A false spring is a period in late winter or early spring characterized by unseasonably warm and sunny weather. While tempting to believe it signals the true arrival of spring, these warm spells are often short-lived, followed by a return to colder temperatures, including frost. This unpredictable weather pattern can be detrimental to plants, making it important for gardeners to exercise caution.

The Official Start of Spring: A Reminder

While we may experience warm days in late winter, the official first day of spring in 2024 falls on Tuesday, March 19th. This date, marked by the Vernal Equinox, signifies the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. However, it doesn’t guarantee consistent warm weather just yet.

Why Should Gardeners Be Wary?

1. Premature Plant Development: Warm weather can trigger early growth in plants, including leaves, buds, and even flowers. However, a subsequent cold snap can damage or kill this delicate new growth, hindering future growth and fruit production.
2. Wasted Energy: Plants responding to a false spring expend energy on premature growth, leaving them less resilient for the true spring and potentially reducing their fruit and flower production.
3. Increased Vulnerability to Disease: Plants weakened by a false spring are more susceptible to diseases when cold weather returns.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

1. Sowing Seeds Too Early: Resist the urge to plant seeds outdoors before the recommended time. Stick to established planting schedules to avoid exposing tender seedlings to unexpected cold.
2. Planting Young Plants Prematurely: Newly purchased young plants are particularly vulnerable to frost damage. Wait until the threat of frost has completely passed before transplanting them into your garden.
3. Rushing Gardening Tasks: Hold off on activities like mowing your lawn or pruning trees, as these can stress plants that may be expecting warmer weather to continue.

Tips for Protecting Plants During a False Spring:

1. Monitor the Forecast: Closely follow weather forecasts to stay informed about potential temperature drops.
2. Cover Vulnerable Plants: Use frost cloths or blankets to protect sensitive plants from sudden cold snaps.
3. Delay Gardening Activities: Postpone non-essential gardening tasks like planting and pruning until the risk of frost has passed.

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Think of your young seedlings as intrepid explorers preparing for a grand adventure. Damping off, akin to ensuring their spacecraft is sterilized and free of harmful contaminants, aims to prevent fungal diseases. Hardening off, analogous to astronaut training, gradually exposes them to the harsher realities of their outdoor destination. By understanding these crucial processes, you can help your seedlings thrive and flourish in their new environment.

Damping Off:

• Problem: A fungal disease affecting young seedlings, causing them to rot and die.
• Symptoms: Water-soaked or mushy appearance, wilting leaves, underdeveloped roots, white fungus at the stem base.
• Causes: Moisture, cool temperatures, poor hygiene, overcrowded seedlings, overwatering.
• Prevention: Sterilize tools and trays, use fresh seed-starting mix, avoid overwatering, keep humidity low, maintain good ventilation, sow seeds properly.

Hardening Off:

• Process: Gradually exposing indoor-grown seedlings to outdoor conditions before transplanting.
• Purpose: Acclimate seedlings to wind, sun, temperature fluctuations, preventing transplant shock.
• Steps: Start with indoor adjustments (light, temperature), gradually increase outdoor exposure time and intensity, protect from harsh elements initially.
• Benefits: Stronger, healthier seedlings with higher survival rates after transplanting.

Key Differences:

• Timing: Damping off affects very young seedlings, while hardening off comes later before transplanting.
• Cause: Damping off is a disease, while hardening off is a preparation process.
• Action: Damping off requires prevention, while hardening off is an active process.

In conclusion:

• Prevent damping off with good hygiene, proper watering, and suitable conditions.
• Harden off seedlings to ensure smooth transition to the outdoors and increase their chance of survival.

By grasping the distinct challenges and differences between Damping Off vs. Hardening Off, you empower yourself to not just ensure healthy and thriving seedlings, but become a confident and proactive gardening.

From our office in Atlantic Beach and satellites throughout Northeast Florida, Rockaway Inc proudly serves both commercial and residential landscape design, maintenance, lawn care, irrigation, and outdoor living carpentry client needs in Jacksonville, St Augustine, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Ponte Vedra, Nocatee, St. Johns, and Fernandina Beach.

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Remember that chilly snap we had? It wasn’t quite a freeze like they predicted, but I decided to test out the frost cloth anyway. And guess what? It worked like a charm!

We had wind and rain, and the cloth held up beautifully. Even with some areas not fully covered, most of the plants under the fabric, including my beloved cilantro and dill, came through unscathed. A few nasturtiums on the outside edge seemed a little worse for wear, but overall, two big thumbs up for frost cloth!

This raised bed with the cabbage, collards, and fancy red romaine lettuce? All are thriving under the cloth’s cozy protection. So happy!

I know what you’re thinking: “Greg, can I trust just your word on this? Where’s the science?” Well, that’s the beauty of gardening, friends. It’s all about learning by doing, experimenting, and sharing tips. So next time a frost threatens your precious green babies, try frost cloth! Just remember:

• Cover those plants well! Every leaf and stem deserves cozy warmth.
• Secure the fabric like your life depends on it. Wind is the enemy. We construct custom raised beds like this with easy frost cloth posts to attach to.
• Water your plants before tucking them in. Dry soil doesn’t hold heat as well.
• Uncover when the danger’s passed. Don’t smother your friends!

And there you have it! Greg’s guide to success using frost cloth in Jax Beach. So keep frost cloth on hand for colder temperatures, get creative, and protect those precious veggies. Also See Part One HERE. 

From our office in Atlantic Beach and satellites throughout Northeast Florida, Rockaway Inc proudly serves both commercial and residential landscape design,maintenance, lawn care, irrigation, and outdoor living carpentry client needs in Jacksonville, St Augustine, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Ponte Vedra, Nocatee, St. Johns, and Fernandina Beach. Happy gardening! 

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Give us a call at 904-289-2161 TODAY to schedule a consultation! 

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Patio Gardens in small spaces like balconies, patios and courtyards can produce enough to substantially offset your grocery purchases. Consider these patio gardening tips that start with doing it in a way that fits with the aesthetics of your outdoor living space. You can apply the same design elements for arrangements of herbs and vegetables as you would any container, to include considerations about color, texture, form, scale, repetition etc. Many vegetables and herbs have attractive features and can be successfully mixed with non-edibles to make a pleasing display.

Container and Support Types: Almost any kind of container will do for herbs and vegetables as long as it has drainage holes. Black pots and metals will absorb more heat. Condensed rubber “pot risers” or ceramic feet can be used to keep the pots off the ground or flooring, so they drain better and don’t cause staining. Containers have the advantage of mobility so you can position them for optimum sun or shade as the season changes.

Strawberry jars can hold an assortment of small herbs. Fabric grow bags have their place too and are especially good for growing potatoes. They can be easily folded and stored when not in use.

Use structures such as a low wall with an interior trough to create planting opportunities for small low herbs like colorful thyme or oregano. Trellises can fit between other structures of a patio or courtyard to provide support for climbers. Or they can lean against a wall or fence. A climbing bean can be planted with a more ornamental climber such as a black-eyed susan vine or cold-sensitive mandevilla, and both be removed at the end of the season. Tee pee type trellises made of bamboo stakes can also be positioned around a pot. Place supports at planting time, to lessen damaging roots and stems.

Pallets can be lined with weed cloth, filled with light weight soil and planted with small annuals, lettuces or herbs. Once seeds have germinated and matured 2-3 weeks, or transplants have grown in a week, the pallet can be leaned and made more vertical to take up less space.

Vertical living walls can be created from many materials and Rockaway’s design department has been involved with some. Just keep in mind that depending on the construction of your wall, it may need to be protected from the constant moisture.

Window boxes are an option too, for small to medium plants like parsley, dill, chives, cilantro or thyme, whether they’re on your house, balcony or deck railing. Cherry tomatoes and strawberries can be grown in hanging baskets. An iron basket of nasturtiums on a gate is quaint. Even gutters can be configured to a certain length, painted and drainage holes added for an unusual but useful herb garden.

How to Grow: The soil mix and moisture level are probably the two most important considerations for container growing. The soil should be well draining. If you created the “square foot gardening mix’ for a raised planter earlier this spring, this same formula can be used – 1/3 peat moss to 1/3 vermiculite and 1/3 compost. Alternatively, others have used 2 parts potting soil to 1-part compost and 1-part peat or vermiculite. Refer to our Planting Guide for North Florida Vegetables and our Planting Guide for North Florida Culinary Herbs for recommendations of sun exposure and other needs for individual crops. Fertilize with a slow release organic fertilizer at planting and then beginning about a month later apply soluble liquid fertilizer every 1-2 weeks using a 15-30-15 formula for fruiting vegetables and root crops, and a 20-20-20 formula for leafy vegetables. Container herbs should instead be followed with half recommended dose to avoid lush growth that has reduced flavor and aroma.

See below for recommendations of container size. The minimum soil depth for most herbs and greens is about 6 inches, but a larger pot is easier to keep well-watered. Most vegetables need about a 5-gallon container. Save the largest containers for climbers that need a sturdy trellis, such as vining beans, vine tomatoes, Malabar spinach, cucumbers, peppers, squash and melon. Use self-watering pots and automatic drip waterers where possible to reduce your maintenance.

Additional Tips:

• To maximize space, you can plant root crops, low growers and climbers in the same pot. Some low growers like lettuces would prefer the part shade provided by the taller plants.
• Start beans, corn, carrots, and radishes from seeds sown directly into the pot. If you use transplants of bunching onions, okra, melons and squash, take extra care in handling them.
• Group plants with similar sun and moisture needs.
• Because of its aggressive growth, mint is usually best grown in a pot by itself.

Plant Suggestions: Almost any herb can be grown in a container. The following vegetables are easy, productive choices for container gardening:

Asian Greens – such as Bok Choy. Use a container that is at least 20 inches deep by 12 inches wide per plant.
Beans – need a pot that is minimum 12 inches deep / 5-gallon capacity, and a strong trellis structure for support. A larger pot would allow additional plants like kale and celery to grow alongside. There are bush varieties that don’t require support.
Beets – direct seed into a 2 to 5-gallon container.
Carrots – Container size (6 – 15 inches deep) may vary according to the carrot type you’re growing and planting depth it requires. It’s best to grow the shorter varieties such as Thumbelina or Short ‘N Sweet. Direct seed into a 2 to 5-gallon container. Thin carrot seedlings (when they’re 2 inches tall) to about 2 – 3 inches apart.
Cucumber – 2 transplants per 5-gallon container. There are bush varieties that don’t require support.
Edible Flowers – Besides being edible and useful in dishes from soups to sauces, stir fry, salads, teas and even ice cream, these flowers can be used to brighten arrangements – marigolds, calendula, viola, nasturtium, rose petals, hibiscus, citrus blossoms and many of the blossoms of herbs typically grown.
Eggplant – One eggplant per 5-gallon container, at least 12 inches deep for each plant.
Garlic – choose a pot that is at least 6-8 inches deep and as wide as possible; you’ll need to leave 5-6 inches of space between each clove you plant.
Kale – can be grown in small sized pots. Each plant requires at least 6 inches of space.
Kohlrabi – 3 transplants per 5-gallon container.
Lettuce – one transplant per 1-gallon container. Choose a wide planter rather than deep; six inches deep is fine. When planting, make sure to leave at least four inches between each plant. Leaf lettuces can be grown more closely than head lettuces. You can harvest leaf lettuce multiple times throughout the (cool) growing season.
Okra – Dwarf okra varieties are more suitable for containers. Pot should be at least 3 gallons in size. Ideally, a 5-gallon pot that is 10-12 inches deep and similar in diameter would be better. Best to choose a black colored pot as okra loves heat.
Onion – in 1 gallon or larger container, thin to 2 inches between green onions and 6 inches between bulb onions.
Peas – direct seed into a 5-gallon container and thin to 5 inches apart. Choose a dwarf or bush type variety and do regular and frequent watering as peas prefer slightly moist soil. Peppers and chilies – A large pot that is at least 12 inches deep and 16 inches across is optimum, or a 5-gallon container. It may require a cage or stick for support.
Radish – in 2 gallon or larger container, thin to 3 inches apart. Can also grow them in small and wide pots. A planter that is just 6 inches deep is enough but if you want to grow larger varieties use an 8 to 10-inch-deep pot. Allow 3 inches of space between each plant.
Spinach – in 1 gallon or larger container, at least 6-8 inches deep, space 3 inches apart.
Strawberries – minimum pot 10-12 inches in diameter by 8 inches deep. Cultivars adapted to Florida include Camarosa (best for north FL home gardeners), Sweet Charlie, Florida Belle, Florida 90, and Festival. June bearing.
Summer squash – Summer squashes (Zucchini) are more productive than winter squashes. Plant two transplants per 5-gallon container. There are bush varieties that don’t require support.
Swiss chard – 4 plants per 5-gallon container. Each plant requires at least 6 inches of space.
Tomatoes – One transplant per 5-gallon container, at least 20 inches across for standard and vining types. The easiest to grow in containers are dwarf varieties of the determinate (reach a certain size and stop growing) type. Bushsteak, Bush Champion, Early Girl Bush, and Window Box Roma are just a few of the many choices. They need little to no support. Also grow cherry tomatoes as they are very high yielding with long staying power.

Additional plants made for patio life:

‘Baby Cakes’ blackberry, ‘Mini Love’ watermelon, ‘Raspberry Shortcake’ raspberry, ‘Angel Red’ pomegranate, ‘Little Ragu’ sweet bay, ‘Celestial’ fig, Meyer lemon, dwarf navel orange, Key lime, Kaffir lime, limequat, ‘Truly Tiny’ banana, ‘Smooth Cayenne’ pineapple, turmeric, and culinary ginger.

Click Here to view or download this guide as a PDF.

From our office in Atlantic Beach and satellites throughout Northeast Florida, Rockaway Inc proudly serves clients in Jacksonville, St Augustine, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Ponte Vedra, Nocatee, and Fernandina Beach.

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Customer Information

What to Grow You may already have a productive warm season garden and just need to decide which cool season crops you’ll now grow and where. It’s helpful to record the varieties you grew and include any notes you want to remember for the following seasons. It’s also important to rotate crops from year to year to increase soil fertility and break the life cycle of disease organisms and pests. Our handouts “Planting Guide for North Florida Vegetables” and “Planting Guide for North Florida Culinary Herbs” can help you decide on your crops. Use the Plant Family column so you can avoid successively planting vegetables from the same family. Grow what your family likes to eat and if it’s your first time, don’t try too much at once. You can also plant small amounts in 2 week intervals to keep a manageable amount coming.

When to Grow

Bush, lima and pole beans, summer and winter squash, and cucumber can still be grown this time of year but you might prefer to renovate your garden at this time to ready for the cool season crops and a second crop of tomatoes, eggplants and peppers. Seeds of most cool weather crops can be started in late August. Turnips, carrots, and celery, and onion sets are all best planted directly into the garden. You can also start seeds either in ground or starter pots of beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, endive, kale, collards and mustard (take a little extra care if transplanting mustards instead of direct sowing). In September, arugula, kohlrabi, lettuce, radish, spinach, strawberries and swiss chard can be planted. Many of herbs we typically grow prefer the cool season, including parsley, sage, cilantro, dill, fennel, chervil and thyme. Consult the Planting Guide for North Florida Culinary Herbs to see more precise dates for successful planting.

Where to Grow

If you don’t already have a garden location, choose the sunniest site on your property. Account for any deciduous trees that may block light when they’re leafed out. Easy access to the kitchen is a plus. If the land has some slope and you garden in rows, align the rows perpendicular to the slope to decrease runoff. Otherwise align them east to west for best sun exposure. Also keep in mind that taller plants like tomatoes, or trellised plants should be located where they won’t block the sun from shorter plants. Some crops can get by with a little less sun than others so if you have some shadier spots in your garden, refer again to our planting guides for vegetables and culinary herbs to see the approximate sun needs for various plants.

How to Grow

If you’ve already created a vegetable garden, clean out the summer crops that are spent and remove any other debri. Don’t compost anything that looks diseased as the heat may not kill certain diseases and nematodes. Reinforce raised bed structures if needed or clean up the boundaries of your beds. A soil test would be advisable at this point. Based on the test, add recommended amounts of fertilizer. Next add organic matter. Compost improves soil and plant growth regardless of the type of soil you’re adding it to. Spread a 3-4 inch layer over the bed and lightly work in.

If you need to create a garden, probably the most productive and attractive way to grow a garden, especially in our area where soils lack nutrients and good texture, is to create raised beds. There are many advantages to a raised bed, and one of the biggest is that it doesn’t involve tilling. Tilling has become less popular in the home garden – it contributes to top soil loss, can increase weeds by bringing seeds up where they will germinate, and destroys the structure of the soil and the beneficial organisms living there. Many sites describe how to build a raised bed (for example, the UF document ENH1211). They can be built any size but limiting them to 4’ wide allows you to reach from both sides without walking into the bed. Raised planters complement square foot gardening, first proposed by Mel Bartholomew, which has become a popular and efficient way to garden.

Create your Bed

Once you’ve located your garden, if you’ve built raised beds, it’s time to create your soil mix. A 1-1-1 mix (by volume) of compost, peat moss and vermiculite makes the perfect soil. If you don’t have your own garden compost, then combine different kinds of store compost to ensure you’re putting a variety of nutrients into the mix. Once the planters are filled, mark off 1’ by 1’ squares with a sturdy grid. One-inch-wide strips of wood lath work well for this and give you a constant point of reference for spacing your plants correctly. Again refer to our “Planting Guide for North Florida Vegetables” and “Planting Guide for North Florida Culinary Herbs” for suggested number of plants per square foot, for both transplants and seeds.

Plant your Garden

Before planting, spray the soil to moisten it thoroughly. Seed packets will list the sowing depth, but generally seeds are planted at a depth about equal to their size or a little deeper. Position trellises as you plant transplants (see our article “How to Make Trellises”). Lightly water your new plants or seeds in and keep moist. With the right soil mix in the garden, fertilizer is less
necessary, as nutrients are added when additional compost is refreshed at the end of the season. Keep your beds tidy and watered. A serpentine soaker hose run through the bed beneath the soil surface is an efficient, water-wise practice. Hand watering can supplement the irrigation regulated by the SJRWMD. Check on your garden daily and harvest often.

References

Bartholomew, M., 2013, All New Square Foot Gardening, 2nd edition, Cool Springs Press, Minneapolis, MN, 272 pp.
DelValle, T.B., Gardening in Raised Beds, ENH1211/EP472, Gainesville: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, July 2016. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep472

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Growing plants from seeds indoors takes minimal supplies – a container, lightweight seed starting medium, seeds and a light source. Trays with transparent covers are also handy to keep soil moist until plants are about 2-3” tall. A spray bottle can be used to water the containers without displacing the soil.

You can use a variety of containers, from paper cups with drain holes to plastic cell packs which have dividers for multiple plants. If you’re growing many plants, its best to use pots which when grouped, fit nicely in a tray. Since they can be planted right into the ground where they decompose, peat pots are great for growing crops that don’t like to be disrupted once they start growing. A tip for peat pots, though, is to cut off the upper rim when planting so the exposed pot doesn’t wick soil moisture away from the plant.

Starting seeds indoors is a handy way to get a jump on the season while outdoor conditions are too harsh for seedlings. In spring, that means starting your seeds about 6 weeks before the last expected frost date. The first of February could be your start date in North Florida. This is approximate as crops take different amounts of time to germinate or grow to a size strong enough to transplant. You should also work in some days to harden off the seedling (put it outdoors increasingly longer each day for it to become adjusted to the change in temperature and sun). In fall, you may want to start some cool sea-son crops early indoors where they are sheltered from the heat. Use our “Planting Guide for North Florida Vegetables” and our “Planting Guide for North Florida Culinary Herbs” for the appropriate range of months to plant transplants and seeds OUTDOORS for each crop.

Use a bucket to hold the seed starting mix while you moisten it with water. Dry mix repels water and is more difficult to wet once it is in a container. Fill the container with moistened seed starting mix, press lightly and leave room to water. Refer to the seed packet for the depth to plant the seed. Create a hole with a pencil tip or similar, drop a couple seeds in and cover with more medium. (The extra seed is planted in case not all seeds germinate but some gardeners would rather plant one seed and not have to thin any plants later. If you do need to thin plants growing together, it is better to snip off the ones you cull rather than pull them up and risk unsettling the roots of the keeper.)

Label your containers with the variety planted and the planting date. Keep your planted seeds warm to speed germination. A heat mat can be used, but that can cause the containers to dry too quickly. It is the water that starts the germination process. Once the seed starts taking in water and growing, it can’t go on hold to grow later – disruption in moisture will kill the seed. Although most seeds don’t need light to germinate, a clear cover will help retain the moisture and allow light to reach the plant once it has germinated. Light can be supplied by a full spectrum artificial source a few inches above the plants if sunlight is not available. LED lights have the advantage of staying cool.

Once the seedlings start to emerge, the cover should be positioned to allow a little air flow. The first set of leaves to emerge are called cotyledons. Up to this point all the energy for the plant has come from the seed. The second set of leaves are true leaves, capable of photosynthesis. When they emerge, you can remove the cover and begin watering with a dilute liquid fertilizer weekly.

When all danger of frost has passed for warm season seedlings, or conditions are cool for cool season crops, you can start the hardening off process by gradually introducing them to outdoor conditions and sun exposure. On the first day put them in a sheltered spot with no sun for 3 or 4 hours then bring them back inside. Add 2 or 3 hours each day to their time outside, bringing them back in at night. After 2 or 3 days put them in morning sun for the first part of the day, move into the shade in the afternoon and bring them in at night. After 7 days the seedlings should be able to stay outside all day in the sun but remember they can dry easily in their small containers. Leave them out at night if the temperature stays above 50° for spring crops. They can be planted in the garden after 7-10 days. Try not to plant at the sunniest time of day and water them in well. Now they’re part of your garden!

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What to Grow You may already have a productive cool season garden and just need to decide which warm season crops you’ll grow and where. It’s helpful to record the varieties you grew and include any notes you want to remember the following season. It’s also important to rotate crops from year to year to increase soil fertility and break the life cycle of disease organisms and pests. Our handouts “Planting Guide for North Florida Vegetables” and “Planting Guide for North Florida Culinary Herbs” can help you decide on your crops. Use the Plant Family column so you can avoid successively planting vegetables from the same family. Vegetables you can start in spring include bush, pole and lima beans, cantaloupe, corn, cucumber, eggplant, endive, lettuce, okra, peas, peppers, Irish and sweet potatoes, summer and winter squash, tomatoes and watermelon. Use the guides for specific planting times. Some crops will be able to go further into summer than others before succumbing to the heat, and only a handful like pumpkin, Malabar spinach, okra, sweet potatoes, hot peppers and southern peas, will be able to grow in the hottest part of summer. Warm season herbs include basil, bay laurel, Cuban oregano, culantro, lavender, lemon balm, lemon grass, lemon verbena, Mexican tarragon, mint, purslane, roselle, rosemary and stevia. Others can also be started in spring for a shorter growing season. Grow what your family likes to eat and if it’s your first time, don’t try too much at once. You can also plant small amounts in 2 week intervals to keep a manageable amount coming.

Where to Grow If you don’t already have a garden location, choose the sunniest site on your property. Account for any deciduous trees that may block light once they leaf out. Easy access to the kitchen is a plus. If the land has some slope and you garden in rows, align the rows perpendicular to the slope to decrease runoff. Otherwise align them east to west for best sun exposure. Also keep in mind that taller plants like okra, or trellised plants should be located where they won’t block the sun from shorter plants. Some crops can get by with a little less sun than others so if you have some shadier spots in your garden, refer again to our vegetable and herb planting guides to see the approximate sun needs for various plants.

How to Grow Probably the most productive and attractive way to grow a garden, especially in our area where soils lack nutrients and good texture, is to create raised beds. There are many advantages to a raised bed, and one of the biggest is that it doesn’t involve tilling. Tilling has become less popular in the home garden – it contributes to top soil loss, can increase weeds by bringing seeds up where they will germinate, and destroys the structure of the soil and the beneficial organisms living there. Many sites describe how to build a raised bed and our sister site Locally Laid can build custom beds for you.. They can be built any size but limiting them to 4’ wide allows you to reach from both sides without walking into the bed. Raised planters complement square foot gardening, first proposed by Mel Bartholomew, which has become a popular and efficient way to garden.

Create your Bed Once you’ve located your garden, if you’ve built raised beds, it’s time to create your soil mix. A 1-1-1 mix (by volume) of compost, peat moss and vermiculite makes the perfect soil. If you don’t have your own garden compost, then combine different kinds of store compost to ensure you’re putting a variety of nutrients into the mix. Once the planters are filled, mark off 1’ by 1’ squares with a sturdy grid. One-inch-wide strips of wood lath work well for this and give you a constant point of reference for spacing your plants correctly. Refer to our “Planting Guide for North Florida Vegetables” for suggested number of plants per square foot, for both transplants and seeds.

Plant your Garden Before planting, spray the soil to moisten it thoroughly. Seed packets will list the sowing depth, but generally seeds are planted at a depth about equal to their size or a little deeper. Position trellises as you plant transplants (see our article on How to Make Trellises). Lightly water your new plants or seeds in and keep moist. With the right soil mix in the garden, fertilizer is less necessary, as nutrients are added when additional compost is refreshed at the end of the season. Keep your beds tidy and watered. A serpentine soaker hose run through the bed beneath the soil surface is an efficient, water-wise practice. Hand watering can supplement the irrigation regulated by the SJRWMD. Check on your garden daily and harvest often.

References
Bartholomew, M., 2013, All New Square Foot Gardening, 2nd edition, Cool Springs Press, Minneapolis, MN, 272 pp.
DelValle, T.B., Gardening in Raised Beds, ENH1211/EP472, Gainesville: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, July 2016. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep472

The post Start a Spring Vegetable Garden appeared first on Rockaway Sustainable Landscaping - Jacksonville FL.

Consider this planting guide for North Florida culinary herbs to prepare for a healthy and delicious harvest.

Plants in brown are annuals or biennials.

North Florida is all of Florida north of State Road 40. We are in USDA Hardiness Zone 9a and 9b (minimum expected winter temperature of 20°), and AHS Heat Zone 8 (91-120 days > 86°). See the updated USDA Plant Hardiness Zones at www.planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

¹ Planting Time Outdoors is for transplants/plants (T) or seeds (S). Timing assumes that the average last frost date for the year is Mar 15 and average first frost date is Dec 3.
² Heat Tolerant – able to grow in North Florida summer temperatures and humidity.
³ Min. Temp F° – the minimum temperature a plant can experience and survive. Damage, die back (plants resprout in the spring) and reduced harvest for the season may occur at warmer temperatures. Variations can be caused by several factors such as age of plant, length of cold, root establishment and type of cultivar.
⁴ Water needs – as with all plantings, this is the moisture recommendation after establishment.
⁵ Square Foot Gardening technique.
⁶ Although the seeds of most plants don’t need light to germinate, those of many of the herbs do. When an entry lists “Surface”, the seeds are to be scattered on potting soil in a container or on prepared garden soil, and lightly pressed against the soil (good contact improves moisture retention). If outdoors, they should be lightly dusted with a very fine cover of soil or vermiculite to protect the seed. Indoors, no cover is needed. The goal is to shield the seed from drying out but allow exposure to light. Use a fine mist spray to keep moist until germination.
If only a vegetative option is listed, either seed may not be produced, is sterile or has very low viability, seed produced plants wouldn’t have desired qualities of the parent, or vegetative propagation is much easier.
⁷ Rotate plant families. Avoid successively planting herbs from the same family in the same area of the garden.

Although often available as plants, culantro, nasturtium, parsley, dill, borage, cilantro, chervil, and fennel are more typically grown from seed because they can be difficult to transplant. If not grown in a biodegradable pot, use care when transplanting these.

How to fertilize: In general, herbs should be fertilized moderately to avoid stimulating lush growth that is less flavorful. Fertilize at half recommended amount when you do fertilize, if herbs are in garden soil. Container grown plants may need more fertilizer.

Latest USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Maps Update

From our office in Atlantic Beach and satellites throughout Northeast Florida, Rockaway Inc proudly serves both commercial and residential landscape design, maintenance, lawn care, irrigation, and outdoor living carpentry client needs in Jacksonville, St Augustine, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Ponte Vedra, Nocatee, St. Johns, and Fernandina Beach.

The post Planting Guide for North Florida Culinary Herbs appeared first on Rockaway Sustainable Landscaping - Jacksonville FL.