Alternative Community Farmer/WPB.FL

Gardening in the tropics...are you going bananas!

Lots of Snow birds(South migrating Up North folks) flock to  warm Florida every year .I meet a lot of them at  local community gardens who approach me with this question: How come your VEGIE garden is so BEAUTIFUL and BOUNTIFUL?

I ask them to sign up for my next FREE GARDEN WORKSHOP and they disappear. THEY WANT ANSWERS RIGHT NOW!

Gardening first of all is a PROCESS!You learn as you go and grow.

 Gardening in the Tropics is not the same as  in New York, for example.

I try to explain to them that they need to LEARN THE FLORIDA WAY which is different, but not difficult.Best way to learn is HANDS ON! Most prefer to ask questions and read books.Ok ,it is good to know , but practice makes perfect.JUST DO IT.

You need to start somewhere ,anyhow.. a container will do!

In order to spread the awareness ,I self published a garden manual .I give  copies of it  for free for those braves  who dare to invite me to help them set up a fruit and vegetable garden and replace the inefficient lawn  in their front or back yards.

Gardening books , college courses ,most advertized garden WORKSHOPS are so easy to get access into .True ,they all cost MONEY.Mine are for FREE!

It is not BUSINESS AS USUAL for me to sell gardening /farming EDUCATION.I do not go to those workshops and classes that ask for money, just to give you information that is FREE to get at your local library,internet  sites:like localharvest.com ,for instance.

Here are some FREE tips from my  garden manual in case you fall into the SNOW BIRD category, and love to ask questions :

1- Find a good location for your plot.Florida has  mostly SANDY soil..Let us say you want to grow a garden in South Florida  .First thing you need to do is check out the PH of the soi,to find the scale of alkaline /acidic level .

2-Next step build your own top soil and ammend accordingly.Best PH for you Florida 9-10 zone region is the one above 5 and less than 7..Remember that the Ph is the most important indicator for a healthy absorption and assimilation of ingredients by the plant.

3- Soil texture:I use mostly compost and manure in building my top soil.There are ingredients that you may want to add to enrich the soil like bone neal,blood meal,seaweed,sawdust etc..

4-Check out what native plants grow well in the region.From my experience, I start with :Native plants which are draught tolerant, like the KALALO , caribean spinach,wild cherry tomato,papaya etc.

5-Wear and carry a safety garden gear:Sun glasses,hat,gloves etc.

6-Drink your water ,learn about the garden ERGONOMICS, and get the right tools.

In the times of economic crunch , best refuge is the farm/garden.

I have accumulated enough COMMUNITY FARMING EXPERIENCE during my last twenty years and I want to share it with you : FREE.

Sign up in my Free Workshops or invite me to your events /network/school/wellness center/meet-up group-If you LIVE in FLORIDA , close by  ...I will stop by.

Bye for now.

Tony  :)Florida