ADVENTURES IN VEGGIES

FLORIDA 4-H

ADVENTURES IN VEGGIES

GARDENERS OF ALL AGES CAN HAVE BOUNTIFUL HARVESTS IN FLORIDAWritten by: Chris Decubellis

Florida is a major vegetable-producing state and has

been for a long time. Growing vegetables is a fun, rewarding hobby and its benefits—in addition to having fresh veggies and fruit—include exercise and even being therapeutic.

Young people often love planting seeds, growing plants and harvesting vegetables. The pastime helps families work together on a common goal of producing delicious, nutritious food for the table. And farmers’ markets clamor for locally produced veggies from small farms.

Vegetable gardening is an excellent 4-H project. It’s also been my experience that many young people readily try new veggies after growing them in their gardens!

Sunshine State newcomers sometimes have difficulty with gardening. Growing seasons, soil and pests differ from other states. Yet if Florida gardeners are mindful of planting dates and cultivars, and manage irrigation, nutrients and pests, they should grow bountiful harvests. The following are some considerations for success:

SITE SELECTION AND PLAN Choose a location that’s easy to access, has lots of sunshine and is well-drained. Most vegetables need at least six hours of direct sunlight daily. You can even incorporate veggies into landscaping! After choosing your site, sketch out a plan for your garden. (Check with your local UF/IFAS Extension agent for assistance.)

It’s often a good idea to incorporate organic matter into the soil. A soil test will help determine the pH of the site, and its fertilizer needs. Soil tests can be done through your

local UF/IFAS Extension office. Allow several weeks to amend your soil and correct any pH issues.

PLANTING DATES AND CULTIVAR

SELECTION Planting dates often differ from other states—but the good news is that something is growing in Florida just about any time of the year! To determine what grows when and in what region, check out UF/ IFAS’s Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide at edis.ifas.ufl. edu/vh021. It’s also important to grow the proper varieties or cultivars. The guide lists recommended varieties of popular veggies for Florida’s climate.

IRRIGATION Because springtime is one of the driest periods in Florida, and it’s a popular time to garden, you’ll typically have to figure out a way to irrigate your plants. Also, some diseases such as blossom end rot on tomatoes and other plants are compounded by irregularly available water, which disrupts calcium intake.

Irrigation methods include using a bucket of water and a cup, a watering can, a hand-held hose, a sprinkler or a drip irrigation system. Ideally, a drip irrigation system is best because it reduces overall water use, is better at delivering water to plants and reduces disease incidence often caused by overhead or sprinkler irrigation.

If you must water overhead (using a sprinkler), it’s best to water first thing in the morning. When watering during the heat of the day, the sun evaporates a lot of the water before it goes into the ground. When watering in the evening, plants go into nighttime all wet and that can lead to fungus and disease. Overwatering is wasteful and doesn’t promote good root growth.

To decide how much to water, feel the soil for moisture or look at the plants themselves. When the soil forms a ball in your hands and sticks together, it’s moist enough. Wilted plants obviously need water. Most gardens need at least an inch of water a week. It’s better to water well once or twice a week than a light sprinkling every day.

NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT Most of the soil in Florida doesn’t provide or store essential nutrients very well for plants. That’s why it’s important to properly fertilize your garden. It’s a good idea to fertilize about a week before you plant, and disk or rake it in.

After planting, you should side-dress every two or three weeks. Side dressing means placing fertilizer along the side of your plants

MANY YOUNG PEOPLE READILY TRY NEW VEGGIES AFTER GROWING THEM IN THEIR GARDENS!

Young people often love planting seeds, growing plants and harvesting vegetables.

Chris Decubellis helps his son, Josh, with his 4-H project vegetable garden, which is thriving.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF UF/IFAS EXTENSION

PHOTOS COURTESY OF UF/IFAS EXTENSION

throughout the growing season. For veggies, make a half-inch furrow 2 to 3 inches wide down both sides of your row, about 5 inches away from your plants.

Sprinkle fertilizer all down the row into these furrows (usually 2 or 3 pints per 100 feet of row) and then cover up the fertilizer. For large plants such as zucchini, make a circular furrow all around the plant. Most gardens need to be side-dressed to maximize veggie production and quality. But don’t overdo it or you’ll burn your plants. For info, see UF/IFAS’s Fertilizing the Garden at edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh025.

PEST MANAGEMENT Florida vegetables are vulnerable to attack by a variety of insect pests. Warm temperatures and the long growing season enable insects to grow and develop. As a gardener, be sure

FARMERS’ MARKETS CLAMOR FOR locally produced veggies from small farms.

to develop sound horticultural practices to aid in preventing, identifying and treating garden pest problems. Here are a few tips:

• Keep a weed-free garden. Weeds supply food and cover for insects and also rob plants of nutrients and can decrease yield. Mow the grass around your garden to discourage pests.

• Fertilize properly. Plants need the right nutrients to grow well and unhealthy plants are more susceptible to pest infestation. But sometimes an excess of nitrogen can promote too much lush green growth and attract insects such as aphids.

• Water properly. Too much or too little water can weaken plants. Drought-stressed plants are more likely to attract spider mites. However, a garden that is too wet all the time, especially at night, makes a good home for insects and disease.

• As you become a more proficient gardener, you’ll learn to identify plant pests. Read UF/ IFAS’s Insect Management in the Home Garden at edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh036 for info on identifying insects. If you’re unable to identify an insect, take it to your local Extension office.

MULCH IN THE VEGETABLE

GARDEN It’s simple and easy to mulch your vegetable garden, which helps soil stay moist after watering and also helps keep weeds down. Mulch doesn’t have to be expensive. Most people have access to big oak trees and there’s lots of free mulch underneath them right now—leaves! Pine needles, hay, peat moss, straw, grass clippings, old dry manure, wood chips, sawdust or old stall shavings can also make good mulch. Even peanut hulls will work! If you use one of these, make sure to layer the mulch about 3 inches deep around your plants. (After they have sprouted, don’t mulch over your rows.) You can also use plastic mulch, if you’d like. Mulching will reduce your garden’s water needs by up to one-third, and organic mulches will help build your soil over time.

Here’s hoping you try your hand at vegetable gardening. With planning, preparation, info and hard work, your family will soon be enjoying a successful harvest of delicious veggies!.

Chris Decubellis is the Associate State Specialized 4-H Agent for Dairy and Animal Science. A native Floridian and a member of a west Pasco County pioneer family, Chris lives on a small cow-calf operation and family farm in Archer, Florida.

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