Circular 463
GROW
A
ROW
VEGETABLES
IN FLORIDA
FLORIDA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE/FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
GOOD GARDENING
PRACTICES
Plan Your Garden
You wouldn't take a vacation trip without taking along a map. It's important to "map" your garden, too,
before you do anything else. Then you'll know where you are going. To plan a garden, you should ask yourself
these questions:
Which crop will I grow? How far apart should the rows and plants
Which varieties are best? be spaced?
How much seed will I need? When is the best time to plant?
Sample Plan for Florida
Early March Planting
N S
Spacing between plants Spacing between rows
Inches Feet
1 radishes 1
4 turnips mustard 1
4 beets carrots 2
4 snap beans 2
12 romaine lettuce Bibb lettuce 1
6 Lima beans 2
6 Southern peas 2
18 collards 21/2
c 36 straightneck squash Zucchini squash 3/2
24 pepper eggplant 3
12 sweet corn 3
12 sweet corn 3
36 tomatoes 3
18 pole beans 3/2
36 cucumbers 4
30 feet long
Location
A garden spot handy to the house and kitchen is best. A good water supply, such as a spigot, should be
nearby. Choose a spot where the soil is as rich as possible and one which is not shaded, especially in the morn-
ing hours.
Arrangement
How you arrange the vegetables in the garden is
important. Keep tall vegetables, such as corn, to one N.
side and low-growing plants, as radishes, to the
other side. Otherwise, the tall plants will shade the
little ones.
Run the rows north and south so more sunlight SHADE
can strike the plants.
OTHER VEGETABLE GARDENING GUIDES
AVAILABLE
from your County Extension Office
Publications
Vegetable Gardening Guide
Organic Vegetable Gardening
Vegetable Gardening
Vegetable Gardening
Garden Planning and Design
Soil Preparation and Liming
Composting and Manures
Fertilizing the Garden
Seeding the Garden
Starting the Garden with Transplants
Tomatoes in the Florida Garden
Strawberries in the Florida Home Garden
Grow Your Own Vegetables Without Soil
Cucumbers in the Florida Garden
Gardening Lots of Okra
Number
Cir. 104
Cir. 375
FAMU Cir. 420
FAMU Cir. 446
VC 74-2
VC 74-3
74-4
VC 74-5
VC 74-6
VC 74-7
VC 75-8
VC 9-77
VC 10
VC 11
VC 15
PUBLICATION PREPARED BY:
Lawrence Carter, Extension Rural development Specialist, FAMU-IFAS,
and James M. Stephens, Extension Vegetable Crops Specialist, UF-IFAS.
Florida Cooperative Extension Service/Florida A & M University, University of Florida.
This portfolio cover was promulgated at a cost of $860.00, or .43 per copy to provide Florida home
gardeners with information on the planting and care of vegetables.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an Equal Employment Opportunity Affirmatice Action Employer authorized to provide research,
educational Information and other services only to Individuals and Institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, or national origin.
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION WORK IN AGRICULTURE AND HOME ECONOMICS, STATE OF FLORIDA, IFAS, UNIVERSITY OF
FLORIDA, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND BOARDS OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COOPERATING
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Spading
Two weeks before planting your seed, you must
plow or spade your garden soil. This is done so the
soil can be loosened and trash, such as weeds and
grass, can be turned under. Be sure to turn the soil
completely over when spading.
~h ,-CT
Turn the soil completely over when spading.
RAKING
Use rake to break clods and level the ground.
Rake up and remove all woody weeds and trash from
the plot. When you have finished preparing the soil,
it shQuld be smooth with no clods or trash showing.
You now have the soil ready to fertilize and plant
seed.
Garden Layout
Use stakes, string, and a yardstick to lay off straight rows. Follow your previously prepared plan. Place a
garden label at the head of each row. Information on the label should include the crop, variety, and planting
date.
Fertilizing
All plants must have food for growth. Plants
can starve if they have no food. There is some plant
food in most all soils. But most garden soils do not
have enough. We must add plant food in the form of
commercial fertilizer or manures. The fertilizer
recommended for most garden soils is called a mixed
fertilizer. It must be placed in the soil where plant
roots can reach it. Commercial fertilizer should be
added to the soil right before or at planting time.
Do not put fertilizer under the seed. It might
burn the young roots. Instead, place the fertilizer on
each side of the seed row. To do this, you must make
two furrows about 6 inches apart and only 2 or 3 in-
ches deep. Spread the fertilizer down the furrows,
then, fill the furrows level with soil.
Apply fertilizer in two rows about 6 inches apart
and 3-4 inches deep.
Use a string to mark off a seed row between the two
rows containing fertilizer, after the fertilizer has
been applied to the two rows and covered properly.
Planting the Seed
When vegetable seeds are placed in the soil, they can sprout, grow and make plants. The soil contains
water and plant food for the small plants to use and grow larger.
Small Seed Iturnp) Medium Seed lokr.) Large Seed lima been)
But seeds can be planted so deep the young
plants can not reach the top of the ground. Or they
can be planted too shallow and may be washed away
with the first rain.
Small seeds like carrots are planted shallow and
fairly close together. They help each other break
through the soil.
Space larger seed evenly and drop by hand.
Larger seed like corn are planted farther apart.
The young sprouting plants are larger and stronger.
They do not need to help each other break through
to the soil surface. It
For small seeds make a
planting furrow with /
handle of hoe or rake fi Y^
drawn along the cord. /fY
Plant in straight rows. The garden will look bet-
ter and be easier to hoe or cultivate. Rows should be
marked off. Use a string or a cord stretched between
two stakes.
For larger seed
open a deeper planting furrow with hoe.
Larger seed make stronger young plants. They
can be planted deeper than the small seed. The
younger plants from larger seed can grow farther to
reach the soil surface.
cover seed with hoe or rake.
After the seed is dropped or placed in the fur-
row, use the hoe or the rake or your hands to cover
the seed. Fill the seed furrow with soil. Leave the
ground level or slightly mounded above the seed.
When sowing small seed
cut or tear off a corner of
the packet and scatter
seed in furrow while tap-
ping gently with index
finger.
FLORIDA PLANTING GUIDE
Seed
Crop Varieties Spacing in Inches Depth Planting Dates in Florida Days to
Row Plants Inches North Central South Harvest
Width
Beans, Snap
Beans, Pole
Beans, Lima
Cabbage
Cantaloupe
Carrots
Collards
Corn, Sweet
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Lettuce
Mustard
Okra
Onions
bulbing
Onions,
green
Peas,
Southern
Pepper
Potatoes
Potatoes
Sweet
Radish
Squash,
Summer
Squash,
Winter
Strawberry
Tomatoes
Stake
Tomatoes
Ground
Turnips
Contender, Roma, 18-30
Harvester
McCaslan, 36-48
Kentucky
Henderson, 24-30
Jackson Wonder
Marion Market, 24-36
Red Acre
Smith's Perfect, 70-80
Edisto
Imperator, Gold 16-24
Pak
Georgia Strains, 24-30
Vates
Silver Queen, 24-36
Golden Cross Bantam
Ashley, Poinsett, 36-60
Galaxy
Florida Market, 36-42
Black Beauty
Bibb, Salad Bowl, 12-18
Great Lakes
Florida Broad Leaf, 12-24
Southern Giant Curled
Clemson Spineless, 24-40
Perkins Long Green
Granex, Texas 12-24
Grano
White Portugal, 12-24
Evergeen bunching
California Blackeye, 30-36
Texas Creams,
Mississippi, Silver
Calif. Wonder, 20-36
Sweet Banana
Sebago, Red 36-42
La Soda
Centennial, Ga. 48-54
Red, Porto Rico
Cherry Belle, 12-18
Early Scar. Globe
Summer Crookneck, 36-48
Zucchini
Table Queen 60-90
Butternut
Florida 90, 36-40
Florida Belle
Floradel, 36-48
Better Boy
Walter, 40-60
Homestead
Purple Top White 12-24
Globe, Just Right
4-6
'-1
1-1 2
2
'/
'/A
12-24
8-12
12-18
1-2
24-36
36-48
12
18-24
36-40
4-6
2-4
3-6
3-4
14-24
24-36
1-3
10-18
12-18
12-24
24-36
12-18
1-6
6-12
3-4
2
2-3
Feb-Apr
July-Aug
Jan-Mar
Mar-Jun
Sept-Mar
Mar-Apr
Aug-Sept
Mar
Sept-Oct
Feb-Apr
Aug
Feb-Apr
Aug
Jan-Apr
Aug-Oct
Jan-Mar
Aug
Jan-Feb
Feb-Jun
Sept-Mar
Feb-Mar
Aug-Sept
Feb-Mar
Sept-Oct
Feb-Mar
Sept
Feb-Mar
Sept
Jan-Mar
Sept-Nov
112-2
1/2-2
1/2-2
'2
2-1
'2
'2
-1
12-1
'/A
'-
1/-1
-1-
1-2
Jan-Feb
Aug-Oct
Sept-Jan
Feb-Jun
Oct-Mar
Jan-Mar
Sept-Oct
Jan-Feb
Oct-Nov
Aug-Mar
Aug-Mar
Oct-Feb
70-80
80-95
120-110
20-30
45-60
95-105
90-110
75-85
75-85
40-50
Mar-Apr
Aug-Sept
Mar-Apr
Aug-Sept
Mar-Apr
Sept-Feb
Mar-Apr
Sept-Mar
Feb-Mar
Aug-Nov
Mar-Apr
Aug
Feb-Apr
Aug-Sept
Feb-Jul
Feb-Mar
Sept
Jan-Mar
Sept-May
Mar-Jul
Aug-Nov
Aug-Mar
Mar-Aug
Feb-Mar
Sept
Feb-Mar
Aug-Sept
Feb-Mar
Sept-Jan
Feb-Apr
Oct-Mar
Aug-Apr
Feb-Mar
Aug-Sept
Feb-Mar
Sept
Jan-Mar
Aug-Sept
Jan-Feb
Sept
Sept-Mar
Mar-Aug
Aug-Nov
Aug-Mar
Mar-Sept
Sept-Apr
Sept-Apr
Sept-Apr
Sept-Jan
Feb-Mar
Oct-Feb
Aug-Feb
Aug-Mar
Sept-Feb
Aug-Feb
Sept-Jan
Sept-Mar
Feb-May
Aug-Sept
Sept-Nov
Sept-Mar
Feb-Oct
45-60
60-65
65-75
70-90
75-90
70-75
40-60
60-85
40-55
80-95
50-80
40-45
50-75
100-130
50-75
50-70
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