CRESTVIEW, Fla. — There are common reasons for failure with vegetable gardens in North Florida.
One of those reasons is planting at the wrong time of year. We can grow vegetables year-round here in North Florida, but it’s important to plant and grow the right vegetables during the right season.
Most warm-season vegetables, such as tomatoes and cucumbers, are planted and grow when frosts and freezes are not likely to happen.
The cool-season crops, such as strawberries and onions, are planted and grown during the cooler months of fall, winter, and early spring.
We have to be careful to select the correct varieties as well.
Many gardeners overdo it when fertilizing and liming their gardens, which can result in failure. I’ve seen gardeners create problems in their gardens by watering too much or at the wrong time of day.
Some gardeners use too much of a good thing, such as mushroom compost, wood ashes, Epsom salt, or copper fungicides in their gardens, creating lasting problems.
Unfortunately, too many gardeners don’t know how to identify beneficial insects versus pest insects, and they misuse insecticides as a result.
To be successful with vegetable gardening in North Florida, a person needs to know these basics. I will cover This kind of information in the free, two-hour Home Vegetable Gardening 101 seminar.
The Home Vegetable Gardening 101 seminar is scheduled for Saturday, March 1, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at the UF/IFAS Extension Office in Crestview. The address is 3098 Airport Road in Crestview, FL.
Please use the registration form below to register or call (850) 689-5850. Space is limited.
The registration form is here: https://forms.office.com/r/YTqt192MYB
Larry Williams is the Extension Horticulture Agent with the Okaloosa County Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida. You can contact Larry at 689-5850 or email lwilliams@myokaloosa.com.
