Wendy's WanderingsWendy Wilber

September 12, 2019

It's Time for Fall Gardening

Even though it is hotter than blazes and we are dodging storms like quarterbacks evading sacks, it is time to consider your fall garden. I was reminded of this last week when I was in the ag-lands of South Florida admiring the dragon fruit crop and saw a crew planting something in fresh rows. I drove closer to see, and the smell hit me before I reached them. It was onions — sweet onions to be specific. It is September after all and for South Florida that means they plant both the green and shallot types of onions.

South Floridians will also plant their tomatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, and cucumbers (or as they call them down there, "pickles"). I remember as a kid going to u-pick sweet corn for Thanksgiving in Redland; the corn can be planted from August to March there.

The rest of Florida is not left out of the tons of fall gardening choices. North and Central Florida gardeners can use transplants to get started with cabbage, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, Swiss chard, kale, lettuce, and collards. Use seeds to start the beans, radish, squash, turnips, and onions. If you want to hedge your bets in North and Central Florida you can also put in a fall crop of tomatoes. Use transplants and select varieties with small- to medium-sized fruit that will mature before the first cold snap comes.

When selecting veggie transplants from your local nursery, inspect the plants, pots, and packs closely. Too often I have a purchased a six-pack of veggies and ended up with a five-pack on planting day. Look too for yellow leaves or leaves with disease spot. Black rot, a bacterial disease on cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and collards can come home from the nursery with you.

Inspect for brown leaf edges and yellow spots and don't purchase those plants. Likewise pass on the plants that look wilted or declining. This leads me to the discount racks at the garden centers. Trust me — there are no bargains there. The plants on the discount rack are there for a reason; they might be diseased, weedy, and half dead. Please do you and your garden a favor and purchase healthy plants. Communicate with your nursery professional to find out when the next truck of fresh transplants will be arriving and meet it in the driveway.

A fall garden is the most rewarding time for all Floridians, from Molino to Marathon. The weather is pleasant, the weeds don't grow as quickly, and the insects are not as plentiful. For more information about growing a productive fall garden, refer to the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide and our monthly infographic on what to plant.

-- Wendy Wilber

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