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Fall Vegetables Get Their Start Now

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A Tribune staff and wire report

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 21, 2008

Beat high produce prices by growing your own. Now is the time to get seeds for pole beans, broccoli, celery, collards, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, green onions, pepper, pumpkin, Southern peas, summer squash, tomatoes, turnips and watermelon.

To succeed, start at the ground floor. In Florida, it's a safe bet that you'll need to add organic matter such as grass clippings, leaves, manure or compost. Till it in, wait two weeks and have the soil pH tested at your county Cooperative Extension office.

Vegetables don't have to have their own bed. Mingle them among established ornamental plants, or grow them in containers, which allow you to move them in and out of the sun.

Vegetables do need lots of sunlight, generally at least six hours a day. Those with edible roots - beets, carrots and radishes - plus broccoli and cauliflower can get by with an hour less sun. And leafy plants such as lettuce or spinach do better with protection from the hot afternoon sun.

Add a slow-release fertilizer if you haven't fed the bed during the year. If you have, don't bother. Organic fertilizers such as cottonseed meal work well, though there are plenty of nonorganic fertilizers available. One tip: Before going to the garden center, measure your bed so you'll know exactly how much to buy.

Make sure the soil is moist before you plant seeds, as it aids germination. Also, regular watering after you plant is vital to ensure that the August heat doesn't burn your crop.

Experienced gardeners recommend fertilizing again a few weeks after planting. Just water in the fertilizer around the base of each plant.

Water can make the difference in whether your vegetable crop succeeds or fails. Too much can drown plants; too little and they die.

The most recommended method, both for the plants and for your pocketbook, is to water deeply, but only when needed. Stick your finger into the soil near the plants. If you feel moisture a few inches down, you can wait to water. If dry, water enough to get the soil moist at least 6 inches deep.

The Web site www .learn2grow.com explains different systems for watering vegetables:

Drip irrigation:

Delivers precise amounts of water directly to plant roots. Can be time-consuming to set up initially. Saves water costs in the long run.

Trench irrigation:

Used when vegetables are planted in rows. Fill a trench that you dig alongside your row vegetables with water. The water will penetrate deeply into the root zone.

Soaker-hose irrigation:

Like drip irrigation, soaker hoses deliver water directly to roots. They are not as precise, though they are usually cheaper and easier to lay down.

Tribune staff and wires

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