Alternative Community Farmer/WPB.FL

This is your first time gardening in the HOT ZONES of 8-9-10.

You are frustrated and intimidated as you try hard to set up a vegetable garden in the new GREEN RUSH for backyard ORGANIC gardens.Relax, help is on the way.

Reading so many books from different climatic regions is on no use.Here in the DEEP SOUTH ..you are in a hot zone.Imagine yourself in Africa or in a remote desert..It is a discomfortable zone and still you insist on growing your own.GOOOOD.

Here are some suggestions :

A)What to plant?

1)PLANT to choosefrom:Natives or heat loving fruits like Cherry Tomato,Melons and Papaya.Vegetables: Okra,Caribean Spinach,peppers.Herbs:Basil.Cuban oregano,Lemon Grass and Aloe Vera.

B)Where to plant?

Location- Location-Location:Check out  for flooding area.Choose between raised beds or deep doubledug trencjhes depending on drainage.Set the Vegetable garden to the east or south of your home or in area with rtall structures to provide shelter from sizzling heat.

C) Which Irrigation system?

Install dip irrigation and or use rain barrels .We are in drought and there are water restrictions.Take this into  account.

D)What is best for sun protectio?

Select fruits and vegetables plants with broad leaves that protect from the scalding sun.For Fruit choose banana,for vegetables choose caribean spinach for example.

E)What about the undergrounds ?

Tubers do good in Florida summer because the rain is non-stop and the heat is dissipated  above the ground, the underground tubers will do good.Example: Try sweat potato,yam family\

Miscellaneous:

Some herbs do great in the Florida summer like basil,aloe vera,lemon grassetc..Try a shaded area for bewst result in the summer with 50% sun exposure.

Start from seeds .Experiment in flats .Use growers flats.Hands on is the best teacher.Books confuse you especially those gardening books that adress the OUT OF STATE gardening.

Form a group of networking gardeners and share experience and knowledge.Community efforts now are making more common sense than the financial markets!

RESPECT.APPRECIATE.JUST DO IT...start in a can or container.YES YOU CAN!