With its mild winters, the Sunshine State offers gardeners the opportunity to grow their favorite foods most months of the year and some more exotic varieties even through the hot summer. Gardening in Florida does present unique challenges, however, including typically sandy soil, prolific pests (they like the good weather as much as humans do), and fungal and bacterial problems. Still, with care and proper planning plus a little perseverance, the Florida gardener should be able to enjoy an abundance of vegetables year-round.
Warm Season Crops for Florida Gardens
Florida typically has 3 growing seasons. Warm season crops are planted in February or March after the last frost in Central and North Florida and as early as December or January for some crops in South Florida. A second warm season crop may be planted in August/September.
Some common warm season crops that do well in Florida include: bush and pole beans, lima beans, cantaloupe, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, okra, southern peas, peppers, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, summer and winter squash, tomatoes (stake, container or ground), and watermelon.
Cool Season Crops for Florida Vegetable Gardens
Cool season crops are generally planted in July/August for North Florida, August for Central Florida, and August through October for South Florida, after the oppressive heat of the summer has passed. Some cool weather crops well adapted to Florida include: broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, Chinese cabbage, collards, endive/escarole, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce (crisp, butter head, leaf, romaine), mustard, bulbing onions, bunching (green) onions, shallots, English peas, potatoes, radish, spinach, strawberry, and turnips.
It should be noted that typical varieties of asparagus, rhubarb and globe artichokes are not well adapted to Florida conditions, although some specially developed varieties may do well. Some more exotic plants that thrive in places like Asia and Latin America often do well in Florida. These include plants such as jicama, chayote, cassava and chaya.
Common Problems in the Florida Garden
People with experience gardening in northern climates may become discouraged when attempting to grow a garden in Florida. The experience may be quite different, with more and greater challenges than the northern gardener might face. Typical impediments to gardening in Florida include the following:
- Poor soil.Florida soils tend to be sandy with little organic matter, making them infertile for most vegetables, though well-drained. Soils in South Florida can also be quite rocky, while gardeners on the coast may battle salt issues in their soil. Poor soils can successfully be amended with manure, compost or other materials. Fertilizers should be used as necessary, but not overused to avoid run-off. Container gardening or gardening in raised beds with prepared soil can also help overcome some of these obstacles.
- Pests.The favorable weather conditions in Florida also make it a hotbed of pests such as aphids, caterpillars, nematodes, leafhoppers, mites and thrips. While chemical pesticides may be used to control insects, for environmental reasons it is recommended that gardeners use integrated pest management techniques rather than blanket spraying, and that natural pesticides or the least environmentally destructive chemical insecticides be used when required. Nematodes, microscopic soil pests, can be controlled by using soil solarization or by gardening using certain container or raised bed techniques.
- Diseases. Fungal, bacterial and viral diseases can also plague the Florida garden. Be sure to plant fungicide-treated seeds. Many diseases can be controlled with horticultural oils or treatment sprays.
Planting the right varieties at the right times of year in properly amended soil can go a long way to minimizing pest and disease problems in the Florida garden. For more information, check out these tips for a successful Florida vegetable garden or visit the University of Florida IFAS Extension website or contact your local University of Florida Extension office.
Christy Swift - Christy Swift is a stay-at-home mom of two girls and a freelance writer. She has volunteered as a doula for young and underprivileged ...
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