Central Florida Vegetable Gardening

Vegetable gardening information for central Florida. Growing seasons, weather considerations, and common problems. Tips for the Florida vegetable garden.

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Showing posts from May, 2017

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Vegetable Gardening In Florida: Special Challenges and Considerations.

There are many challenges to gardening in Florida that a lot of the other regions do not have - or do not have to the same degree as we do. Here are some of the main considerations you should be aware of when growing vegetables in Florida: 1) Florida Climate and Growing Seasons: In order to have a successful vegetable garden, it is important to plant your crops during the right times of year. Florida’s growing seasons are quite different from most other places in the United States, and a common mistake that new Florida gardeners make is to plant their crops according to the usual growing seasons, which does not work very well in Florida. Central Florida has a humid subtropical climate. We have mild winters, and hot, humid, and rainy summers. Central Florida has a rainy season from May to October, and dry season from about mid-October through April. Our rainiest months are usually June, July, and August, while the driest months are usually November, April, and May. Our coldest

Cool Season Crops

The Central Florida cool crop planting season is from early September until February or March for most crops. A general time frame that is easy for me to remember is from around Labor Day through the Spring Equinox. Keep in mind that this is a general time frame that can vary from year to year, and may be slightly varied in different climate zones (central Florida encompasses 3 climate zones - 8B, 9A, 9B). You can use this interactive map to help determine your plant hardiness zone . This map zooms in all the way to where you can see street names. If we are having an especially hot August and September, then it would be best to wait until the weather cools down a bit before planting cool crop seeds or transplants. In my region (near Tampa, FL), I have found that between mid/late September and early October, is usually the best time for me to start planting outdoors, but I start my seeds indoors in late August and early September. It is possible to extend the cool season a litt

Summer/Off Season

Sweet Potato Vines on Trellis Florida summers are pretty brutal. It is hot and muggy even by mid-morning during the summer. By June, most plants are starting to get stressed by the constant heat and high humidity, the fungal spores are beginning to proliferate, the insect pests are swarming, and the weeds are taking over. Not only do the plants not thrive when the daytime temperatures are in the upper 90s, but most of us humans don't enjoy working outside in these conditions either. After a couple of summers where I tried to do battle with the weeds and pests in the heat, I finally accepted that growing vegetables during the summer is going to be a frustrating, losing battle. I have given up trying to grow most plants during June, July, and early August. Up north, farmers and gardeners take the winters off. In Florida, we can still have a very productive garden in the winter, but instead we can take the summers off....and go to the beach! There are a few things that grow w

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