Florida Gardening

Q. Help! We have just moved to Southwest Florida from Michigan and don’t understand the growing seasons here. When is the best time to grow what ? Mike

Best bet to get acquainted with your new growing environment is to visit your county Extention office. It is free.  Just look in your phone book. They are a wealth of information and have free pamphlets and brochures.  In South West Florida they are run jointly by the county you live in and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences Dept.  Master Gardners volunteer in the Extension Offices in this part of the state and they are very knowledgable and a wealth of information of growing just about anything as well as how to control pests in your yard, how and when to fertilize, you name it.  They are the best resource you have, they are knowledgeable and helpful.  Give them a call today and visit often!  Barbara Nelson – Master Gardener (in training still)

Try asking your local nursery.  If one isn’t available then do a web search on growing plants for your zone.  And as a last resort just observe the seasons for 1 or 2 years to determine your growing seasons. Good Luck.

The growing season in South Florida primarily begins in September or early October.  He can get great planting help from his local County Agricultural Extension Office.  It takes some "getting used to" when planting in subtropical Florida, but with the mild winters and really hot summers, it just makes sense to plant late in the year.  As most of the southern part of that state has sandy soil, he will no doubt need to enhance the soil.   The Agriculture Extension Agent will be able to advise on this subject, too.  Good luck, Mike!  Mary Millard, Floridian transplanted to rural Nevada (and the desert)