Love your video!!!... In 1954, I was born & grew up in Plant City, FL...I live & garden in east Tampa, FL...I REQUEST THAT EACH & EVERY PERSON WHO DECIDES THEY DON'T LIKE FLORIDA TAKE ANOTHER PERSON WITH YOU UNDER EACH ARM AS YOU LEAVE...THANX SO MUCH!!!!
I live in Plant City. I keep telling my wife they are going to have to change the name to traffic city. Last year they closed my favorite farm stand on Branch Forbes. Rumor is they want to put an apartment complex up.
Thank you for speaking to habitat loss. Developers here do everything fast and cheap, keeping no trees and protecting no habitats. Then they plant a scant few species of young trees that aren't native and don't get cared for, therefore many don't make it or just remain vulnerable to problems. Florida is an empty promise for folks who think it's a great place to escape problems that are really just part of our entire cultural and economic systems. Florida is sold as a (sub)tropical destination for consumers and unsustainable lifestyles, when in reality it's a cultural and ecological responsibility. Stand up to representatives and councilpersons who don't put our ecosystems (and water table) above the clamoring demands of development companies investment buyers. We don't need any of the strip malls and overpriced neighborhoods being put up at breakneck speed, here. We need shade and root systems to hold soil and water at bay.
Start with BlackRock. The CEO is Bidens best friend and right hand man in the White House, his wife makes foreign policy, and his son and daughter also work in the White House, so right there you can demand Biden order BlackRock to stand down.
So true! It's scary to think what the future holds for Florida if these issues aren't addressed. People come here to escape and consume. The amount of garbage I pick up when out and about is infuriating.
i agree, the trees that developers/landscapers plant are mostly dwarf and hybrid varieties that barely grow and dont grow many or big leaves. the reason they do this is because they want trees that need no maintenance, dont drop a lot of leaves or branches etc. they are just planting the trees to check off boxes that towns have requiring you to plant a certain amount of trees per 10,000 square feet or whatever it is. but 99 percent of towns dont care what trees you plant as long as its technically a tree. its very sad....we are eventually going to lose our great trees like big oaks etc
I miss my old Florida state,it’s getting way too crowded ,every green portion is turning into cookie cutter sub division,in our area we had one citrus farm quietly bought by developers and turning into sub division I cried when I saw they were cutting all the Orange and grapefruit trees.
I'm in S. Florida inland. I have 2 growing seasons. In September I start planting out tomatoes and green beans, in October I plant out leafy greens like lettuce, kale, spinach etc, in late October I plant out cabbage, cauliflower & broccoli. In early November I plant out bulbing oinions.All these grow through winter and into spring. In March & April I plant out cherry tomatoes, sweet potatoes, okra, black-eyed peas lima beans, yardlong or noodle beans, eggplant, peppers, tropical greens like Lagos spinach, amaranth, Malabar spinach.
where do you find these types of spinaches? i did baby's leaf and failed twice, even planting in february in semi-shade. oh, mustard lettuce loves us, btw, will go year 'round, and adds a nice spicy kick to salad (and makes great horseradish-like dressing)
@Which-Craft Lagos and Malabar spinach seeds can be purchased through Echo Global Farm website or at the Farm in Ft. Myers. But other some seed companies carry them too.
Yep was going to make a list also, so Ill just add to yours. For summer growing,Brazilian spinach, sweet and peppercini banana peppers, yuca, watermelon, chaya, boñato, jiminica, sugar cane, coffee, and last but not least, all the tropical fruit trees, especially the King of fruit, "mango". . You can also add potatoes, garlic, carrots and strawberries to winter growing. What not to grow unless you want to constantly be pouring poison and artificial fertilizer on them, cucumber, sweet corn and squash.
As a natural born Florida Man there are tears in my heart for how true this is about habitat loss, hopefully we will all wake up and start protecting our natural magic before we help it disappear.Thanks for a good video.
@UberGastronomer Are some of those state lands that "can never be developed" state parks?? The same state parks that desantis now wants to build hotels and golf courses on??
Yes, it took me a few years as a northern transplant to “discover” the Florida gardening truth. Good job highlighting the essentials…and….I share your pain about the disappearing habitat. Can I just say that I enjoyed tremendously your southern alter ego….Make no apologies. Your creativity and sense of humor are delightful!
Been here 10 years. Almost totally given up on vegetables but having great luck with fruit trees and really enjoying growing the exotic ones. Last month I was buried in mulberries, this month barbados cherries. And I finally have two big haas avocados hanging on my tree. I bury all my kitchen scraps in the sand. After 10 years...its still sand. What the heck! But the trees are all looking good. Maybe starfruit and suriname cherries and red finger limes will fruit next year. The guava seems to only fruit every other year. I screwed up the dragonfruit by not pruning enough...live and learn. Florida is fun.
Agreed. I did learn a lot from this video, thanks. I really would love to learn how to grow tomatoes and peppers here. Squirrels/asstd. rodents seem to eat any successful crop I can eke out.
Thank you for a fun video. We Floridians, love our nature and weather. The outsiders are the ones complaining! I garden no matter the temperature, if one starts early, the body acclimates and the rest of the day is a breeze!
That was a cute video and very accurate. It’s a little different up here in Florida’s Great Northwest, I grow broccoli pretty easily in the winter, but from July to September, there’s not much use in trying to grow anything except okra and cowpeas, but they’re both great, so why not. If you have established tomatoes, and they haven’t died of disease or pests by July, they have to have shade cloth or they won’t set fruit, but I usually pull them in July. I usually start my spring tomatoes and peppers in January, and have they in the ground by February. The peppers are more hardy than the tomatoes, and will live through the brutal summer, and give me a second crop when the temps come down. Last summer, I took my meat thermometer out and stuck it in the soil in all my beds. My soil temp was in the mid-90s. Nothing will germinate in that except okra and cowpeas, and as we speak, here in July, my garden is full of okra and different cowpeas.
One thing to note about developments in Florida is how they affect rain. As someone who used to live east of The Villages, I would rarely see summer rains unless they came from the south because the heated air over The Villages would cause storms coming from Tampa/Inverness to dump all the water there. By the time the systems moved into cooler areas east of the Villages the clouds would be mostly spent. And this isn't just some anecdotal observation. If you have a radar app, you can watch the storms on a daily basis. All highly developed areas (Tampa, Orlando, Gainesville, The Villages) will get heavy rains starting around 1 pm. Undeveloped areas will get little rain comparatively speaking.
That's wild, I'm a CFL native and that explains why we've been so dry the last few years with all the new developments around us. God help the Sunshine State, I'm a nurse and basically homeless 🙃
That makes sense. Did not see this trend; thanks for pointing it out. We're east of Orlando in a less populated area and rain is falling all around us in the more populated areas. Did not connect those dots thinking it was just nature.
Weather has been unusual this year. For the past decade+ I've been watching radar to track storms (not religiously, but pretty regularly) and every year the storms have moved as I stated, west coast northeast to east coast. This summer I have seen that pattern maybe 2 or 3 times. But, again, I don't watch it everyday.
I'll add that in Zephyrhills we'll get missed a lot as most storms pass north through Dade City or south towards Crystal Springs. When you look at the map, you'll see we have quite a few major trailer parks with no trees, just a lot of concrete. Quite a few strip malls with huge parking lots too. With the new 56 coming through and 54 widening, a lot of old growth Oaks were cut down. Farmland is also disappearing. As mentioned, we have a very sandy soil, so the loss of these trees cuts down on how high our water table is. Add to that all the new developments and we'll be taxing our natural water system causing more sinkholes. As it is, with the heat plume, we do tend to see the rain systems going around us, so our aquifers aren't refilling as fast.
@@RichinZhills it's really a bummer to see what's happening to our state. Priced out and paved over. Seems like nature always wins out in the long run but I doubt we'll live to see that. Might have to move my family out of the state unfortunately, all CFL native.
I migrated to Florida over ten years ago, and it was the best move I have ever made. I LOVE Florida, and have finally begun to try to grow my own food. It is a challenge, as I have quickly learned. Thanks for your tips…I also do not use any form of pesticide, so….yeah….let’s just say that I am enjoying observing and photographing the many different species of insects that I have never seen before!
I like Pat. The tip to have your garden in morning sun and afternoon shade is definitely HUGE when it comes to vegetables in Florida. I am over in Pinellas County myself. I need to get back to posting vids. Great job!
Hello 👋 I’m new to your channel. 🎉 Been gardening in Florida 4yrs now and learned the hard way what doesn’t work. Outstanding video! Love the guest star and bringing awareness to the challenges Florida gardening has. Absolutely love your wrap up on the video talking about pesticides in our water system😢 Keep up natural gardening!
To me the magic ingreient for successful Florida gardening is natives and plants from SE Asia, cental and south and Africa. Natives like corn, sorghum, Seminole Pumpkin, chilies and Everglades tomatoes. Things from SE Asia like Tha basil, Molukan spinach and chilies. Things from Africa like cow peas, roselle hibiscus (also called sorrel), and okra. Sweet potatoes, chaya and amaranth are from central and south America. The one problem I run into is that things that like our summers often can't survive the winter. It's a good idea to gather seeds and cuttings just in case things don't make it through.
I laughed so hard at Pat but her info was spot on!! I've had to add tons of leaf mulch to retain moisture and put in makeshift shading as the only way to save my garden from the extreme heat this year. Gardening in Florida is hard but can be done. Thanks!!
Enjoyed! Haven't been so delightfully amused in a while. I am a renegade caretaker of a regenerative organic food forest farm in central Florida, and could not agree with you more. Will add one thing - plant lots and seed cultivate / seed save your best. I have started 20 or more seeds from a single pack where only 1 did well, but the seeds from that plant all grew into healthy thriving plants. Many seed varieties are produced in environments vastly different than Florida, so most of those seeds are not genetically suited for FL. Also beware that new local many seed cultivators are saving the seeds from their best plants for themselves, and selling you seeds from less successful survivors. Finding good local seed (and live plant) sources, and saving your own best seeds, is paramount.
Love this!!! So true!!! My mom and I are gardeners up in north west Florida, and we have been here almost five years and are still figuring out the seasons. Sometimes we are surprised by what works…. It’s constantly an experiment which I like. Also we do garden organically with permaculture practices
Homegrown Florida Boy here who just got addicted to gardening. I gotta admit. This was REALLY funny. I came for the info but stayed for the humor. Decent southerner impression, useful information, and entertaining. Great vid. Look forward to the next one :)
North Central FL here. Last yr I grew Kiwano horned melons through the summer and they did fine. Nice to see a channel devoted to our special environment. Thx.
LOL, lots of good information with the right dose of humor!!! Thank you for sharing! Responding to your question at the end of the video, right now we are growing 02 exotics kids and they are growing wild!!! Cheers!!!
Thank you for your great ideas. I've been growing in New Jersey for 20 years and had the best summer tomatoes and basil. And here in Florida, I just have not gotten the timing right. So thank you. I have, however, stated and am growing beautifully, meyer lemon, valencia orange, limes, figs (which I completely cover with tulle fabric), papaya, mango....all things I've never grown before. I look forward to more tips from you. Thank you.
Get your tomato plants in the ground as early as possible. Early February might not be too early (not sure where you are). Push them hard for a May harvest. Once the rainy season starts, give it up.
I live in zone 10a SW Florida. This winter, I'm having my best vegetable growing season since I started my garden in 2022. I love the fall/winter months for gardening here. I have been harvesting a lot of papayas since November. Merry Christmas and happy gardening.
Love Florida. Its such a versatile place, if you can learn to think outside the box. I'm working on permaculture and Florida native annuals like Seminole Pumpkin, Roselle and Cassava. Going great thus far!
Brilliant! Thank you. Great info with humor - you nailed it. 🤣 We have a tiny farm east of Orlando and have struggled with organic gardening. Raised beds are recommended. We are still working it out. Never give up!
Lol. Funny stuff! I lived in South Florida for many years but spent as little time outside as possible! Finally got the hell out after 10 yrs and came back to Virginia where the humidity is horrible as well but at least we have seasons! Good luck!
The southern accent is hilarious😂😂😂😂 “bless yo heart chile” 😂😂😂 I learned so much here though. I’ve been trying to grow things year round and wondering why my tomatoes haven’t produced. 🤦🏾♀️ it’s been especially hot this year.
Moved to southwest coastal Florida from Colorado thiree years ago, this season, I finally got control of a serious nematode and southern wilt problem but I planted too late. My tomatoes and cukes were growing like gangbusters with no wilting but then the intense heat stopped them in their tracks. Beautiful, healthy plants but no fruiting. Going forward, I am going to plant in late October instead of early March.
Sorry to hear about your cukes - we have a very small window to get them started and producing. I do succession planting every week starting in January. To avoid nematodes destroying your tomato plants, you can over-summer them in containers placed in the shade until temps cool off.
@@wilsonline90 It's a labor intense process but it seems to have worked. The yard here was always sod and it was a rental house so the yard was super neglected. The yard was dry, sterile sand basically. Perfect envioronment for wilt and nematodes. I had wilt in Colorado but not like the 'southern wilt.' It almost made me want to cry when my seemingly super healthy pepper and tomato plants would just wilt overnight. Anyway, numero uno was purchasing wilt and rkn resistant seeds. There are actually very tasty hybrid tomato and pepper varieties. Amending the soil with a lengthy list of organic matter is critical. Turning the sokl over repeatedly to expose it to UV is important.
Yes I am from SW FL. Gardened all my life in the north. Quite a learning curve down here. In summer I just grow okra and sweet potatoes. Like you, I start planting fall late Sept-Oct for fall garden. And also thru winter. In summer I mainly work on making hot compost and ammending my beds for fall planting. . I use chop and drop, grass clippings, chicken manure. And let them set thru summer, in my ground beds, to build them up. And cover them with coastal straw to protect soil as they set and decompose. I also use raised hugelkulture style beds. And plant a ground cover on them thru summer. And chop and drop them into the beds as green manure. About 3-4 weeks before planting, i chop them and flip them over to decompose. I have those hooped and use insect netting if needed. The soil is dead down here. 1st thing, work on that soil. Was having pollination problems too. I planted sky flower bush and porter weed. As they are two continual flowering bushes that are manageable and really draw in the bees. Has helped alot. Year after year the garden grows. And things get better.
You keep preaching about pesticide. These chemical lawn companies that treat all these fancy lawns is running off into the rivers and water ways killing wildlife. And then these people are wondering why they get cancer 😩 ugh. Makes us crazy. Love your garden tips.❤
First time visitor, I loved the "silly" presentation! Super informative, I knew nothing of growing in Florida except that's where they grow orange juice. Looking forward to more of your content, cheers
On a july afternoon if you have a metal mailbox I bet you can. My screen porch has a metal roof and it's like a broiler during those times. it regularly gets over 110 out there. I cant imagine how hot it would get if there weren't screens all over.
thank you so much for this video!!! i live in mexico and im kinda struggling to find good info on hot humid climates, because most of the US gets cold enough for winter to be a concern, while over here in my subtropical climate, the bigger concern is keeping the poor plants from being steam boiled while still on the ground!!! hahaha theres some really good info here that i hadn´t considered yet, and i love the way you play around with different characters!!! makes for an equally informative and fun video :D. gladly staying here as a new subscriber
Nicely done - even the humorous portions were informative and I like how you emphasize the need for us all to avoid pesticides and herbicides. Keep fighting the good fight!
I'm in northwest Fla and it's still trial and error for me. I'm learning some coping techniques and honestly this year I kind of forgot about growing food for myself but I'm happy to report that we have a thriving frog pond, a really neat dragonfly community, lots of bird families, three barred owls, a momma possum, moles, snakes and all kinds of critters. So yeah I don't use pesticides and they love it, and I'm not even in the country so go figure. Good luck everyone and remember night gardening it's a thing at least for me, although my neighbors probably think I'm burying bodies out back..lol
Florida is a pain to try to learn how to grow. Not only is it divided into North, Central, South but inland is totally different than coastal in each divide. So say you are in North Florida. The panhandle is remarkably different that inland North Florida. And so on
Hey I loved your video and I also wanted to mention that besides catnip the beauty berry leaves are a natural bug repellent..I’m also a Florida resident dealing with those annoying bugs …anyhow keep up the great work..
I have lived here in Florida since 1978. At first I didn’t have time for a garden..kids and a full time job. The last 30 or so years I have had a garden of some sort. Some large, most medium. The sandy soil is a real problem and nutrients flush through so fast it’s sad..compost, compost, compost!! And then get some compost. And yes, raised beds! But I love my garden. Great video!
Entertaining and informative! We have been down here in S FL for six years, and all the rules have changed. Feels odd starting veggies in Sept, but definitely works. Glad to have found your channel, thanks for sharing.
I'm a FL native and I live in DeLand, FL. Your character, Pat is awesome! 😅 Here in my town it's so sad to see all the development destroying the natural beauty and habitat for wildlife.
Fun and informative video. I’m in south Florida and I just tried a few container veggies and fruits. Unfortunately, I started them way too late in the season and they are all burning up in the heat along with being eaten by squash bugs…. I will try again later this year but it would really help to have a step by step guidance. How much water, how much sun, and how to test the soil to align with what individual plants want. Thank you.
Thank you for talking about habitats/ environments. ❤❤ Florida is growing so fast and too many new buildings everywhere. Sadly ! I remembered 30 yrs ago travelling thro the KEYS. We can see ocean on right side and left side. The beauty was unbelievable untouched. Now, you can drive but you wont see a darn thing until you reach to the last KEYS. 😢
Long ago a friend from south florida mentioned it's best to start your garden in early fall. You just run the risk of a frost killing a lot of plants some winters. He said summer is usually too hot for most garden plants.
It's Late August and my fig tree has got fruit now. It's just about 3 years old and has a good bunch this year. I planted a pecan and am hoping it survives to give nuts.
Cute video. One thing... In NE FL we have ALKALINE soil, not even close to acidic. 5.,000 years ago, Florida was under the sea. Sea water ph is 8.0. The "soil" ph is about 7.3 in our area. Did you misspeak? It is a constant battle to get the soil ph to 6-6.5 here using vinegar, wood chips, pine bark and elemental sulfur. My 5 citrus trees are doing much better now that we figured out that they like acidic soil.
The great thing about FL is we can start our growing season much sooner than elsewhere. I start putting out my spring/summer crops at the end of February. I take July and August off for gardening. It’s too hot and the sun is very intense
Well done and highly entertaining. I suggest using american beauty berry leaves and southern was myrtle to keep the bugs away in the summer from my skin. I use southern wax Myrtle in the winter. I put the leaves in a crock pot with oil over night. Neither no see ums not mosquitos like the smell which i find pleasant.
This was beyond hilarious and made me feel so good at all my hopeless gardens and wretched CSA’s I’ve joined! I thought we all were doing it wrong! Jk, I knew it was Florida because I lived in NC for a brief time and the produce there was amazing!! So what does that leave us? Indoor veggie towers? Or just live close to a Whole Foods or co op?
Look for substitutes. Grow Mexican pepicha when you can't grow cilantro which is usually from late April- mid October. Pepicha might self sow but I am pretty sure it isn't frost tolerant at all so it will not survive as a perennial herb. It does tolerate hot temperatures unlike cilantro so it can grow during the summer months.
@@shanonallen5395 Some mediterranean plants like perennial arugula (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) do well in Florida. South Sea Salad tree cultivars like Kiko's Crump (Abelmoschus manihot) is a good substitute for lettuce. African potato mint (Plectranthus rotundifolius) It's a mint but produces small tubers that might look like small potatoes. It dies back in the winter just like turmeric. It takes a little time to come back up from the roots in the spring but don't give up on it. Some Andean plants native to South America even do well in Florida like Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) and Edible Canna Lily. (Canna edulis) Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is probably the best perennial vegetable to grow in Florida. The other nice thing about it is you can also cook the leaves like spinach unlike regular potatoes.
I like to sprout tropical fruit seeds after I eat the fruit. I just love that I can grow mamey, sapodilla and soursop seedlings on my patio. I haven't been doing it long enough to see the trees will last, but here's hoping! 🤞
Absolutely right on with the sand. But it gets way hotter in most of the south. Love Bug season hits twice a year (May and September). Snow Bird season seams to be year-round now, but you kinda referenced that. Florida is becoming less and less Florida now, and at an insane pace.
So I live on 6 acres on Drayton Island in north central Florida. I built the garden enclosure, so I'm good for keeping deer out but the next step is just so daunting. Planting! I have bees, I have a tiller. I have just had some terrible luck with nematodes. Went to IFAS and they don't have an answer for me either. Have you had experience with them? You are more than welcome to come check out the island! One of the last areas of Old Florida left I'm afraid. You can even stay in our AirBnb!!
That's so kind of you, I just might take you up on that offer! Nematodes are my nemesis. They used to get my tomatoes every year when it got hot. This is what I found works: - Mix 1 tablespoon of molasses in 1 gal of water. Use this as a soil drench with every other watering. The molasses feeds beneficial microbes in the soil which eventually displace the nematodes. This takes a really long time to see results, so I start it before I plant anything. - Adding lots of organic material to soil. Basically I dig a hole 3 feet in diameter and 3 feet deep and fill it with leaves, grass clippings, small branches, manure etc. Then cover with native soil and wait 6 months to plant on top. - Planting on containers. - Solarizing the soil from June - September. Although it's not ideal because it uses lots of plastic and cooks all the beneficial microorganisms out as well as bad ones. Also can't use it around trees or shaded areas. Hope this helps!
I'm in Central Florida, Orlando to be exact. I stick the slips in the ground at the beginning of May and harvest sometime in November or whenever the foliage starts to turn yellow.
Plant date palms, Plantain, habenero, figs, or other plants that do well in your area. I live in the Ocala forest and it is pretty much the dryest part of the state because the sea breazes meet over the dunes just to the east and that's where they form clouds that mostly move east from there. So if you are west of the dune ridge not near the coast you want plants that like dry sunny conditions. If you are east of the dunes you can plant things that like water. If you live near the St Johns and it's tributaries mangoes, banana, citrus grow well. South FL is real wet so plan accordingly maybe some sugar cane. pineapple and coconut palms. Loquats grow nicely and so does prickly pear cactus in many places.
I would pretty much agree. I have been a lifelong Florida resident and yea it gets hot!!! I’ve been building a couple food forests for around 5 years, one south of Tampa in palmetto, the other just north of Tampa in Spring Hill. I think the trick to building a permaculture site is all in the principles. I have canopy trees, then fruit trees, then shrubs and root crops below it all. I have transformed my sand into black dirt full of microbial life with literally tons of wood chips and grass/weed clippings and a bunch of banana leaves, also with the help of Jadams microbial solution. Bugs are just a part of life but I’ve strategically planted lemon balm/grass, Cuban oregano and Comfrey all around and it does help a bit. I mostly do my best growing Sept/Oct-March but I do grow a lot of grapes, sunflowers, sweet tatas and sugarcane in the summer months (March-August). I can’t leave because at least here I ALWAYS have something growing. It hurts my soul to go up north in the winter and everything seems dead:( I do have one critism, how being a Florida gardener, you sure are pasty white? What the heck girl? Get some of that sweet sunshine on your skin, it’s good for you!!! Keep preaching the gospel!!! Have a wonderful day!;)
Great video as always, you should come north in Canada so that you can only grow from May to October.. :) With mosquitoes and every little possible insects... :) You would love it! Hope to see you soon!
thank you great job on video ive lived in Florida all my life and many years ago old timers always said paradise has a price i will gladly take the skeeters over snow birds have a great day
Southern Georgia here! 😂😅😭 First year with raised wooden garden beds and every single point here I've struggled with, the powdery mildew and bugs!! Never summer gardening here again I swear
I’m moving to Florida next year, I currently live in Maryland and I love growing my tomatoes, watermelons and peppers. Would a shade cloth help with the heat allowing them to fruit?
It may work, depending on the variety and the amount of irrigation you can provide. I've had better luck with peppers than tomatoes in the heat. Jury still out on watermelons. If you grow in ground, watch out for root knot nematodes as will destroy your crops during summer, unless you grow resistant varieties. The good news is that you can grow tomatoes here from September to May as long as you keep an eye out for frost.
Love your video!!!... In 1954, I was born & grew up in Plant City, FL...I live & garden in east Tampa, FL...I REQUEST THAT EACH & EVERY PERSON WHO DECIDES THEY DON'T LIKE FLORIDA TAKE ANOTHER PERSON WITH YOU UNDER EACH ARM AS YOU LEAVE...THANX SO MUCH!!!!
Love Plant City and their strawberries!
Ha ha I hear you 🤣. I feel the same.
Hahaha I agree
I live in Plant City. I keep telling my wife they are going to have to change the name to traffic city. Last year they closed my favorite farm stand on Branch Forbes. Rumor is they want to put an apartment complex up.
We'll buy all your land , BYE 👋
Thank you for speaking to habitat loss. Developers here do everything fast and cheap, keeping no trees and protecting no habitats. Then they plant a scant few species of young trees that aren't native and don't get cared for, therefore many don't make it or just remain vulnerable to problems. Florida is an empty promise for folks who think it's a great place to escape problems that are really just part of our entire cultural and economic systems. Florida is sold as a (sub)tropical destination for consumers and unsustainable lifestyles, when in reality it's a cultural and ecological responsibility. Stand up to representatives and councilpersons who don't put our ecosystems (and water table) above the clamoring demands of development companies investment buyers. We don't need any of the strip malls and overpriced neighborhoods being put up at breakneck speed, here. We need shade and root systems to hold soil and water at bay.
Start with BlackRock. The CEO is Bidens best friend and right hand man in the White House, his wife makes foreign policy, and his son and daughter also work in the White House, so right there you can demand Biden order BlackRock to stand down.
So true! It's scary to think what the future holds for Florida if these issues aren't addressed. People come here to escape and consume. The amount of garbage I pick up when out and about is infuriating.
Amen to that
i agree, the trees that developers/landscapers plant are mostly dwarf and hybrid varieties that barely grow and dont grow many or big leaves. the reason they do this is because they want trees that need no maintenance, dont drop a lot of leaves or branches etc. they are just planting the trees to check off boxes that towns have requiring you to plant a certain amount of trees per 10,000 square feet or whatever it is. but 99 percent of towns dont care what trees you plant as long as its technically a tree. its very sad....we are eventually going to lose our great trees like big oaks etc
I miss my old Florida state,it’s getting way too crowded ,every green portion is turning into cookie cutter sub division,in our area we had one citrus farm quietly bought by developers and turning into sub division I cried when I saw they were cutting all the Orange and grapefruit trees.
I'm in S. Florida inland. I have 2 growing seasons. In September I start planting out tomatoes and green beans, in October I plant out leafy greens like lettuce, kale, spinach etc, in late October I plant out cabbage, cauliflower & broccoli. In early November I plant out bulbing oinions.All these grow through winter and into spring. In March & April I plant out cherry tomatoes, sweet potatoes, okra, black-eyed peas lima beans, yardlong or noodle beans, eggplant, peppers, tropical greens like Lagos spinach, amaranth, Malabar spinach.
where do you find these types of spinaches? i did baby's leaf and failed twice, even planting in february in semi-shade. oh, mustard lettuce loves us, btw, will go year 'round, and adds a nice spicy kick to salad (and makes great horseradish-like dressing)
@@Which-Craftlook online or at a local nursery. Big box stores will not have anything like this.
@Which-Craft Lagos and Malabar spinach seeds can be purchased through Echo Global Farm website or at the Farm in Ft. Myers. But other some seed companies carry them too.
Thanks for sharing I will try October for salad spinach
Yep was going to make a list also, so Ill just add to yours. For summer growing,Brazilian spinach, sweet and peppercini banana peppers, yuca, watermelon, chaya, boñato, jiminica, sugar cane, coffee, and last but not least, all the tropical fruit trees, especially the King of fruit, "mango". . You can also add potatoes, garlic, carrots and strawberries to winter growing. What not to grow unless you want to constantly be pouring poison and artificial fertilizer on them, cucumber, sweet corn and squash.
As a natural born Florida Man there are tears in my heart for how true this is about habitat loss, hopefully we will all wake up and start protecting our natural magic before we help it disappear.Thanks for a good video.
I hope so too!
@UberGastronomer I am praying the right lobbyist doesn't ever pay off the right government official.
@UberGastronomer it's Florida...everything is "close to the water."
We are becoming a real dump. I think it has turned a corner irreversibly.
@UberGastronomer Are some of those state lands that "can never be developed" state parks?? The same state parks that desantis now wants to build hotels and golf courses on??
Thanks for incorporating humor into gardening! I nearly spit out what I was drinking when she said snowbird season!! 😂😂😂
I genuinely enjoyed your bad southern accent far more than I should have. 😂 Far more than I should have. Thanks “Pat Wilde”
Yes, it took me a few years as a northern transplant to “discover” the Florida gardening truth. Good job highlighting the essentials…and….I share your pain about the disappearing habitat. Can I just say that I enjoyed tremendously your southern alter ego….Make no apologies. Your creativity and sense of humor are delightful!
So nice of you!
Been here 10 years. Almost totally given up on vegetables but having great luck with fruit trees and really enjoying growing the exotic ones. Last month I was buried in mulberries, this month barbados cherries. And I finally have two big haas avocados hanging on my tree. I bury all my kitchen scraps in the sand. After 10 years...its still sand. What the heck! But the trees are all looking good. Maybe starfruit and suriname cherries and red finger limes will fruit next year. The guava seems to only fruit every other year. I screwed up the dragonfruit by not pruning enough...live and learn. Florida is fun.
More Florida specific garden advice would be great.
Noted!
Agreed. I did learn a lot from this video, thanks. I really would love to learn how to grow tomatoes and peppers here. Squirrels/asstd. rodents seem to eat any successful crop I can eke out.
Thank you for a fun video. We Floridians, love our nature and weather. The outsiders are the ones complaining!
I garden no matter the temperature, if one starts early, the body acclimates and the rest of the day is a breeze!
That was a cute video and very accurate. It’s a little different up here in Florida’s Great Northwest, I grow broccoli pretty easily in the winter, but from July to September, there’s not much use in trying to grow anything except okra and cowpeas, but they’re both great, so why not. If you have established tomatoes, and they haven’t died of disease or pests by July, they have to have shade cloth or they won’t set fruit, but I usually pull them in July. I usually start my spring tomatoes and peppers in January, and have they in the ground by February. The peppers are more hardy than the tomatoes, and will live through the brutal summer, and give me a second crop when the temps come down. Last summer, I took my meat thermometer out and stuck it in the soil in all my beds. My soil temp was in the mid-90s. Nothing will germinate in that except okra and cowpeas, and as we speak, here in July, my garden is full of okra and different cowpeas.
One thing to note about developments in Florida is how they affect rain. As someone who used to live east of The Villages, I would rarely see summer rains unless they came from the south because the heated air over The Villages would cause storms coming from Tampa/Inverness to dump all the water there. By the time the systems moved into cooler areas east of the Villages the clouds would be mostly spent. And this isn't just some anecdotal observation. If you have a radar app, you can watch the storms on a daily basis. All highly developed areas (Tampa, Orlando, Gainesville, The Villages) will get heavy rains starting around 1 pm. Undeveloped areas will get little rain comparatively speaking.
That's wild, I'm a CFL native and that explains why we've been so dry the last few years with all the new developments around us. God help the Sunshine State, I'm a nurse and basically homeless 🙃
That makes sense. Did not see this trend; thanks for pointing it out. We're east of Orlando in a less populated area and rain is falling all around us in the more populated areas. Did not connect those dots thinking it was just nature.
Weather has been unusual this year. For the past decade+ I've been watching radar to track storms (not religiously, but pretty regularly) and every year the storms have moved as I stated, west coast northeast to east coast. This summer I have seen that pattern maybe 2 or 3 times. But, again, I don't watch it everyday.
I'll add that in Zephyrhills we'll get missed a lot as most storms pass north through Dade City or south towards Crystal Springs. When you look at the map, you'll see we have quite a few major trailer parks with no trees, just a lot of concrete. Quite a few strip malls with huge parking lots too. With the new 56 coming through and 54 widening, a lot of old growth Oaks were cut down. Farmland is also disappearing.
As mentioned, we have a very sandy soil, so the loss of these trees cuts down on how high our water table is. Add to that all the new developments and we'll be taxing our natural water system causing more sinkholes. As it is, with the heat plume, we do tend to see the rain systems going around us, so our aquifers aren't refilling as fast.
@@RichinZhills it's really a bummer to see what's happening to our state. Priced out and paved over. Seems like nature always wins out in the long run but I doubt we'll live to see that. Might have to move my family out of the state unfortunately, all CFL native.
I migrated to Florida over ten years ago, and it was the best move I have ever made. I LOVE Florida, and have finally begun to try to grow my own food. It is a challenge, as I have quickly learned. Thanks for your tips…I also do not use any form of pesticide, so….yeah….let’s just say that I am enjoying observing and photographing the many different species of insects that I have never seen before!
I like Pat. The tip to have your garden in morning sun and afternoon shade is definitely HUGE when it comes to vegetables in Florida. I am over in Pinellas County myself. I need to get back to posting vids. Great job!
Hello 👋 I’m new to your channel. 🎉 Been gardening in Florida 4yrs now and learned the hard way what doesn’t work. Outstanding video! Love the guest star and bringing awareness to the challenges Florida gardening has. Absolutely love your wrap up on the video talking about pesticides in our water system😢 Keep up natural gardening!
To me the magic ingreient for successful Florida gardening is natives and plants from SE Asia, cental and south and Africa. Natives like corn, sorghum, Seminole Pumpkin, chilies and Everglades tomatoes. Things from SE Asia like Tha basil, Molukan spinach and chilies. Things from Africa like cow peas, roselle hibiscus (also called sorrel), and okra. Sweet potatoes, chaya and amaranth are from central and south America.
The one problem I run into is that things that like our summers often can't survive the winter. It's a good idea to gather seeds and cuttings just in case things don't make it through.
I laughed so hard at Pat but her info was spot on!! I've had to add tons of leaf mulch to retain moisture and put in makeshift shading as the only way to save my garden from the extreme heat this year. Gardening in Florida is hard but can be done. Thanks!!
I grew tomatoes up until first week of August. Under a shade cloth. I have new starts for fall/winter tomatoes.
I love your guest star Pat Wylde! She should return in the next episode if she's not floating down the river with a cold one. Get them skeeters Pat!
This was a nice treat gardening with an awesome sense of humor!
Enjoyed! Haven't been so delightfully amused in a while. I am a renegade caretaker of a regenerative organic food forest farm in central Florida, and could not agree with you more.
Will add one thing - plant lots and seed cultivate / seed save your best. I have started 20 or more seeds from a single pack where only 1 did well, but the seeds from that plant all grew into healthy thriving plants.
Many seed varieties are produced in environments vastly different than Florida, so most of those seeds are not genetically suited for FL. Also beware that new local many seed cultivators are saving the seeds from their best plants for themselves, and selling you seeds from less successful survivors. Finding good local seed (and live plant) sources, and saving your own best seeds, is paramount.
Love this!!! So true!!! My mom and I are gardeners up in north west Florida, and we have been here almost five years and are still figuring out the seasons. Sometimes we are surprised by what works…. It’s constantly an experiment which I like. Also we do garden organically with permaculture practices
Homegrown Florida Boy here who just got addicted to gardening. I gotta admit. This was REALLY funny. I came for the info but stayed for the humor. Decent southerner impression, useful information, and entertaining. Great vid. Look forward to the next one :)
North Central FL here. Last yr I grew Kiwano horned melons through the summer and they did fine. Nice to see a channel devoted to our special environment. Thx.
LOL, lots of good information with the right dose of humor!!! Thank you for sharing!
Responding to your question at the end of the video, right now we are growing 02 exotics kids and they are growing wild!!!
Cheers!!!
Thank you for your great ideas. I've been growing in New Jersey for 20 years and had the best summer tomatoes and basil. And here in Florida, I just have not gotten the timing right. So thank you. I have, however, stated and am growing beautifully, meyer lemon, valencia orange, limes, figs (which I completely cover with tulle fabric), papaya, mango....all things I've never grown before. I look forward to more tips from you. Thank you.
Get your tomato plants in the ground as early as possible. Early February might not be too early (not sure where you are). Push them hard for a May harvest. Once the rainy season starts, give it up.
I love the raccoon just frolicking on by
Thanks for sharing this video! I recently moved to Florida and "learning" to garden in new climate 😀Also zone 9B
Pat needs an entire video LOL
I live in zone 10a SW Florida. This winter, I'm having my best vegetable growing season since I started my garden in 2022. I love the fall/winter months for gardening here. I have been harvesting a lot of papayas since November. Merry Christmas and happy gardening.
Love Florida. Its such a versatile place, if you can learn to think outside the box.
I'm working on permaculture and Florida native annuals like Seminole Pumpkin, Roselle and Cassava. Going great thus far!
Awesome to hear!
Brilliant! Thank you. Great info with humor - you nailed it. 🤣 We have a tiny farm east of Orlando and have struggled with organic gardening. Raised beds are recommended. We are still working it out. Never give up!
Lol. Funny stuff!
I lived in South Florida for many years but spent as little time outside as possible!
Finally got the hell out after 10 yrs and came back to Virginia where the humidity is horrible as well but at least we have seasons!
Good luck!
I got a mosquito control ad during your mosquito segment!🤣😂🤣😂
The southern accent is hilarious😂😂😂😂 “bless yo heart chile” 😂😂😂 I learned so much here though. I’ve been trying to grow things year round and wondering why my tomatoes haven’t produced. 🤦🏾♀️ it’s been especially hot this year.
Also, morning sun and afternoon shade has me looking at my garden’s position differently. Thanks for keeping it short, fun, and informative ❤
Moved to southwest coastal Florida from Colorado thiree years ago, this season, I finally got control of a serious nematode and southern wilt problem but I planted too late. My tomatoes and cukes were growing like gangbusters with no wilting but then the intense heat stopped them in their tracks. Beautiful, healthy plants but no fruiting. Going forward, I am going to plant in late October instead of early March.
Sorry to hear about your cukes - we have a very small window to get them started and producing. I do succession planting every week starting in January. To avoid nematodes destroying your tomato plants, you can over-summer them in containers placed in the shade until temps cool off.
what did you do for nematodes and wit? TIA
@@wilsonline90 It's a labor intense process but it seems to have worked. The yard here was always sod and it was a rental house so the yard was super neglected. The yard was dry, sterile sand basically. Perfect envioronment for wilt and nematodes. I had wilt in Colorado but not like the 'southern wilt.' It almost made me want to cry when my seemingly super healthy pepper and tomato plants would just wilt overnight. Anyway, numero uno was purchasing wilt and rkn resistant seeds. There are actually very tasty hybrid tomato and pepper varieties. Amending the soil with a lengthy list of organic matter is critical. Turning the sokl over repeatedly to expose it to UV is important.
@@gerrylavelle8433 thanks. I heard clay might be a solution. But I have no idea where to get clay.
Yes I am from SW FL. Gardened all my life in the north. Quite a learning curve down here. In summer I just grow okra and sweet potatoes. Like you, I start planting fall late Sept-Oct for fall garden. And also thru winter. In summer I mainly work on making hot compost and ammending my beds for fall planting. . I use chop and drop, grass clippings, chicken manure. And let them set thru summer, in my ground beds, to build them up. And cover them with coastal straw to protect soil as they set and decompose. I also use raised hugelkulture style beds. And plant a ground cover on them thru summer. And chop and drop them into the beds as green manure. About 3-4 weeks before planting, i chop them and flip them over to decompose. I have those hooped and use insect netting if needed. The soil is dead down here. 1st thing, work on that soil. Was having pollination problems too. I planted sky flower bush and porter weed. As they are two continual flowering bushes that are manageable and really draw in the bees. Has helped alot. Year after year the garden grows. And things get better.
I need another video. I like your videos. They are light and informative.
I grew up in Miami...you are sooo right!❤
I grew up down south! And that Florida Mam is right up my alley!😂
You keep preaching about pesticide. These chemical lawn companies that treat all these fancy lawns is running off into the rivers and water ways killing wildlife. And then these people are wondering why they get cancer 😩 ugh. Makes us crazy. Love your garden tips.❤
First time visitor, I loved the "silly" presentation! Super informative, I knew nothing of growing in Florida except that's where they grow orange juice. Looking forward to more of your content, cheers
You can bake biscuits in your mailbox 😂😂😂love your content ! Funny and full of info. Love both of your accents
On a july afternoon if you have a metal mailbox I bet you can. My screen porch has a metal roof and it's like a broiler during those times. it regularly gets over 110 out there. I cant imagine how hot it would get if there weren't screens all over.
i haven't tried it but it would be a nice gift for the mail man
Hahaha, you won me over with "Florida Ma'am." Subscribed!
Some good thoughts. I was born and raised here, but I feel like I'm still figuring it out.
This video got me to subscribe! Thank you for the great advice, humor and hard truths! Looking forward to more like this 😊 great work!
You are fun. :) Great info with some wonderful humor. Love from Palm Bay!
You're very uplifting and entertaining. Thanks for your work.
thank you so much for this video!!! i live in mexico and im kinda struggling to find good info on hot humid climates, because most of the US gets cold enough for winter to be a concern, while over here in my subtropical climate, the bigger concern is keeping the poor plants from being steam boiled while still on the ground!!! hahaha
theres some really good info here that i hadn´t considered yet, and i love the way you play around with different characters!!! makes for an equally informative and fun video :D. gladly staying here as a new subscriber
Nicely done - even the humorous portions were informative and I like how you emphasize the need for us all to avoid pesticides and herbicides. Keep fighting the good fight!
I'm in northwest Fla and it's still trial and error for me. I'm learning some coping techniques and honestly this year I kind of forgot about growing food for myself but I'm happy to report that we have a thriving frog pond, a really neat dragonfly community, lots of bird families, three barred owls, a momma possum, moles, snakes and all kinds of critters. So yeah I don't use pesticides and they love it, and I'm not even in the country so go figure. Good luck everyone and remember night gardening it's a thing at least for me, although my neighbors probably think I'm burying bodies out back..lol
First video I’ve seen from you. Love it. I love being able to grow edible and ornamental gingers. Perfect climate for them. Thank you
Florida is a pain to try to learn how to grow. Not only is it divided into North, Central, South but inland is totally different than coastal in each divide. So say you are in North Florida. The panhandle is remarkably different that inland North Florida. And so on
Yep!🤦🏻♀️
So challenging 🤷🏻♀️
Loved this video and message... great humor Pat Wild.
Hey I loved your video and I also wanted to mention that besides catnip the beauty berry leaves are a natural bug repellent..I’m also a Florida resident dealing with those annoying bugs …anyhow keep up the great work..
Good to know!
Thank you for this video! 😄 Everything is true!
I'm glad to have found this, as a person trying to do container gardening in Orlando and totally getting my a55 kicked, I can use the help.
Thanks for watching! Check out a video I posted about 2 weeks ago showcasing 10 plants for container gardening in FL.
So good video. Thank you. 🙏 start garden , but it’s not so doing well , it’s hot and need a lot water
I have lived here in Florida since 1978. At first I didn’t have time for a garden..kids and a full time job. The last 30 or so years I have had a garden of some sort. Some large, most medium. The sandy soil is a real problem and nutrients flush through so fast it’s sad..compost, compost, compost!! And then get some compost. And yes, raised beds! But I love my garden. Great video!
Omg thank you so much for this video. I couldn't understand why my tomatoes and peppers kept dying
great video, definitely all true & great message at the end. people need to know!
Entertaining and informative! We have been down here in S FL for six years, and all the rules have changed. Feels odd starting veggies in Sept, but definitely works. Glad to have found your channel, thanks for sharing.
Loved this so fun! And informative. Thank you
I'm a FL native and I live in DeLand, FL. Your character, Pat is awesome! 😅 Here in my town it's so sad to see all the development destroying the natural beauty and habitat for wildlife.
Fun and informative video. I’m in south Florida and I just tried a few container veggies and fruits. Unfortunately, I started them way too late in the season and they are all burning up in the heat along with being eaten by squash bugs…. I will try again later this year but it would really help to have a step by step guidance. How much water, how much sun, and how to test the soil to align with what individual plants want. Thank you.
I'm in Zone 10a, SW Fl
I love gardening and it really is a challenge. I read that tomatoes won't set fruit of night temperatures are above 75°.
Loved this video! The fart in a fan factory joke is still the reason I'm a subscriber.
Thank you for talking about habitats/ environments. ❤❤
Florida is growing so fast and too many new buildings everywhere. Sadly !
I remembered 30 yrs ago travelling thro the KEYS. We can see ocean on right side and left side. The beauty was unbelievable untouched. Now, you can drive but you wont see a darn thing until you reach to the last KEYS. 😢
Loved your video! Very funny and very informative!!!
Long ago a friend from south florida mentioned it's best to start your garden in early fall. You just run the risk of a frost killing a lot of plants some winters. He said summer is usually too hot for most garden plants.
It's Late August and my fig tree has got fruit now. It's just about 3 years old and has a good bunch this year. I planted a pecan and am hoping it survives to give nuts.
Great content, love that its goofy and you enjoy being silly! And i learned something too thank you!
Cute video. One thing... In NE FL we have ALKALINE soil, not even close to acidic. 5.,000 years ago, Florida was under the sea. Sea water ph is 8.0. The "soil" ph is about 7.3 in our area. Did you misspeak? It is a constant battle to get the soil ph to 6-6.5 here using vinegar, wood chips, pine bark and elemental sulfur. My 5 citrus trees are doing much better now that we figured out that they like acidic soil.
The great thing about FL is we can start our growing season much sooner than elsewhere. I start putting out my spring/summer crops at the end of February. I take July and August off for gardening. It’s too hot and the sun is very intense
Well done and highly entertaining. I suggest using american beauty berry leaves and southern was myrtle to keep the bugs away in the summer from my skin. I use southern wax Myrtle in the winter.
I put the leaves in a crock pot with oil over night. Neither no see ums not mosquitos like the smell which i find pleasant.
This was beyond hilarious and made me feel so good at all my hopeless gardens and wretched CSA’s I’ve joined! I thought we all were doing it wrong! Jk, I knew it was Florida because I lived in NC for a brief time and the produce there was amazing!! So what does that leave us? Indoor veggie towers? Or just live close to a Whole Foods or co op?
Please do an entire video featuring Pat Wild and have her explain how she stays snow white in Florida. I get burned by moonlight. How does she do it?
North East Florida here. You are spot on. Thanks for making this video❤
Look for substitutes. Grow Mexican pepicha when you can't grow cilantro which is usually from late April- mid October. Pepicha might self sow but I am pretty sure it isn't frost tolerant at all so it will not survive as a perennial herb. It does tolerate hot temperatures unlike cilantro so it can grow during the summer months.
Great idea. What else do you suggest?
@@shanonallen5395 Some mediterranean plants like perennial arugula (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) do well in Florida. South Sea Salad tree cultivars like Kiko's Crump (Abelmoschus manihot) is a good substitute for lettuce. African potato mint (Plectranthus rotundifolius) It's a mint but produces small tubers that might look like small potatoes. It dies back in the winter just like turmeric. It takes a little time to come back up from the roots in the spring but don't give up on it. Some Andean plants native to South America even do well in Florida like Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) and Edible Canna Lily. (Canna edulis) Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is probably the best perennial vegetable to grow in Florida. The other nice thing about it is you can also cook the leaves like spinach unlike regular potatoes.
Loved this. Informative and funny
Cherry/grape tomatoes can grow here and I've heard you can grow some special crops in beginning of nov and harvest by feb, can't do that in Cali.
I like to sprout tropical fruit seeds after I eat the fruit. I just love that I can grow mamey, sapodilla and soursop seedlings on my patio. I haven't been doing it long enough to see the trees will last, but here's hoping! 🤞
Absolutely right on with the sand. But it gets way hotter in most of the south. Love Bug season hits twice a year (May and September). Snow Bird season seams to be year-round now, but you kinda referenced that. Florida is becoming less and less Florida now, and at an insane pace.
I took a plumeria cutting and jammed it into the ground. Voila! A new flowering plumeria. I love gardening in Florida.
So I live on 6 acres on Drayton Island in north central Florida. I built the garden enclosure, so I'm good for keeping deer out but the next step is just so daunting. Planting! I have bees, I have a tiller. I have just had some terrible luck with nematodes. Went to IFAS and they don't have an answer for me either. Have you had experience with them? You are more than welcome to come check out the island! One of the last areas of Old Florida left I'm afraid. You can even stay in our AirBnb!!
That's so kind of you, I just might take you up on that offer! Nematodes are my nemesis. They used to get my tomatoes every year when it got hot.
This is what I found works:
- Mix 1 tablespoon of molasses in 1 gal of water. Use this as a soil drench with every other watering. The molasses feeds beneficial microbes in the soil which eventually displace the nematodes. This takes a really long time to see results, so I start it before I plant anything.
- Adding lots of organic material to soil. Basically I dig a hole 3 feet in diameter and 3 feet deep and fill it with leaves, grass clippings, small branches, manure etc. Then cover with native soil and wait 6 months to plant on top.
- Planting on containers.
- Solarizing the soil from June - September. Although it's not ideal because it uses lots of plastic and cooks all the beneficial microorganisms out as well as bad ones. Also can't use it around trees or shaded areas.
Hope this helps!
You grow sweet potatoes in the summer in Florida? What month do you plant your potato slips in? Also what part of florida are you in?
I'm in Central Florida, Orlando to be exact. I stick the slips in the ground at the beginning of May and harvest sometime in November or whenever the foliage starts to turn yellow.
Plant date palms, Plantain, habenero, figs, or other plants that do well in your area. I live in the Ocala forest and it is pretty much the dryest part of the state because the sea breazes meet over the dunes just to the east and that's where they form clouds that mostly move east from there. So if you are west of the dune ridge not near the coast you want plants that like dry sunny conditions. If you are east of the dunes you can plant things that like water. If you live near the St Johns and it's tributaries mangoes, banana, citrus grow well. South FL is real wet so plan accordingly maybe some sugar cane. pineapple and coconut palms. Loquats grow nicely and so does prickly pear cactus in many places.
You are awsome!!!❤❤
Thank you
Soo funny and educational
How do you stop pickle worms on cukes and whitefly’s on tomatoes in south Fl ?
Yep this summer has been horrid for my backyard garden. I've had to leave it clear because it's unbearable for me and the plants.😢
I would pretty much agree. I have been a lifelong Florida resident and yea it gets hot!!! I’ve been building a couple food forests for around 5 years, one south of Tampa in palmetto, the other just north of Tampa in Spring Hill. I think the trick to building a permaculture site is all in the principles. I have canopy trees, then fruit trees, then shrubs and root crops below it all. I have transformed my sand into black dirt full of microbial life with literally tons of wood chips and grass/weed clippings and a bunch of banana leaves, also with the help of Jadams microbial solution. Bugs are just a part of life but I’ve strategically planted lemon balm/grass, Cuban oregano and Comfrey all around and it does help a bit. I mostly do my best growing Sept/Oct-March but I do grow a lot of grapes, sunflowers, sweet tatas and sugarcane in the summer months (March-August). I can’t leave because at least here I ALWAYS have something growing. It hurts my soul to go up north in the winter and everything seems dead:( I do have one critism, how being a Florida gardener, you sure are pasty white? What the heck girl? Get some of that sweet sunshine on your skin, it’s good for you!!! Keep preaching the gospel!!! Have a wonderful day!;)
A minute in me and all the other Floridians typing "nah, it aint the heat, its the humi-" 😅 you beat us to it.
what should I do with my lemon tress which I recently planted? do they need cover too because they are expose to the sun all day long here in Tampa.
Great video as always, you should come north in Canada so that you can only grow from May to October.. :) With mosquitoes and every little possible insects... :) You would love it! Hope to see you soon!
I find your alter-ego very sexy. I’ve been in Florida WAAAAAAAY too long! 😂😂😂😂 Thank you for a fun and informative video.
Have you done anything with terra preta? It’s an excellent solution to Florida rain washing out all your soil nutrients.
thank you great job on video ive lived in Florida all my life and many years ago old timers always said paradise has a price i will gladly take the skeeters over snow birds have a great day
Southern Georgia here! 😂😅😭 First year with raised wooden garden beds and every single point here I've struggled with, the powdery mildew and bugs!! Never summer gardening here again I swear
Lol your right . However up north florida we have a good growing seasons. Love the video keep it up
This was a very fun video!!!
Is there any cool vines like a kiwi that could be strategically used as a sunshade for the hottest months?🌱🌱💚💚
Sure are! Passionfruit, loofah squash, and sweet potatoes (if trained to go up a trellis) are some that can handle the summer heat!
@@foreverfoodforest Whoever the blonde chick is she seems fun
I’m moving to Florida next year, I currently live in Maryland and I love growing my tomatoes, watermelons and peppers. Would a shade cloth help with the heat allowing them to fruit?
It may work, depending on the variety and the amount of irrigation you can provide. I've had better luck with peppers than tomatoes in the heat. Jury still out on watermelons. If you grow in ground, watch out for root knot nematodes as will destroy your crops during summer, unless you grow resistant varieties. The good news is that you can grow tomatoes here from September to May as long as you keep an eye out for frost.