on gardening in Florida and enjoy those great fresh vegetables.

If you are interested in having a Florida Friendly Yard please contact Ed Ayen at the Highlands County Extension Service office. Phone: (863) 402-6540 or email: edayen@ufl.edu . His office location is 4509 George Blvd. in Sebring, FL 33875-5837.

The Florida Yards and Neighborhoods program is being implemented through your local county extension service in Highlands, Okeechobee and Glades County and is partially funded from Clean Water Act Section 319 funding from the U. S. EPA through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

More information is available on the Okeechobee web page, http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu. If you need additional information on Florida Friendly Yards, please email us at okeechobee@ifas.ufl.edu or call us at 863-763-6469. Local residents can stop by our office at 458 Hwy 98 North in Okeechobee, and visit our Okeechobee County Master Gardeners from 1 to 5 PM on Tuesday afternoons.

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Trade names, where used, are given for the purpose of providing specific information. They do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of products named, nor does it imply criticism of products not named. The Florida Cooperative Extension Service - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. Florida Cooperative Extension Service / IFAS / University of Florida. Larry A. Arrington, Dean Last update: 08/16/2006 . This page is maintained by Dan Culbert