Growing Vegetables in Florida

Grow your own food, save money and even start a farm right in your own backyard!

Growing Tomatoes

Plant seedlings in October/November and a little later if you are growing varieties that harvest in 75 -100 days.
Plant your seedlings deeper than in the original tray or pot. Trust me they like it a lot. Just a few inches deeper don't go nuts.
Use a rich organic enriched potting mix.
Tomatoes need calcium so be sure to provide it. A fertilizer formulated for tomatoes is a good idea. Tomatoes require little nitrogen as they grow and require more nitrogen at fruit set. Provide adequate water, keep the potting soil moist and avoid watering the leaves!

Full sun is a must! Have some carrots growing with them they are best buddies and help each other grow. Cherry tomatoes and Everglades tomatoes are really easy to grow.

The larger types have trouble setting fruit when the temperatures at night are above 68 degrees F.

Be sure to bring your plants inside if a freeze warning is issued! Now I bet you're glad you bought a Geoplanter or Geopot. Am I right? Many tomatoes need to be staked and others grow more like bushes. Choose wisely.

Here is a list of dwarf tomato varieties

These are generally low growing and bushy types and many are terrific for container growing. People often ask how long it takes before they can harvest tomato plants. Here are some guidelines and suggested cultivars. Days to harvest are from day of sowing the seeds and can vary slightly.

Patio: 65 - 75 days
Orange Pixie: 50 - 60 days
Totem: About 75 days and similar to a cherry type
Tiny Tim: About 52 days
Micro Tom: 65 days is considered the smallest tomato plant in the world! about seven inches tall!
Micro Gold: Very similar to Micro Tom but yellow fruit with less acidity. About 75 days

Tip:

Don't grow tomatoes with potatoes! They can make each other sick.

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Growing Carrots

Plant seedlings in October/November.
Days to harvest 65-100.

Use a rich organic potting mix.
Be sure to use a planter that is at least 14 inches deep.
For really big carrots make sure you thin out the crop by harvesting some carrots earlier and enjoy the small ones. The big ones are for later.

Full sun and keep soil moist.
Plant with Tomatoes, Rosemary and Sage.

Easy Vegetable Growing

A bale of straw can be purchased inexpensively from an animal feed store and used as a platform for your fabric grow bags. Some popular grow bags are Smart pots and Geopots. Gardening like this is a great way to reduce stress on your back.

Straw can also be used as a mulch to conserve water in the fabric planters. The straw also protects the roots and soil from the sun and controls weeds. At the end of the season, take the straw and add to your compost bin.

You can even grow your plants right in the straw bales. Pour a good four inch layer of quality soil or compost on the top of the bales. Be sure to water the soil well and the following day add some organic worm castings, blood meal or your favorite organic soil amendments. Water thoroughly again and in just another day or so you can begin growing really good food!.

Growing Cabbage

You can plant seedlings in November or a little earlier if you like. Harvest before spring.
Days to harvest: 80 -110.
Read your label on all seedling plants, they usually give you the details for the species and the variety. Cabbage is pretty easy to grow. Grow in a quality potting soil and keep moist.

Grow them in full sun during our cooler fall season and give them plenty of fertilizer. Plant the seedlings a little deeper than the pot they came in. Some good companion plants are bush beans that help provide nitrogen to your cabbage. Rosemary, sage, thyme and dill help repel insects. Pick one of these herbs when planting in a Geopot so you don't overdo it!

According to my wise old Grand Dad, "Don't plant strawberries, tomato or pole beans with cabbage, they inhibit growth. " I never argued with Grand Dad because he was right on!

Broccoli is a relative of cabbage and is also easy to grow and you can get a harvest in about 70 days on average from seedlings. Grow like cabbage and never let flowers develop.

Strawberries can be grown quite easily. Plant these in mid October or November.
Strawberries can be ready to harvest in about 90 -100 days. Provide full sun, well drained soil and a slightly acid soil. Do not plant them deeply in the soil. The potting mix should be moist but not wet! Use a balanced fertilizer like a time released 13 - 13 - 13. Strawberries are ready to harvest when three quarters of its surface area is red. Be sure to harvest fruit regularly, about, every two to four days. Ripe strawberries are delicate. Be gentle when picking. To grow in a Geopot or Geoplanter you can plant them in slits cut into the sides of the fabric and in the normal opening as well. For best fruit production clip off runners and don't allow more than three daughter plants per season on any one plant. Bees are important and required pollinators so don't be afraid of the bees.