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Florida home garden

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Title:
Florida home garden
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Bulletin - University of Florida Agricultural Experiment Station ; 131
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Jamison, F. S.
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Gainesville, Fla.
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Cooperative extension work in agriculture and home economics
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English

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City of Tallahassee ( flgeo )
Seeds ( jstor )
Soil science ( jstor )
Crops ( jstor )

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Bulletn 131December, 1946


UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE
A. P. Spencer, Director
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA


R.',idon Of no. 2DL


THE

FLORIDA HOME GARDEN

By F. S. JAMISON
Truck Horticulturist, Florida Agricultural Experiment Station


Fig. 1.-Home gardening is a popular project with 4-H girls.


Bulletin 131







BOARD OF CONTROL


J. THOS. GURNEY, Chairman, Orlando M. L. MERSHON, Miami J. HENSON MARKHAM, Jacksonville N. B. JORDAN, Quincy THos. W. BRYANT, Lakeland J. T. DIAMOND, Secretary, Tallahassee

STAFF, AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE
JOHN J. TICERT, M.A., LL.D., President of the University H. HAROLD HUME, D.Sc., Provost for Agriculture A. P. SPENCER, M.S., Director of Extension MARSHALL 0. WATKINS, B.S.A., Assistant to the Director

Agricultural Demonstration Work, Gainesville
J. FRANCIS COOPER, M.S.A., Editor' CLYDE BEALE, A.B.J., Associate Editor' JEFFERSON THOMAS, Assistant Editor RUBY NEWHALL, Administrative Manager' W. T. NETTLES, B.S., District Agent J. LEE SMITH, District Agent and Agronomist E. F. DEBuSK, B.S., State Supervisor, Emergency Farm Labor H. S. MCLENDON, B.A., Asst. State Supervisor, Emergency Farm Labor HANS 0. ANDERSEN, B.S.A., Asst. State Supervisor, EFL P. L. PEADEN, M.A., Asst. State Supervisor, EFL H. G. CLAYTON, M.S.A., Director, P. & M. Admin. R. S. DENNIS, B.S.A., Assistant Director, P. & M. Admin. R. W. BLACKLOCK, A.B., Boys' Club Agent W. W. BROWN, B.S.A., Assistant Boys' Club Agent A. L. SHEALY, D.V.M., Animal Industrialist' N. R. MEHRHOF, M.Agr., Poultry Husbandman' FRANK S. PERRY, B.S.A., Asst. Poultry Husbandman WALTER J. SHEELY, B.S., Animal Husbandman A. W. O'STEEN, B.S.A., Supervisor, Egg-Laying Test L. T. NIELAND, Farm Forester C. V. NOBLE, Ph.D., Agricultural Economist' CHARLES M. HAMPSON, M.S., Agricultural Economist, Farm Management D. E. TIMMONS, M.S.A., Economist in Marketing' K. S. MCMULLEN, B.S.A., District Agent JOHN M. JOHNSON, B.S.A., Agricultural Engineer

Home Demonstration Work, Tallahassee
MARY E. KEOWN, M.S., State Agent RUBY MCDAVID, District Agent ETHYL HOLLOWAY, B.S., District Agent MRS. EDITH Y. BARRUS, District Agent ANNA MAE SIKES, M.S., Specialist in Nutrition ISABELLE S. THURSBY, Specialist in Food Conservation JOYCE BEViS, M.A., Clothing Specialist

Negro Extension Work, Tallahassee
A. A. TURNER, Local District Agent FLOY BRITT, B.S.H.E., Local District Agent
I Part-time.
2 On leave.


COOPERATIVE EXTENSION WORK IN AGRICULTURE AND HOME ECONOMICS (Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914) Agricultural Extension Service, University of Florida, Florida State College for Women and
United States Department of Agriculture, cooperating. A. P. Spencer, Director.









THE FLORIDA HOME GARDEN
By F. S. JAMISON

Considered either for its monetary value or as a source of wholesome and healthful food, the home vegetable garden usually is the most valuable piece of land on the farm.
The Florida home gardener may harvest vegetables each month of the year. However, the various crops grow best during certain seasons and the gardener should try to grow the crops during these best seasons. By carefully selecting the proper vegetables, the gardener can have an adequate supply of fresh vegetables during most of the year. Vegetables harvested from one's own garden are fresh, vitamin-packed, of good quality.

LOCATION OF THE GARDEN

Every effort should be made to select a desirable piece of soil for the garden where seeds, fertilizer and labor may be used advantageously. The plot selected should be fertile and be either naturally moist or provided with irrigation for dry seasons and should have good drainage for wet seasons. Heavier soils on the edge of hammocks and in drained lowlands make good garden spots. Many hours of labor will be saved the housewife, and the family will be assured of more vegetables, if the garden is located conveniently close to the house. It should be well fenced to protect it from rabbits, chickens and other animals.
Size will depend upon the number of individuals in the family, and upon the care and attention given the garden. It should be large enough to supply fresh vegetables not only for immediate consumption but also for canning, pickling and storage.
There are 2 distinct ways to care for a farm or home vegetable garden. The first and probably most satisfactory way is to use a relatively small area, fertilize it heavily, plant the crops relatively close together and do the planting and cultivating with hand tools. The other method is to use a large area, planting the rows far enough apart to allow for cultivating with field equipment. More care probably will be given to the small garden. Quite often gardeners find it profitable to grow certain crops such as watermelons, cantaloupes, sweet potatoes -and Irish potatoes in the field and grow only those crops in the garden which will produce heavily on a small area.






Florida Cooperative Extension


SEED FOR PLANTING
Good vegetable seed can be purchased from many reliable sources. The important thing in purchasing seed is to know the amount required, the variety adapted to the particular needs. and the growing conditions to which it will be subjected. Many gardeners find it advantageous to secure seed catalogs, even though they purchase at local stores.
The gardener should know the variety of vegetable best suited to his needs, and not be satisfied to buy just carrot, beet or cabbage seed. Since seed is such a small part of the cost in growing the garden, it is usually wise to purchase enough so that one replanting can be made if necessary.

TREATING SEED FOR PLANTING
All cultivated Florida soils are more or less infested with bacteria or fungi which often cause decay of seed, resulting in poor stands. The extent of damage varies with soil type and condition, time of planting and variety of crop. Under certain conditions seed decay may cause a complete failure to one planting and no damage to the same crop planted only a few weeks later. Unfortunately, there is no means for determining in advance what the outcome will be.
However, certain chemicals applied to the seed before planting will protect them against decay and it is considered good insurance to treat them. Several chemicals are recommended. The ones most commonly used on vegetable seed are spergon and arasan-both used as dusts.
They may be applied by shaking the seed and dust together for a minute in a closed glass jar, bottle or tin can. As a rule, the seed will not retain enough of the chemical to injure them. Consequently, it is unnecessary to measure the amount of dust for treating small quantities of seed. Excess dust may be left in the jar or removed by pouring the seed on a screen. For treating 1 pound or more of seed, using measured amounts of the chemical saves dust. For each pound of seed use 1 level teaspoonful of spergon or 1/4 teaspoonful of arasan.
Be sure the chemical is not removed from the treated seed in handling. If damping-off should begin to develop in the seedlings as they emerge f rom the soil, check it by wetting the soil with a suspension of the seed-treating material. Follow directions on the package.







The Florida Home Garden


VEGETABLE VARIETIES
That there-is a tremendous difference among varieties cannot be emphasized too strongly. Quite often success with a garden depends upon care in selecting proper varieties. Caref ully select varieties for climatic conditions and for adaptation to a particular purpose. The varieties given in Table 1 are adapted to Florida. The wise gardener will select varieties from this list, unless he has tried others and found them superior. The list has been prepared for home gardeners and not for the commercial truck grower.

OBTAINING PLANTS
The home gardener can grow cabbage, tomato, onion, pepper and other vegetable plants. But often he finds it advantageous to purchase from a local grower. Or he may buy plants from a larger plant grower doing a mail order business. He should be sure to specify definite varieties. Usually the plants he obtains in this way are satisfactory. However, there is always danger of bringing in diseases with the plants.
Home gardeners who wish to grow plants find a shallow box filled with hammock soil an ideal place for this purpose. In

Fig. 2-4-H club boys also grow numerous successful gardens in Florida.






Florida Cooperative Extension


unfavorable weather they can protect the young plants by covering them with paper or cloth or by moving the entire box to a safe place. Some home gardeners prepare with extra care a small plot in the garden for growing plants for transplanting. They must provide protection from frost or freezes in winter or early spring, from the hot sun and dashing rains in late summer. Old fertilizer bags washed clean, or other such materials afford good protection. The cloth is stretched tightly over the plants, 10 to 12 inches above them to insure adequate ventilation.
Plants handled properly in the bed or flat grow much better when transplanted. As transplanting time approaches, gradually harden the plants by subjecting them to slightly adverse growing conditions so that they will store food instead of using it in growing. Leave off the cover protecting the young plants a little longer each day so that for the last week before transplanting it is not used. Withhold water from the plants for longer periods than usual.

TRANSPLANTING
Suitable plants planted properly and at the right season usually grow. Water plants thoroughly 12 hours before they are removed from the seedbed. Place them in firm soil, well worked and free of trash. Set them slightly deeper in the garden than they were in the seedbed, and carefully press the soil around the roots. Water them following transplanting to supply needed soil moisture and help to bring the soil into close contact with the roots.
Plants may be transplanted at any time of day. Protect them from the hot sun, however, if transplanting in the morning or during midday. Palmetto leaves or shingles stuck into the ground alongside the plants will shade them. Plants transplanted in late afternoon or evening suffer less shock.

PREPARING THE SOIL
Prepare the soil in the garden carefully. Burn, rake off, or, much better turn into the soil the crop residue on the ground so that it is well decomposed by planting time. Raking or burning plant residue destroys the organic matter so valuable in maintaining soil fertility. However, the gardener should remove old plant growth to get the land into shape for planting small seeds or to destroy diseased materials.






The Florida Home Garden


Select a soil free of weeds if possible. If this is impracticable, eliminate such plants as bermuda grass by carefully raking out the stems and roots as the ground is spaded or plowed, A few hours of extra work before planting will save many hours of hoeing later . Do not plant in areas severely infested with rootknot nematodes.
Spade well or plow the land some time before planting begins. Just previous to planting, rework the soil until you secure a fine, firm seedbed free of weeds, grass and other materials that would interfere with planting.
FERTILIZERS
Practically all soils in the state require the addition of plant foods for the production of satisfactory crops. Part of this plant food, particularly nitrogen, can be supplied by animal manures. In fact, manure is one of the most satisfactory fertilizing materials that the gardener can use. In sufficient quantities it will furnish all the necessary elements except phosphoric acid. To balance the plant foods, use approximately 200 pounds of superphosphate for every ton of manure.
There is really no limit to the amount of well-rotted animal manures that can be applied. Approximately 25 pounds of manure and 21/.,, pounds of 16 percent superphosphate for each 100 square feet of garden will be adequate. If the manure is not well-rotted and larger quantities are used, apply it 2 or 3 months before planting and work well into the soil, so that it will partially decompose before the garden is planted.
When manure is not available, use commercial fertilizers. Probably the best fertilizer for general purposes on sandy or clay soils is one analyzing 5% nitrogen, 7% phosphoric acid and 5 % potash. Apply it at the rate of 21/2 to 5 pounds to each 100 square feet of area. On muck or peat soils the fertilizer should contain less nitrogen and more potash. On most mucks and peats, a fertilizer containing 317o nitrogen, 8 11o phosphoric acid and 10 or 12 Vo potash will produce satisfactory crops. Apply it at a rate of 11/2 to 3 pounds for each 100 square feet of area.
If broadcasting fertilizer, particularly on sandy soils, apply it 10 days to 2 weeks before planting the crop. A superior method of applying fertilizer is to place it in a band on each side of the seed or plant row. The band should be 2 or 3 inches away from the seeds or plants and 1 or 2 inches below the level of the seed or plant roots. Fertilizer may be applied by this method at time of planting.






Florida Cooperative Extension


SOIL ACIDITY
In addition to drainage, irrigation and proper fertilizer, several other things are necessary in growing good vegetables. Most plants grow best in a slightly acid soil. If planted in an extremely acid soil they will soon turn yellow, appear stunted and develop other symptoms of poor nutrition. To remedy this condition, apply lime. On most sandy soils a half ton of finely ground dolomite will correct the condition. Do not apply lime until you determine that the garden soil is -too acid.
Very sweet soil quite often requires special treatment before it will produce maximum yields. If the garden is planted on marl, or muck, or sand that has marl close to the surface, add manganese sulphate to the fertilizer or apply it to the plants as a spray. If added to the fertilizer, usually will suffice.

SIDE-DRESSING
Nitrogen is easily leached from sandy soils by excessive irrigation or rainfall. This makes it often desirable to apply nitrogen and sometimes potash after the plants are growing. This is particularly true on well-drained sandy soils. Any readily soluble nitrogen-bearing material is satisfactory for this top-dressing or side-dressing. The most commonly used materials are nitrate of soda or a mixture of nitrate of soda and some soluble form of potash. Never apply more than I pound of top-dressing materials for each 100 square feet of area. Half this amount is a heavy application. Several light applications of top-dressing usually are superior to I heavy application. Apply the material when the foliage is dry.
To fruiting plants such as tomatoes, cucumbers and watermelons apply it either well ahead of or after fruit setting, not while the plant is setting fruit. Large amounts of nitrogen sometimes cause excessive vegetative growth and poor or delayed fruit set.
PLANTING
Time of planting has much to do with successful growth of any crop. Table 1 gives the approximate dates that each vegetable may be planted. The gardener's own good judgment, however, will help him to plant at the proper time. If the garden location is relatively warm or cold as compared with adjoining areas, he will select a planting date accordingly. Then, too, some seasons are warm and others cold. The home gardener







The Florida Home Garden 9

can afford to take some risk to assure an early or late crop. However, it is important that consideration be given to the risks of having the crop frosted or of running into too hot weather for proper maturity.
Use care in planting the seed at the proper distances and depths. Study Table 2 to learn the distance between rows and between seeds or plants in the row. Plant seed thicker in the row than the plants are to stand. After the plants are well started thin to the approximate distances given in Table 2.
Table 2 also lists planting depths for seed of the different crops. Where different depths are listed for the same seed, plant shallow on heavy or very moist soils, deep on light and dry soils.
CULTIVATING THE GARDEN
Contrary to popular opinion, the primary purpose of cultivation is to control weeds and not to conserve moisture. Make every effort to keep weeds out of the garden. In using a wheel hoe or cultivator, set the teeth or knives shallow so that the weeds will be cut off close to the surface of the soil. Deep
Fig. 3-But Mother plays second fiddle to no one when it comes to growing a good garden. She knows how those fresh vegetables help to keep the whole family healthy and happy.











%







TABLE .-VARIETIES AND PLANTING TIME FOR FLORIDA VEGETABLES.


Kind



Beans
Bush


Beans
Pole
Beans
Lima
*Beets

**Broccoli

**Cabbage


*Carrots


***Cauliflower

*Celery
*Chinese Cabbage

**Collards Corn, Sweet


Variety

Tendergreen String'ess Black Valentine Surecrop Wax Logan
Florida Belle Kentucky Wonder McCaslan Alabama No. 1 Fordhook 242
Henderson Baby Fordhook Early Wonder Crosby Egyptian Detroit Dark Red Italian Green Sprouting Copenhagen Market Golden Acre Glory of Enkhuizen
Coreless or Nantes Imperator Chantenay Red Core

Snowball Florida Pascal Golden Self-Blanching Pekin Celery Cabbage Georgia
Louisiana Sweet Golden Cross Bantam loana
Illinois Golden No. 10 Tri-State


North Mar.-Apr.
and
Aug.-Sept. Mar.-June Mar.-June Sept.-Mar. Aug-Feb. Sept.-Feb.


Sept.-Mar.

Jan.-Feb. and Aug.-Oct.

Jan.-Mar. Oct.-Jan. Feb.-Mar. and Sept.-Nov.


Mar.-Apr.


Time to Plant in Florida
Central

Feb.-Mar.
and Sept.


Feb.-Apr.


Feb.-Apr.


JJ


Oct.-Mar. Aug.-Jan. Sept.-Jan. Oct.-Mar. Oct.-Jan.

Aug.-Feb. Oct.-Jan. an.-Apr. and Aug.-Nov.

Feb.-Mar.


South Sept.-Apr. Jan.-Feb. Sept.-Apr. Oct.-Feb. Sept.-Jan. Sept.-Jan. Oct.-Feb. Oct.-Jan.

Oct.-Jan. Nov.-Jan. Sept.-Jan. Jan.-Feb.


0.


cm 0q








Kind


Cowpeas

Cucumbers

Eggplant

**Endive

**Escarole

Kohl Rabi
*"Lettuce


Muskmelons
Cantaloupes
*"Mustard

Okra


* Onions


***Parsley

**Peas


TABLE 1.-VARIETIES AND PLANTING TIME FOR FLORIDA VEGETABLES- Continued.

Variety Time to Plant in Florida
North Central
Brown Crowder
Large Blackeye Mar.-May Mar.-May
Straight 8 Feb.-Mar.
Colorado Feb.-Apr. and Sept.
--Jan.-Feb.
Ft. Myers Market Feb.-Mar. and July
Feb.-Mar. Jan.-Feb.
Green Curled and Sept. I and Sept.
Feb.-Mar. Jan.-Feb.
Brown-Leaved Batavian and Sept. and Sept.
Mar.-Apr. and Feb.-Mar. and
Early White Vienna Oct.-Nov. Oct.-Nov.
Black-Seeded Simpson (Leaf)
Bibbs Feb.-Mar. Jan.-Feb.
Great Lakes (Iceberg type) -and Sept. and Sept.
Smith's Perfect
Texas No. 1 Mar.-Apr. Feb.-Apr.
Hale's Best
Southern Giant Curled Jan.-Mar. and Jan.-Mar. and
Florida Broadleaf Sept.-May Sept.-Nov.
Clemson Spineless
White Velvet Mar.-May Mar.-May
Perkins Long Green and Aug. and Aug.
C rystal Wax
Bermuda Red Jan.-Mar. Jan.-Mar.
I Yellow and and
Early Grano Aug.-Nov. Aug.-Nov.
Creole (hot)
Moss-Curled (Triple Curled) Feb. Dec.-Jan.
I Little Marvel
Hundredfold Jan-Feb. Sept.-Mar.
Laxton's Progress


South Feb.-Apr. Jan.-Feb. Dec.-Feb. and Aug.-Sept. Sept.-Jan. Sept.-Jan. Nov.-Feb. Sept.-Jan. Feb.-Mar. Sept.-Mar. Feb.-Mar.
and
Aug.-Sept. Jan.-Mar.
and
Sept.-Dec.

Sept.-Jan.

Sept.-Feb.







TABLE 1.-VARIETIES AND PLANTING TIME FOR FLORIDA VEGETABLES -Continued.


Kind


Peppers

Peppers (Hot)-:::Potatoes (Irish)

- Pu pkins
--(See Squash, Winter)
*Radish


SSpinach Spinach, Summer


Squash, Sumnmer Squash, Winter

Sweet Potatoes
Swiss Chard

Tomatoes


*Turnips
Watermelons


Variety

California Wonder Worldbeater Hungarian Wax Anaheim Chili Katahdin Sebago
Bliss Triumph (South Florida)


Early Scarlet Globe Cincinnati Market Scarlet Turnip White-tipped Bloomsdale, Long Standing Bloomsdale Savoy New Zealand Patty Pan or White Bush Yellow Straight Neck Table Queen Zucchini African Improved Porto Rican Copper-Skinned Porto Rican Lucullus Marglobe Pan-America Rutgers

Japanese Foliage (Shogoin) Leesburg Blacklee


Time to Plant in Florida
North - Central

Feb.-Apr. Jan .-Mar.

Feb.-Apr. Jan.-Mar.

Jan.-Feb. Jan.

J

Oct.-Mar. Oct.-Mar.

Oct.-Nov. and Oct.-Nov. p
Jan.-Feb. and Jan. I
Mar.-Apr. Mar.-Apr.
Mar.-Apr. Feb.-Mar.
and Aug. and Aug.

Mar. Feb.-Mar.

Mar.-June Feb.-June
Oct.-Feb. Oct.-Feb.

Feb.-Aug. Feb.-Sept.

Jan.-Apr. and Jan.-Mar. and
Aug.-Oct. I Sept.-Nov. Mar.-Apr. Jan.-Apr.


South
Jan.-Feb. and Aug.-Oct. Jan.-Feb. and Aug.-Oct. Sept.-Jan.




Oct.-Mar.


Oct.-Jan.
Jan.-Apr. Jan.-Mar. and
Sept.-Oct.

Jan.-Feb.

Feb.-June Oct.-Feb. Aug.-Mar.


Oct.-Feb.

Feb.-Mar.


* Will not be injured by light frost.
** Can stand considerable freezing.
*** Will be injured by temperatures as low as 280 only when blossoming or forming heads.




TABLE 2.-PLANTING DISTANCE AND AMOUNT OF SEED REQUIRED FOR VEGETABLES. I


Vegetable


Beans, bush . Beans, lima -.-------Beans, pole -----------B e e t -. . . B roccoli . Cabbage -.-----------
C a rrot -. . Cauliflower ----. C elery ----------.
Chinese cabbage Collards -.--------.
Corn, sweet ----Cow peas . . Cucumber ------. .
Eggplant ----. . E ndive -----.-. .
E scarole . L ettuce . . Muskmelons . M ustard . . O k ra . . . O n ion --------------Parsley -_.- . . P e a s . . . P epp er ----.-- .
Potatoes, Irish . R a dish . S p in ach . . Squash, summer Squash, winter Sweet potatoes T om ato .-.----. .
T u rnip . Watermelons .


Seed Required 100 Feet of Row

I lb.
I lb.
1 lb.
1 oz.

o/ OZ.




1/' lb.

1oz.
1oz.
1oz.


1/2 OZ.
1 oz. 1 oz.
2 oz. 1 oz.
1 oz. 1/', lbs.

15 lbs.
1. oz. 2 oz. 2 oz. 2 oz.
0 plants

1 oz.
2 oz.


*Seed Required to Produced Given No. of Plants





1 oz. to 5,000 1 oz. to 5,000 1 oz. Io 4,500 1 oz. to 8,000 1 oz. to 4,000


1 oz. to 2,000








1 oz. to 1,000





I oz. to 2,000


Distance Between Rows
(Inches)

18-30 26-48 40-48 14-24 30-36 24-36 16-24 24-30 24-36 24-36 24-30 34-42 24-36 48-60 :16-42 18-21 18-2-1
12-18 70-80 14-24 24-40 12-24 12-20 24-36 20-36 36-42 12-18
14-18 42-48
90-120
48-54 40-60 12-20
90-120


Inches Between Depth of Planting Plants in Row (Inches)

2-3 112 to 2
12-15 11/2 to 2
15-18 11/2 to 2
3-5 12 to 1
16-22 19 to 1
14-24 1/2
1-3 1/2
20-24 /2
610 1a to 19
8-12 /4 to 1
14-18 '/
12-18 1 to 2
2-3 1 to 2
15-24 '/ to
36-48 1/2
8-12 15
8-12 34
12-18 : /4
48-60 Y
1-6 1/2
18-24 1 to 2
3-4 3
8-12 %
2-3 1 to 2
18-24 1/2
12-15 4 to 8
1-2 '1,4
3-5 34
42-48 1/2
48-72 2
18-24
36-40 1/2
4-6 12 to :4
60-84 2


* Plants of these crops may he purchased from local plant grower,.






Florida Cooperative Extension


cultivation or hoeing cuts the roots of the vegetables. On sandy soil the only time cultivation is either necessary or desirable is when weeds are present. Then immediate cultivation is an advantage. It is much easier to destroy weeds when they are quite young than to remove them after they become large.

IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE
Crops grown during dry seasons usually require some watering or irrigation. Overhead sprinkling with an ordinary garden hose is satisfactory. You can water some soils by running the water down the middle of the row, controlling the flow so that the soil is thoroughly saturated. If no other means are available, use buckets-a very laborious method.
Whatever the method, thoroughly saturate the soil at each watering. Frequency of watering will depend upon the crop being grown and prevailing weather conditions. For most crops a thorough watering once a week is sufficient.

DISEASES AND INSECTS
Two important types of insects-chewing and sucking-attack many kinds of vegetables. The chewing insects eat the foliage, their injury usually being easily seen. Lead arsenate dust made by mixing I part lead arsenate to 4 or 5 parts of hydrated lime usually gives good control. Beans are the only important vegetable on which this dust cannot be used. Arsenical dusts or sprays are poisonous to humans. Before using it as food, thoroughly wash any crop to which this material has been applied. Several materials are rapidly replacing the arsenicals. Rotenone, pyretbrum and DDT dust are effective against many chewing insects.
Other insects suck the sap from the plant and cause a mottling or drying out of the plant in relatively small areas. Black-leaf 40 or nicotine sulphate applied on a warm day as a 3 or 4 percent dust will control most sucking insects such as aphids. DDT is effective against some of the insects in this group, apparently does not affect others.
At garden supply stores dusts are available which combine several different materials and thus are effective for controlling a number of insects. As most of the materials used in controlling insects are also toxic to humans, always remove them by careful washing before using the vegetables for food purposes.
Fungous diseases attack most vegetables at some time or






The Florida Home Garden


other. Many of these diseases can be effectively controlled by spraying or dusting. Many organic fungicides have been developed recently for specific uses. No one duA or spray is effective against all diseases. It is important that the gardener know what disease is present before attempting to control it.
Certain diseases and insects live in the soil or are carried inside the seed and these cannot be controlled by spraying or dusting the plant. Among these diseases are fusarium wilts. Planting of resistant varieties where available is the most satisfactory control for this type of disease. Root-knot is another serious pest in Florida gardens. This difficulty is best controlled by avoiding areas infested with nematodes.

CROPS FOR DIFFERENT SEASONS
Cool Season Crops.-Many vegetable crops thrive best during cool weather, growing well and standing light frosts or even considerable freezing without being seriously injured. These crops can be grown late in the fall and early in the spring. Over most of the state they can be grown during the entire winter. Cabbage and all its relatives, such as cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collards, turnips, mustard and radishes, do well in cool weather. Other crops that thrive in cool weather are lettuce, endive, spinach, carrots, beets and onions.
Warm Season Crops.-Snap beans, lima beans, cucumber, tomatoes and sweet corn must be grown in a frost-free season, but will produce highest yields if grown before or after the season of hot summer temperatures. Some of these crops will grow during hot weather but it is almost impossible to control diseases and insects at that time. Plant these crops immediately following, or just previous to, the last frost.
Hot Weather Crops.-The number of crops that thrive during hot weather in Florida is limited. However, sweet potatoes, New Zealand spinach, okra, eggplant, pepper and watermelons will all produce during hot weather.

HARVESTING
To insure high quality products harvest most vegetables promptly when they are ready. Many deteriorate rapidly. Sweet corn and English peas lose 1/2 of their sweetness at prevailing field temperature in 2 days after they reach edible maturity, and snap beans rapidly become fibrous once the pod is fully grown. However, not all crops lose quality quickly. Carrots, turnips,






Florida Cooperative Extension


beets and all root crops continue to be of high quality as long as they continue to grow rapidly. Peppers and eggplants may be harvested over a long period without decrease in quality. For best quality, allow such crops as tomatoes, cantaloupes and watermelons to ripen on the vines.
Crops that deteriorate rapidly on the plant, such as corn peas and beans, will continue to lose quality when removed from the plant. This change occurs much more rapidly at high than at low temperature. In storing, hold them at as low a temperature as possible without freezing them. Make every effort, once, the crop is grown, to harvest it at the proper time.
When harvesting vegetables remove and destroy all cull products. Removing all fruit will keep the plant producing longer and help in controlling certain insects and diseases.

SURPLUS PRODUCTS
While their primary interest is products for home use, home gardeners often have a surplus of certain vegetables. Preserve this surplus for the future-by canning, salt brining, dehydrating or storing dry. If a surplus remains after these needs are filled, sell it.
To be marketable, surplus garden produce must be of as high quality as that of the commercial grower and must be graded and packaged so that it is acceptable to the buyer.

Fig. 4-The whole family cans the garden surplus at the community center.