I moved to Florida about twenty years ago, and in Massachusetts I had grown a garden every year with plenty of success. When I tried to do that here, I had miserable failures, until "I got with the program".


There are seasons here too, just not cold ones. Certain types of veggies have to planted at certain times, because some do not tolerate extreme heat or extreme wet.
Then you have some plants that will survive all weather and grow for years!

Peppers down here actually turn into mini bushes with bark, and live for the most part for around two to three years. And many plants actually reseed themselves every year. I have petunias, impatiens, marigolds, that come up all over the yard by themselves. Some plants that are supposed to be annuals, actually live for three years or longer. They do not die off from the cold, or the heat, they just go dormant. These are actually called Tropical perrenials.
I know...confusing huh?

If you can find a good patch of dirt that doesn't have a lot of water, (good drainage), or salt, and you plant the right plant at the right time, you will have success. Your biggest problem will be the bugs, fertilizer, and water during dry season...it's all sand under the topsoil, provided you have any topsoil. The next issue is how fast the water will drain because of the sand, so you need to water well in the beginning until the roots are established. This is where mulch is a lifesaver. You can use newspaper, it works very well in thick pads and holds moisture very well, and is biodegradable. Or good old leaves will work as well, or bark, or cypress mulch.

I try to use all my veggy waste from the kitchen as well, including egg shells and coffee grinds, and put it right next to the plants roots, and rake my leaves into the plants instead of carting it off. It breaks down very quickly here, much faster than up north, really no need for a compost, we have all the water and heat you need to "cook it".

When I moved in here all I had was sand, no lawn , no gardens. In 5 years I now have nice dirt and a full lawn with out any expensive products from the store. Just keep raking those leaves into the garden beds. The grass down here will spread itself if you let it get long enough to go to seed then aim the mower at the "bald spots".I have 3 acres, so grass seed or sod was out of the question. I now have a full lawn that has to mowed every week in the summer...(Maybe I did too good a job), but I purchased a tractor, so it's not that bad. (Who am I kidding?) But that's the price to pay for a nice lawn.

The best way to learn quickly when to plant is by watching the farmers here. We have veggy fields every where, if you see the tractors planting look at what they are planting and plant it too.

There is a very good book that can help you if you are moving here. When I moved there was little or no information available on growing veggies here. The book is ...

Florida Gardening

I manage to keep growing in large pots almost year round cilantro, basil, rosemary. They die when the sun gets too hot, but during the winter they do very well. I have several permanent clumps of lemon grass, that everyone loves for tea. If you know someone with one, you can separate a piece of the clump and start a new plant easily with it. They like well drained soil. And do not fertilize but once a year. Warning... the clumps get big, so plan on it...3-4 ft.

Tomatoes I can usually manage two crops, and the cherry tomatoes sometimes last up to two years and still produce, however you may have to trim them back , and keep them sprayed and fertilized.

Peppers I have year round, they love heat and the rain doesn't bother them. I keep several varieties growing, the bell peppers need more work, squirrels and bugs like them. By the way squirrels will pick your veggies off the plant and steal them, including tomatoes, then store them in the trees. I keep them in a raised bed, and they love it. I have habaneros, jalapenos, and chilies growing too. They all end up with bark, and around three feet tall. These however require frequent feedings, they love to eat.

Lettuce I also grow in raised containers, although not iceberg. Romaine and loose leaf does best but you must plant it around the middle of September to have it do well. Red Oak Lettuce does really well here, so does Black Simpson. Mustard and collards grow like weeds, but they too prefer cooler weather, so again plant in September.

Cucumbers can be grown twice a year as well. I have found that the picklers produce the most crop, but they all do ok. Plant those in September and then again in January to Feb. Once the heat comes they do not fare well. Same with all of the squash and melon families, plant those then too. Again the bugs is what usually kills my squash, so be diligent. Florida sweet onions are famous, plant these in September as well. They get huge, big as a softball. Deep fried onions are a favorite at our home.

Citrus is very easy to grow here . I have grown 10 plants from seeds, and I know everyone is going to say you cannot do that because without grafting you do not know what you will get, but I am producing very sweet oranges from the trees I made. I have purchased several other trees from local chains, that were grafted, and they are not doing as well as my seed ones. So I do not agree. The proof is in the pudding. There are wild citrus growing all over the state of Florida that the Indians planted, and they produce just fine. And nothing kills them.

Mangoes are also easily grown here from seed, but make sure you buy one that tastes good, there are many varieties, and some taste too much like paint thinner, while others are very mild. The secret to planting mangoes is...do not let the seed dry out, eat the outside and plant immediately in the ground. Keep it watered. In two months it will be growing. However, remember they get huge, bigger than an oak tree, and take up to 6 years before they produce. Mangoes once producing are prolific, but you can sell them no problem. There's a huge market for Mangoes now. Same thing with avocados that also do very well here.

Kumquats is another fruit you cannot kill. And they make excellent marmalade. These little trees produce like there is no tomorrow, at least 8 mths of the year... so visit our preserves section and learn how to make marmalade.

I have also planted from seed, Star Fruit, or Carambolas.They have been in the ground now for 4 years, but it can take 6 years before they produce. They hate wind however so plant them in a sheltered area. They are easy to take care of , just give them some citrus fertilizer twice a year.

Another very easy to grow fruit is papayas. Just go to the store and buy a papaya, cut it open, and then scrape out the seeds onto a paper towel, let them dry out for about a week, no longer. Then plant in rich dirt. You will have hundreds of them if you are not careful. Only select the biggest plants. Within two years or less you will have papayas the size of melons. They however do not produce for more than four years and you will have to replant them.

Key Lime is another plant I have grown with great success from seeds. Find someone who will give you a few fruits, most generally will sprout, wrap seeds in a moist paper towel and place in a baggy in your kitchen cabinet. Sometimes you can open the fruit up and they are already sprouted! They only take a few days to sprout, up to 10. Then plant them into pots. Do not put them right out into the sun, ease them out. These citrus plants produce almost year round. We have a recipe for Key Lime Pie on the Cape Cod Recipes, so have a look, you may want to try it. I also use it to make my salsas, and sauces for chicken, pork with fruit and countless other recipes.

Finally there's old faithful. Bananas. Cavendish does the best and they are easy to propagate. All you need is a shoot off the mother plant, or dig up a "knot" from the root. It will grow and loves Florida weather. You will however have to be careful where you plant it. It will spread and take over in wet spots. But you will have plenty of bananas, in a very short time.

Have fun whatever you do, usually the plants that turn out the best are the ones who got the least care. ( Because they were happy where they were ) Don't be afraid to move plants. If they are not doing well try a new area. Usually they just don't like the soil they are in. If you consistently have problems, try a different kind of plant or variety. For heaven's sake do not baby it! If it's happy it will do well. If it isn't there's nothing you can do to change that. So don't stress.

Happy Growing Your Own!
Fonda