By Master Gardener Volunteer Lesley Arrandale
mail@floridanewsline.com

While waiting for Tropical Storm Elsa, I had to reflect on how much rain we’d already had in the previous few weeks. Overnight, on a couple of occasions, there were three inches of water in the rain gauge, and lesser amounts almost every other morning. Now our flourishing tomatillo plants are showing signs of overwatering, with yellowing, dropping foliage — despite growing in a fairly well drained raised bed. 

It’s not unusual for some plants to perish after being overwatered, particularly if it happens often and their roots can’t dry out sufficiently to take in enough oxygen. Whether they’re in pots or in the ground, if they aren’t adapted to wet conditions their roots can’t cope, and rot can set in. Wilting and yellowing leaves in this situation doesn’t mean a plant needs more water, but is a strong indication that its roots aren’t healthy and can’t take up adequate water. “Melting” leaves can be a clue to disease, and in the case of perennials with a central growth point, once the crown of the plant is affected there’s very little hope of survival. 

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I’ve recently had some native plants installed in my front yard and the “meadow” is mulched with pine straw to discourage weeds. I’ve chosen drought resistant plants: dwarf Simpson stopper (Myrcianthes fragrans Compacta), flowering perennials, and clumping grasses to attract more birds and insects, but not surprisingly, mulching the soil has meant that they find the area less useful. Certain birds like to gather fallen seed and insects from bare soil, which is now covered, and insects that nest in the ground, like some native bees, have also been denied easy access. This, along with my positive experience growing Asian long beans — allowing predatory insects like ladybugs to come in and clean the vines of black aphids, rather than resorting to pesticides — has shown me that trying to uphold the esthetics of a tidy, attractive-to-most-humans yard is not necessarily best for wildlife. 

This is clearly something I need to get in better balance. Once the plants are established I will lighten the mulch and resolve to get out there regularly to pull weeds, which I find can be somewhat therapeutic, depending on the weather. Adding a very light layer of homemade compost will also add to the variety of microbes and small invertebrates, but I’ll take care to ensure the compost is thoroughly finished, so as not to risk introducing more weed seeds into the area.

For inspiration, I enjoy reading “The Neighborhood Gardener” (https://tinyurl.com/vxmcpes7). The July issue has advice on cleaning up the summer vegetable garden and also how to deal with houseplants if you are planning a trip. The advice is wide-ranging. Our local Extension newsletter, “A New Leaf – Yard and Garden,” can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/wk6djv6s. 

If you’re considering a cool season vegetable garden, now is the time to get started. Check the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide for recommended planting times, and the Gardening Solutions website for a host of useful articles: https://tinyurl.com/yj55bbt4.

You don’t need to sow everything yourself, but some vegetables don’t transplant well and you will have more success if you direct sow into the garden. Buying transplants will usually be more costly than a pack of seeds, but there’s the cost of potting soil to consider. If you only want a few plants of a given vegetable, purchasing good quality starts may be your best choice. Since mature collards are large, I found that four plants supplied enough greens for a meal for two, once a week, and I could probably have picked more. Don’t grow what you don’t enjoy, but do experiment with something you’re curious about. I tried kohlrabi and enjoyed them. While I didn’t grow many, a few plants added variety to our table and I will probably find room for some this next season. Happy gardening!

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