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WATERING TIPS FOR YOUR NORTH FLORIDA VEGETABLE GARDEN On to every North Florida vegetable garden some rain must fall. Some weeks more than others. Many weeks not at all. Unfortunately, just like Goldilocks learned about home furnishings and hot breakfast cereal during her fabled woodlands home break in, when it rains in North Florida it is usually too much or too little, but rarely just right. Just right for most vegetables grown in North Florida is about a half inch to one inch of water per week. The way I see it, many factors may affect this, such as how well the soil holds water, whether mulch is used, the type of vegetables and needs of the growing plants, and weather conditions. In general though, what this means in my garden is that in the absence of rain, I water most veggies about twice a week for about 30 to 40 minutes. With my sprinkler, that’s around a half inch. I have a couple of fairly new vegetable beds that are quite sandy, so when it is very hot and dry, I water those veggies three times per week. Only when I am starting seeds or seedlings do I water more often than that. One may think watering every day will make vegetables grow bigger and stronger and yield more but this is simply not the case. In fact, such practices are likely to lead to weak plants with shallow, less developed root systems. Many people, including Florida horticulture experts with titles and letters after their names, believe watering should be limited to just one time per week. While most vegetables meant to grow here will survive under such growing conditions, my experience has been that yields are greatly affected when this practice is followed. Of course, yield is not the only thing to consider. There is also the cost. If you don’t have an irrigation well, and are using city water for irrigation purposes, it can be quite costly to water more than one time per week. I know it is not the preferred method of irrigation but in most cases I water using a sprinkler. For me, it is simple and convenient. I only flood irrigate plants that are susceptible to disease, such as squash and tomatoes. No matter what method of irrigation you favor or schedule you adopt, there’s one thing most horticulture experts agree upon: you must irrigate in some form or fashion to successfully grow vegetables in Florida. Doing otherwise is likely to leave you and your vegetables high and dry. If you would like to subscribe to my blog and receive an email letting you know each time I post an update, simply send me an email by clicking here. Please let me know where in Florida (or elsewhere) you are gardening. --- --- --- Dear Farmer: I planted 4 rows of corn and have only 4 plants. It was my assumption that the crows had been there and ate the seed as I could see that someone had with great skill extracted the seed. I build a scarecrow thinking now I can replant which I did. The same someone has been back again and done the same. My thoughts are 1. Raccoon, 2, squirrel 3, someone from outer space. I need help. It certainly sounds like some critter got to your seeds! Try this: Plant your corn in a furrow, say about 3-4 inches in depth. Then cover with some nylon garden netting which you should staple or stake. When the corn gets 2-3 inches tall and begins to grow through the netting, remove it. As the corn grows, back-fill the furrow to help support the growing stalks. I use this method with all of my seeded row crops because I have lots and lots of squirrels in my yard. It works very well. The depth of the furrows differs depending on the crop. For crops that don't need back-filling, such as carrots, the depth of the furrow is only about an inch -- just enough to cover with a net to allow the carrots to get a good start. Better get that sweet corn in the ground soon, though. Whenever I plant sweet corn beyond the end of April I find it difficult to control corn worms. When planted early enough the worms generally just show up when the cob begins to silk, and I can spray the silks with Sevin and all is good. When I plant beyond April, the worms attack the growing stalks and do some real damage. Good luck! |
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