Q/A column – for release December 24, 2008

Dan Culbert - Extension Horticulture Agent 

 How Does Your Garden Grow?

What are the best veggies to plant in the winter in Okeechobee ~anonymous~   

When choosing the right vegetables to grow, first consider what you like to eat. Right now at the onset of our “winter,” the cool season vegetables are growing the best.   Cole crops– plants like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, collards and even Brussels sprouts - do well in cool temperatures. English peas and salad crops are superior now too:  lettuce, Swiss chard, Chinese cabbage, and spinach, will taste bitter and do to seed if they are grown in warmer weather.  A number of root and bulb crops can be tried if the soil is well drained and rich in organic matter:  radish, beets, carrots, and onions are good examples.  HOWEVER, most of these cool crops should have been planted already.  If you start them now, they will not be ready to harvest until the warm season – in 2-3 months.  This is the time to start planting the warm season plants like tomatoes, beans, squash and corn.  Take a look at the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide for specifics: it is available on-line [ http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/document_vh019 ] or from our office.

 

Are herbs like vegetables in the sense that certain ones grow better at certain times of the year? Or can you grow any herbs year round? ~ Nancy

I would also like more information on growing herbs. Which ones do well planted outside in this climate? Which ones need to be in pots so they can be taken in when it is cold?   ~anonymous~

            Most of the familiar edible herb plants do better in Florida’s cool season than in the warm season.  Summer heat and humidity often bring on pests and disease that make many a challenge to grow here,.  Since many herbs are perennials, they don’t get mature enough to harvest.  Several do well in containers. Some annual herbs that are easiest to grow here include basil, chives, parsley and various mints.  Almost any herbs can be kept in pots for cold protection, but rosemary and thyme do better in containers because they need well drained sunny locations.  See our UF bulletin, Herbs in the Florida Garden http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VH020 for specifics.

 

What is the best way to store seeds?  I saved my pumpkin seeds, will they grow here and when do I plant them? ~ Anonymous

Vegetable seed should be stored in cool dry conditions until they are ready to be planted.  After they are removed from the “fruit”, clean off any vegetable residues, dry them on paper trowels and place them in a plastic bag or container.  Refrigerators work well as long as the container is sealed – and remember to label them with what they are and when they were collected.   If they are “hybrid” seed, saving them for the next year’s planting will not give satisfactory results.  Purchased vegetable seed usually cost very little and give dependable results.  So unless this is a special heirloom vegetable, consider looking for recommended varieties listed in the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide:  look for them in seed catalogs or on-line. 

 

 

Send us your favorite garden question by fax (863-763-5901), email (okeenews@newszap.com) or just drop it off at the Okeechobee News  office at (107 SW 17th St. suite D, Okeechobee, FL 34974).  The University of Florida - Okeechobee County Extension office will pick out questions that would be of greatest interest to local residents and publish brief answers in the Okeechobee News.

The questions for today are REAL questions that have been asked in the past few days.  To continue the column, we need YOUR real questions by Monday at 5 PM. Be sure to include your name and phone or email address in case we need more information (We can publish a question as anonymous if you wish).  Clear photographs (digital preferred) may also be submitted.  Do not drop by actual plant specimens (unless it is a prize tomato for our salad or a beautiful flower for our office!)  We reserve the right to edit all questions for space.  The answers will be placed on the Okeechobee Extension website; they will include links to additional references.

More information is available on the award-winning Okeechobee web page, http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu. If you need additional information on , 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 3 PM on Tuesday afternoons.  Merry Christmas and,  Go Gators! 

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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: 12/23/2008.  This page is maintained by Dan Culbert