The uncertainty of weather makes winter gardening a challenge in panhandle Florida. It is too cold for the summer vegetables, and the ups and downs of the temperature can make cool season crops a challenge. If it is warm too long the leafy, cool season vegetables will bolt, putting up flowers to produce seeds. When…Read more
There is a lot to be gained from having a tough reputation. Only those with an excessively stalwart disposition or lack of good sense will dare to make a challenge to the individual who holds this distinction. Unbending, rigid and durable are descriptors which invoke a firm, if not dogmatic, state of resiliency. With this…Read more
By the time this post is read, the Christmas gifts so carefully wrapped with care and love will be shredded beyond recognition. At least the list of seasonal activities and social engagements will have been somewhat reduced. The current five-week holiday period ends with New Year’s Eve and the start of 2024. Luckily this is…Read more
The winter weather has finally arrived. The temperatures have retreated to the seasonal averages and, fortunately, the rain has been sufficient to ensure good growing conditions. There are currently plenty of cool season leafy garden crops in production among panhandle Florida’s gardeners, but one vegetable offers a variety of uses and taste selections. Garlic planted…Read more
One common complaint about vegetable gardening is it takes so long for the end product to be ready for harvest. In most cases the average is 90 days, but some can extend out to 180 or more. Another is the seasonal limitations of plants. The range of acceptable temperatures is relatively narrow for most, but…Read more
The cool days and cooler nights of December have removed home gardening from the minds of many suburban residents recently arrived in panhandle Florida. Much of the region’s commercial vegetable production has moved to warmer counties in the extreme southern parts of the state. However, the holiday season has refocused the attention of many to…Read more
October brings the prospect of relief from the heat and humidity of a panhandle Florida summer. The temperatures have moderated, albeit slightly, alleviating some of the oppressive qualities of the daylight hours. The sun’s progression into the southern sky has lengthened the nights to the point where they have a majority of the minutes, and…Read more
“Gone to seed” is a distinctly American agricultural saying from the time when most of America’s population was living on a farm. This adage usually denotes very negative connotations when applied to people, places and many objects. The implication is the subject of the remark has reached terminal depreciation after delivering all they are capable…Read more
There is a big difference between a gardener and a plant collector. A gardener knows their garden with its soil, light levels and microclimates, and selects plants that will thrive in the growing environment. A plant collector often makes purchases based on an impulse. Many nurseries rely on these impulse buyers making purchases without planning…Read more
The heat notwithstanding, 2023 has been a good growing year for panhandle Florida’s lawns and gardens. The rain has been adequate and timed to keep the ground moist, but not too soggy. That is the good news, but there is bad news too. Weeds in north Florida like the same environment and are growing aggressively…Read more
