Edible considerations:
There are a lot of different ways to set up a veggie garden. Here are some starting points:
- It should have a dedicated irrigation zone/system
- It should be situated to minimize overspray from landscape irrigation
- Soil should be amended with organic materials
- It should have some sort of border so that soil amendments don't migrate
- A raised bed is ideal using wooden or stone walls
- It should be in the sunniest spot you have
- There should be at least two plots so you can rotate crops
- Consider growing only those crops that are expensive at the store such as tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and squash.
- Things like carrots and onions are inexpensive so consider buying organic if space is limited
Develop a recommended planting list for Spring, Summer, Fall, & Winter (see Tom's month-to-month book recommended below).
Many edibles can be integrated into the ornamental landscape.
Trees like loquat and shrubs like twinberry offer edible fruits and look good too.
Consider a simple cold frame to germinate seeds and overwinter seedlings.
When integrating edibles and veggies into planting beds we should consider the following:
- Weeds: what are your options
- Mulch: how much and how often
- Fertilize: what types and when
- Pest and disease to watch for and what to do
Get in touch with your local extension office for advice for urban horticulture:
http://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/departments-services/leisure-services/extension-services/
Extension agents are there to help with day-to-day questions
Contact the extension office in your county for a free guide to planning your first Florida vegetable garden!
Seminole county help desk: 407-665-5550
Attend a workshop with the extension service,
- For the next schedule class contact:
- Gabbie Milch, Urban Horticulturalist for Seminole County
- email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Phone: 407-665-5558
Recommended Books:
Month by Month Gardening in Florida; revised ed.
Tom MacCubbin
Vegetable Gardening in Florida
James M. Stevens
The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control
W. Ellis & F.M. Bradley
For your doorstep garden:
- We can choose fruits that were meant to be eaten out of hand
- Rather than those used as ingredients in jellies or cooking
- There are many more plants you could use for cooking if you like
- I have them pictured here so that you can have an idea of what they will be like at maturity, and look like as a fruit
Try this link for more information: (https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh020) and have some fun!
office: 407-615-1170
cell: 407-619-1951