Buying locally grown produce is a popular trend that helps support local farmers plus gets food on the table soon after it is harvested.
Think about if you could grow just a few items in the landscape for a source of instant food from landscape to table in a matter of minutes. Placing home-grown food on the table at meal time provides a great feeling of satisfaction and also gives bragging rights that “I grew this in the garden.”
Now is a great time to plant and grow warm-season vegetables. Some gardeners get an early start planting around March 1, but mid-March is usually a safer date to plant warm-season vegetables.
WHAT TO PLANT NOW
The first step to successful gardening is to select vegetables that you like to eat. Don’t waste your time planting eggplants if your family won’t eat them because a single plant can be prolific. Warm-season vegetables and herbs to grow now include basil, beans, Cuban oregano, cucumbers, cilantro, eggplant, lemon grass, lemon verbena, Mexican tarragon, okra, peppers, pumpkin, southern peas, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes and watermelon.
If you have limited space, get the most bang for your buck by forgetting space hogs like watermelons/cantaloupes, sweet corn, sweet potatoes and pumpkins. Instead, try cucumbers (select compact varieties or have them go up a trellis), eggplant, herbs, okra, peppers, squash and tomatoes to economize space and to receive multiple harvests.
CRITICAL NEEDS
Sunlight and water are two critical requirements for a successful garden. Fruit-bearing vegetables need six to eight hours of full sun, whereas leafy vegetables can get by with four to six hours of sun and some will tolerate light shade.
Morning sun is preferred to reduce disease problems, and a little shade in the heat of the day is a plus. Position the garden close to a water source because supplemental water is a must. Although we get a lot of rain, it’s a feast or famine scenario.
SOIL PREP
If you are planting in the ground, the first step is to prepare the soil. Remove sod, weeds, or any debris and then cultivate or turn the soil to a depth of 6 to 12 inches. At the same time, add organic matter to enrich the soil. If using composted animal manure, add 25 to 100 pounds per 100 square feet.
Do not add fresh manures to the garden because they should be composted for 90 days for above-ground crops to 120 days for below-ground crops before harvest. Instead of manures, compost is also a great organic amendment and can be added at the rate of 1 pound per square foot. In addition, mix in 2 pounds of a 10-10-10 or comparable fertilizer per 100 square feet.
Organic fertilizers are gaining in popularity because most include some beneficial microbes that encourage root development, plus plants have exhibited increased resistance to some diseases. The fertilizer rates vary based on the analysis, so refer to the label for the amount to add.
Another option is to use a slow-release fertilizer (like Osmocote) to avoid adding additional fertilizer (side dress) to plants throughout the growing season. If drainage is a problem, make rows 12 inches higher than the existing soil to help the plants survive standing water. Rake to make sure the soil is fine and free of clumps.
Don’t add lime without first knowing the soil pH. Use a garden trowel to take a slice of soil about 6 inches deep from 10 to 12 spots in the garden, mix together, air dry and place a pint of soil in a container.
Call your county extension office to see if they test soil for pH, or consider sending the sample to the Soils Lab in Gainesville for a more comprehensive test for just $7: soilslab.ifas.ufl.edu/ESTL_files/SS18700.pdf.
Vegetables like a slightly acid soil with a pH between 5.8 and 6.3.
TRANSPLANTS OR SEEDS?
Many vegetables can be purchased as transplants, which give you a head start on the growing season, while others are best directly seeded into the garden.
Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and many of the herbs are typically purchased as transplants. Place transplants level with the existing soil, no deeper. The exception is tall, leggy tomatoes, which should be planted a little deeper.
Sweet potatoes are planted from cuttings (slips), but all the rest can be directly seeded in the garden soil. Check seed packs for specific planting information. For example, okra must have warm soil (70 degrees) to germinate and should be planted half an inch deep and 2 inches apart, later thinning to 12 to 18 inches apart. This isn’t included on the packet, but okra has a hard seed coat, so try soaking the okra seed in water for a few hours to overnight before planting.
Select varieties that are proven for our area. For a list of these varieties, refer to the vegetable gardening guide at edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh021.
GARDEN CARE
At planting time, side-dress with 4 ounces of 10-10-10 per 10-foot row or refer to label rates if using a fertilizer with a different analysis. Apply fertilizer in bands 1 inch deep and 2 to 3 inches away from the seed row or plants.
If a slow-release fertilizer like Osmocote was incorporated during garden prep, you can skip side dressing. Otherwise, plants will need extra fertilizer several times during the growing season to encourage continued production.
Water new plants frequently for short intervals to get them established. It’s best to use low-volume irrigation, like a soaker hose or a drip tubing, to keep water off fruit and leaves.
Once plants are established, water less frequently but for longer intervals. Once seeds have germinated, apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of organic mulch to conserve water and reduce weeds.
Pine straw, pine bark, or leaves (oak, maple, etc.) are all good sources that can be used as mulch now and worked into the soil at the end of the growing season to increase organic matter. To cut down on weeds, try putting down two to four layers of newspaper (black-and-white print) along the rows, moisten the newspaper, then cover with an organic mulch.
Some plants get tall and need stakes for support to keep fruit off the ground. Add the stake at planting to avoid disturbing the root system. A good example is indeterminate tomatoes, which continue to grow in height and often reach over 6 feet tall.
On the cheap, you can make your own stakes using 6-foot-long, 2-by-2-inch pieces of wood. Place the stake close to the base of the plant and, as it grows, tie the stem to the stake using soft cloth or Velcro strips. Wire cages, bamboo poles, or a trellis will also work.
Cucumbers are vining plants and can be trained to grow up a trellis to save space, or select compact varieties such as Space Master. If you don’t have space for a traditional in-ground garden, try growing a few plants in containers or add a few edible plants to landscape beds.
Large containers or grow boxes are excellent ways to grow many vegetables like tomatoes, pepper, cucumbers, or eggplants.
Large containers require less watering, so don’t skimp on the size; in this case, big is better. Select a good soil-less media that holds moisture (peat) that includes some bark to help with drainage in case we get heavy rains.
Terry Brite DelValle is a horticulture extension agent with the Duval County Extension Service and the University of Florida/IFAS.
