While people in the rest of the country are preparing to harvest their fruit and vegetables, we here in South Florida are getting ready to plant our crops. Our climate is too hot and humid during the summer to grow most vegetables. But our dry, mild winters are just right for an edible garden.

The best time to plant your garden is the second week of October, after the rains have begun to subside and nighttime temperatures dip below 70 degrees. Until then, there is plenty that you can do to prepare.

Begin by getting your planting bed ready. Using untreated wood or cinder blocks, create a raised bed that is at least 10 to 12 inches high. A good-sized garden would be about 8 by 8 feet.

Use a high quality soil mix that is sterile and has superior drainage, such as Pro-mix or a combination of peat, perlite and pine bark. If you compost, work some of your compost into the soil to add nutrition. Chicken manure is an excellent organic fertilizer to enrich the soil and increase production.

A fence around your garden is recommended not only for beautification but to help keep out animals.

WHAT TO PLANT

Many crops, including lettuce, cucumbers, spinach, bush beans (preferred over pole beans) and squash, can be planted directly by seed. Others, such as tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, eggplant and many types of peppers, will go into your garden as seedlings. If you wish to add herbs such as basil, oregano, mint, rosemary, cilantro, catnip, lavender and sage, these should also be planted as seedlings.

Starting seeds yourself in tiny containers is the best way to go because they will be free of the pathogens that may be in store-bought seedlings. Buy seeds from a garden center, home improvement store or seed catalog. Make sure that the seed packages have not gotten wet and that their expiration date has not passed. Seeds need to be ready to move to your garden in just a few weeks, so the sooner you sow, the better.

GROWING FROM SEED

Use small, clean containers and a sterile potting mix that drains well. Soil mixes containing fertilizer are not necessary. Sow the seeds at the depth recommended on the packaging and lightly mist until the soil is thoroughly wet.

After the initial watering, the seeds should be kept moist, but not wet during the germination process. Place the pots or other containers in an area that will get indirect sun and is out of the rain. The seeds should begin to germinate in just a few days.

Remember, the thrill is in harvesting your own vegetables. So, if growing from seed is too much for you, you can purchase seedlings at your garden store. But remember, as in most gardening, do as much as you can and you will be rewarded commensurately.

PLANTING

Seedlings should be ready for planting by mid-October, which is also when you should plant your lettuce, spinach, cucumber, bush bean and squash seeds.

Give ample space to each plant so they do not shade each other. When planting tiny seeds, such as lettuce, it is a good idea to put some very fine sifted soil on top of them rather than bury them too deeply. Label the areas where you planted the seeds so you know what is what.

After everything is planted, water the garden using a misting hose head. The garden should be checked at least once a day and kept moist, not sopping wet. Pull out any rogue weeds.

ORGANIC GARDENS

Most pests will not be a problem, and pesticides should be unnecessary. You may lose a few plants to natural causes, but you probably do not want to spray chemicals on something you are going to eat. So let nature take its share and rejoice in what remains. By avoiding pesticides and using natural fertilizers, such as chicken manure or compost, you are well on your way to growing organic and should have no worries about what is on or in your food.

Your garden should be at its finest from Thanksgiving until the end of February. You should have enough to share with friends and family. Everyone will agree that the fresh taste of homegrown vegetables and herbs is far superior to anything bought in a store.

To have even more fun, send pictures of your winter harvest to friends up North.

For more information, visit www.fairchildgarden.org and Fairchild's Edible Garden Festival Oct. 24-25.

Bruce Greer, president of the Board of Trustees of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, wrote this report.

Join the discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

     Showing: Oldest first Newest first Most-recommended first Least-recommended first

@Nyx.AuthorDisplayName@ wrote on @Nyx.PostedAtTime@:

@Nyx.repliedToText@

@Nyx.replyAnswerText@

Reply to this Comment @Nyx.Recommender@ @Nyx.AbuseReporter@