By Master Gardener Volunteer Lesley Arrandale
mail@floridanewsline.com
In early February it can occasionally feel like spring. As we know, Florida weather has a habit of swinging from one extreme to another, so the weather forecast is part of a gardener’s arsenal.
Spring vegetables can be started indoors from seed, but don’t delay. By getting vegetable seedlings into the garden early in the season, we can get a jump start over insects that can explode in numbers once temperatures start to climb. For advice on what to plant in February, check out http://tinyurl.com/bdzasdzw.
If you garden regularly in the same beds, take care to rotate crops, preferably according to plant families. Refer to this simple table which lists the scientific families and the common vegetables within each family: http://tinyurl.com/47d2j4u6. Crop rotation helps to discourage an overgrowth of pests and diseases that favor similar crops, and to balance soil nutrients, to a degree, as some crops are heavier feeders than others; however, Florida’s soils are typically sandy, so a balanced fertilizer is recommended, according to the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide (http://tinyurl.com/32z8eckr). It bears repeating that this is a great resource even for experienced gardeners.
If you have previously had problems with nematode damage, check out this publication: http://tinyurl.com/5n8br6wb. Common root-knot nematodes reproduce in plant roots, damaging the vascular system and preventing water and nutrients moving up into the plant. Plants just do not thrive and we are deprived of our crop. Soil rich in organic matter will be better able to support plant growth in the presence of nematodes, compared with sandy soil, so adding compost can help. Soil solarization can reduce nematode populations, as well as other pests and diseases, and is another simple practice for homeowners.
Hand weeding allows us a close look at what is going on in the yard. Like me, you are probably finding seedlings of plants that could be used to expand your flowerbeds or fill in gaps that might become apparent when spring growth is underway. I pot up seedlings and grow them in six-packs or small pots, rather than move them to where I ultimately want them to grow. This gives me control over potential insect problems, the young plants are easily protected in a cold snap, and I can encourage strong growth with weekly use of a dilute fertilizer. In January I potted Indian blanket (Gaillardia sp.) and dotted horsemint (Monarda punctata). I also have other volunteers, like Virginia spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis) and lance leaf coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata), which will be useful. Spiderwort is particularly welcome early in the year for foraging honeybees. Some of my plants were blooming in mid-January, as were the dainty flowers of native yellow wood sorrel (Oxalis corniculata). If you find it in your yard, be prepared to keep it in check as it spreads by both seed and stolons, or runners.
Redbud trees (Cercis canadensis) are beginning to show a dusting of pink against their gray bark. These flowers are also a boon to insects at a time of year when flowers aren’t abundant. Red maple (Acer rubrum) is an attractive winter-flowering tree, and another food source; however, its wide-spreading surface roots can be a nuisance in a yard and are more suited to moist woodland edges.
I’m looking forward to my native Darrow’s blueberries (Vaccinium darrowii) flowering; they already have tiny buds in the leaf axils where the dainty pink bell-like flowers will appear. Last year there were plenty of berries which I had hoped would be devoured by mocking birds and other fruit lovers, but they weren’t as popular as I’d expected. So I cooked them down with some cinnamon and dark brown sugar, which made a tasty topping for vanilla ice cream. Waste not, want not, as my grandmother used to say.
And before I sign off, remember that “weed and feed” products are not recommended for our north Florida lawns. Annual weeds should be dealt with before the spring green-up, with an application of a pre-emergent product when day temperatures reach 65°F to 70°F for four or five consecutive days. Lawns need their first application of fertilizer when they are actively growing.
