Late start for Florida winter garden

[RickRS]

Muscles sore after yesterday's start: planting a vegetable garden for my sister-in-law's family. After I suggest she put in a vegetable garden, she decided to gang-press me into it, as well. Once her family decide to go for it, they were excite to get started. So yesterday we seeded Nante Half-long carrots, Purple Top turnips, collards, Fordhook swiss chard, red potatoes, and set plants of cabbage, broccoli, Buttercrunch lettuce, and Grandex onions.

Still have the remaining potatoes to plant, and after handturning the plot just for the area we planned, I'm seriously thinking of a roto-tiller. We did about 30 x 45 feet of the plot. Soil is sandy, typical of northwest florida, but since I did 70% of the shovel work, it was still heavy work.

Now for some questions: my first attempt with swiss chard. Any pointers for success? I'm assuming its typical of more vegetable greens - a little more nitrogen to support leave growth, and havest by cutting leafs as they mature, so there will be several cutting from each plant?

Never had luck with any lettuce in the past here in NW Florida, but the wife want to try again. Normally it heats up fast in Florida so lettuce is bitter. Maybe this time...

Getting back to the plot; the sis-in-law has 5 acres, and the area her husband set aside is 45 x 100 feet. And they will go bigger at the drop of a hat (only because they haven't found out how much weeds love our Florida sunshine). Brother-in-law used a little disc attachment on his riding mower to cut up the sod, but it only gets maybe 2-3 inches deep. I better get to shopping for a tiller

 

[Mainegal]

Crabbergirl on here is from Palatka, FL so I'm sure she can give you lots of tips as she has a good size garden too, just be cafeful of the snakes as she almost got bit by one when she was picking some cukes I think it was

 

[Randy]

Those are pretty ambitious gardens.

 

[RickRS]

Those are pretty ambitious gardens.

Yes, it is, and it may be over whelming for some first timers. I would have started smaller, but they wanted to go all in. We got the supplies at a "feed and seed" store, so seeds were cheap and the minimum seed quantity was enough seed for a 100 foot row. Both my sister-in-law and my wife had to plant every seed. They intend to get enough to fill up two freezers.

This is typical of what I remember of my grandparent's farm. The vegetable patch was huge, even bigger than this, and at least half of it was passed to others.

I did pick up a tiller from Home Depot for finishing up the first planting. Didn't get Sugar Snap peas because the store clerk was warning that the pea stock was getting close to a year old and they would have new seed in this week. So a few rows of english peas for next weekend's work. This will take up over half the plot

Summer garden will include space filling stuff like watermelon and sweet potatos. And summer planting starts mid to late March, so some of this stuff will be just getting to maturity when the shift comes.

 

[RickRS]

Crabbergirl on here is from Palatka, FL so I'm sure she can give you lots of tips as she has a good size garden too, just be cafeful of the snakes as she almost got bit by one when she was picking some cukes I think it was

Thanks for putting that thought in my head, Mainegal . Florida got more snakes than any state in the union and I'm quite afraid of of the things.

 

[Randy]

Planting plenty of seeds is no problem, but heed the thinning instructions. You will get plenty of product with plenty of plants, but if you thin judicially, the individual product size will go up accordingly.

 

[RickRS]

And here comes the cold!

Northwest Florida temperatures drops to ~26F tonight, ~28-30F tomorrow night and seed has just sprouted on a number of stuff. This is first time I've experienced below freezing temperature while plants are just at the seed leaves/first leaves stage. Normally, winter plantings go in the ground in Oct, maybe Nov. I'll see if cool weather seedlings survives or if I winded up replanting.

Tomatoes seedlings started indoors under lights last weekend and are doing fine. Even some left over Park Whoppers and Better Boy seed that I think are two year old. If things go fine, I could be planting summer veggies as early as mid-March.

 

[Randy]

I keep my packets of tomato seeds for several years and they usually all germinate. I put two seeds into each little pot and invariably have to thin one from each.

 

[Wombat]

Wow Rick that's a really large set up there. It should look fabulous once it's all up and running. With beds that size they'll be close to self sufficiency in veggies and crop rotation will become very important. I also had this interesting site bookmarked and it may help you out a little. I've had 5 year old tomato seeds come up with no trouble at all so it may depend on the variety, soil type etc. Good luck with your project and I look forward to some pics as things progress further.
http://centralfloridagarden.blogspot.com.au/

 

[Crabbergirl]

Hi Rick,
Don't know how I missed your post.

What I do for lettuces is , in the summer keep them in a shaded cool area of the garden. you can actually grow them through the summer if you get slow bolt types and keep them picked. When I see signs the they may bolt I just plant a new crop. Romaines do best , along with mesclun mixes and micro greens. You can keep them all year long as long as you protect them from frost. Arugula loves Florida!

If you do not compost now is the time to start. My garden is 40x75 with an additional
12X20 for potatoes. I compost and from time to time by mushroom compost. Being in NW Fl you have access to it also, Perry and Quincey are both Mushroom growing towns, if you are near there, you might be able to get it "facotry direct" if you know what I mean. That is the best additive for our rack sand soils.Lettuce really likes it too. Just make sure to let it cool down before planting.

you can still get winter veggies sets at ACE Hardware. If you want to plant seeds, start them indoors, plant outside when they reach about 1-2", but protect from frost until they are sturdy. I seed planted broccoli, cbbage, turnips, bok choy,cauliflower, black seeded simpson, and cilantro on Jan 21. They survived the last 2 nights of freeze and they just peaked out. I did cover them with sheets though. I would not plant winter crops,( except rotating lettuces), after about March 30 unless they are strong sets. It will get too hot too quick.

Show us some pictures!
Oh and as Maiegal says, watch for snakes, they love to lay under plants.

 

[RickRS]

Thanks for the encouragement, Crabbergirl.

The seedlings appear to be fine after a night at 25 degrees and another night at 30 degree. On the plants I set, lettuce was the only one I was worry might be frost damaged. But everything is fine.

Perry and Quincey are way over the other side of the state from me, maybe 200 miles. Think Pensacola, which is just a few miles from Milton, where the garden plot is, and 40 miles from Fort Walton Beach, where I live. If there's mushroom farming going on here it's a major secret.

Date of last frost is after March 15 in our Zone 8 area, so already planning the summer garden and have tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant spouting under lights. The winter garden will actually be in the way of getting started with summer early. Got the last of what I expected to plant now, 1/2 lb of english peas in the ground this week. A two week delay from the original planting I did because stock was out at the seed store when I started. Half of the garden plot is empty and I'll leave it so the first of summer garden goes in without problem.

However, if I can get a compost set-up going, there are three horses stabled at the sister-in-law's place place in Milton and a dozen chickens. Sis and her husband wanted to dump the raw stuff directly on the plot and then plant, but I know from past experience uncomposted horse manure is full of weed and grass seed. No experience with chicken manure, but everybody know its too hot for direct dressing and need aging.

I try to post pictures later, as stuff get to growing. Right now the plot looks very bare.

Not doing raised beds, since I've got lots of room, and not as much lumber resources. And one of the big reasons for raised beds, drainage, isn't an issue with the sandy soil of Florida.

 

[Crabbergirl]

Hey Rick,
You know I always forget just how far the panhandle is from everythinng. You still might be able to score some mushroom compost at a garden center or Landscape center. I like it because it is cheap and can be bought in bulk and ready to use. yes! You must compost both horse and chicken before using especiall on tender young plants. Chicken will really burn them up. One of the things I like to do with chicken , is to take a small single clump and drop it in a gallon of water. Let it disolve and then water plants with it. just make sure the plants are sturdy. I usually hand water them after the ground is well soaked. That way you can just give them a little drink.

Glad your starts did ok in the freeze. I too had concerns about mine , but even the potatoes I didn't cover did fine.I think because there was so much wind ,we didn't get the heavy frost that would have done the most damage.

I am zone 9a with the new maps. And I haven't checked my last frost date since they "changed" my zone, but I need too. I can pretty much tell by the weather when it is safe.

Maybe I can get a few pics this weekend and post. All the cole crops are really doing well.

 

[Crabbergirl]

Ok it says my last frost date is feb 15th. That's tomorrow. Hmmmm, seems a little early to me. I might give it a shot. I can always cover stuff up

 

[RickRS]

Just updating - winter is well past here in NW Florida. I've already set out tomatoes a month ago. Because the winter garden was maturing at a slower pace than how the weather was warming up, I wasn't sure if I would get anything before the summer heat was here. The empty half of the plot quickly filled up with summer plantings and now I'm stuck waiting for some stuff to finish so I can plant more summer vegatables.

Forunately some of the stuff is cooperating. Leveled the turnips patch with about 60 lbs of turnips now in the freezer. Replaced the turnips with more bush beans to increase the number of rows for beans. I plant Blue Lake Bush, always been a good producer and pole beans is more than I want to deal with.

Pleased with the Buttercrunch leaf lettuce. Iceberg type is reportedly impossible to grow in my area, but I got good results with leaf this year. The last of it will be out by next week. Collards are almost good size for cutting now, one more week, I guess. It's been in the 80's for a while now, so I hoping the collard won't turn bitter.

Still waiting on red potatoes and english peas. First flowers are on the Sugar Snaps now.

Cut about over half the broccoli last week and going to let it grow for a second cutting. But then came the chickens....

<cue theme from Jaws>

Sis-in-law decided to get some roosters for the dozen hens. She got two and then decided to let them free-range. And there's no fence around the garden. We found out the hard way that chickens like cole crops. They drill out the top half of all the early cabbage and wiped out all the remaining broccoli heads and side shoots.

So back to the pens for them!

Still have some late cabbage and bussel sprouts that weren't touch by the chickens. But can they beat the on-rushing summer heat?

Corn, beans, watermelons, cantalope, and pumpkin have sprouted. Last week, set all the sweet potatoes plants I could get (the last 9 pack at the garden center). And added squash and cucumbers this week. That, along with the massive (for me) number of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant look to keep me busy, busy.

Remember those old tomatoes seeds I asked about? They all sprouted. I now have about 80 tomato plants in the plot. What was I THINKING???

I'll see if I can add pictures. Some guy stole my camera, so I have just a couple of phone camera photos. The guy also stole an Ipod and an electric guitar of mine, but that's a story for a different forum.

 

[Randy]

I am still using some tomato seeds that are at least 5 years old, possibly more. I keep them in the refrigerator until I need some for starting plants.

 

[Crabbergirl]

Hey Rick,

Sounds like you have things going on the right track. I have had exceptional success with arugula as well as Buttercrunch and black seeded simpson. Butter crunch can be finiky. Black Seeded Simpson I like because you can replant all year long.
Your sprouts and cabbage should be fine. I still have cabbage and just planted Kohlrobi and more cabbage. If the sun gets really hot just put some sun shade over them to protect from scalding. I keep cole crops all year long as long as they were well established palnts before May15.

Pot up some of those tomatoes and sell or give them away. I love to put a veggie in the hands of an non gardener. Before you know it they are taking care of that plant like a baby.

Yes our weather has been awesome!