Chances are your garden is looking pretty pitiful about now. The lovely rain, heat, humidity combined with the slower pace has made everything grow… plants as well as bugs and disease organisms. Rain has been a bit spotty this year so your garden may get a good watering then get a bit droughty and need watering, then rain, drought, water… Puts a lot of stress on your plants.
This isn’t a bad thing though. It’s the end of our season and the timing is perfect. It’s a signal that it’s time to start preparing for your fall and winter garden. Seriously.
Fall planting starts in August. There’s just enough time to get parepared for it.
Rip out everything that’s not healthy, growing well, and producing.
Add amendments to your soil to build it up – good stuff, organic matter… not chemicals.
Fluff that soil and keep it moist and let the microbes get to work making everything fertile.
Could try some solarization to kill off bad juju stuff in the soil (clear plastic on moist soil with the edges anchored down and left to ‘cook’ in the sun for 6 weeks or so)
I’m going to be trying the bacillus thuringiensis israelensis in my soil for nematodes (they’re baaaaack) (update… no nematodes evident where I’ve used Bti)
It’s time to be getting any seeds for plants you want in your fall/winter garden. You will need to be starting them soon so that they will be just the right size for transplanting when the time comes – things like tomatoes and peppers and melons.
I’ve got LOTS of work to do out there and I knooooow you do too. Remember to work early or late and stay hydrated and don’t get too much sun – try a wide brimmed hat. The right hat looks lovely on you ladies and a Panama hat is oh so handsome on you gents.
COOL WEATHER PLANTS
- Absolutely NONE
WARM WEATHER PLANTS
- Okra
- Southern peas – black-eyed, crowder, purple hulled, yardlong (also called asparagus bean)
- Sweet potatoes
- Peanuts
- Malabar and New Zealand spinach – which aren’t spinaches but are good substitutes in hot weather
- Other miscellaneous TROPICAL fruits and vegetables that you may come across
How do you apply the BT to the soil ?
Jim… go here
When is the correct time to do potatoes and onions. I live in titusville so I think it’s 9a 10a zones.
Hey William… You are in zone 9b there in Titusville.
You can plant bulbing onions September through December.
Multiplier and bunching onions you can do August through March
Do your potatoes January and February.
Hey there, I just found your page and want to say: Please keep the content coming!
I’m new to Florida and first time I have the opportunity to build a garden so your knowledge is invaluable!