Karen: The Garden Lady

Slips grow just beneath the pineapple fruit. These fruit a bit faster than suckers. Once they are 5-6 inches, twist off and plant.  Suckers  grow between the larger, lower leaves or at the base of the plant. These are usually larger than slips. Remove these if they get large while the plant has fruit on it. Once fruit has been harvested let these grow to at least 6 inches, twist off and plant. Be sure to grab the sucker close to the stem before twisting or it can break in half.   Side by side comparison of a sucker (left) and slip (right).

When your store bought pineapple is ripe and you are ready to eat it, TWIST the top off, remove a few rows of bottom leaves to expose the roots then plant. Things to keep in mind: It takes two years to get a pineapple propagated in this manner so think out where you will plant it We plant ours in 4-gallon pots and larger  Since we have lost pineapples to hungry critters in the past, we bring bring the potted plant onto the lanai as it starts to ripen We use recycled potting soil from another crop and amend it with some fertilizer We pretty much ignore the pineapples other than watering plus a few times a year to fertilize and weed After you have pineapples growing you no longer need to use the pineapple tops to propagate them, but that is another post BTW. Don't throw away your pineapple cores! Cut them into small chunks and freeze for smoothies.

SUN NEEDS At least 6 hours of full sun per day. WATER NEEDS 1-2 inches of water per week. FERTILIZER NEEDS The University of Florida recommends a 10-10-10 slow release fertilizer mixed in soil at planting then every three weeks afterward. pH NEEDS Tomatoes prefer a soil pH of 6.2 to 6.5. SOIL NEEDS If your soil is whitish, it is not soil, it is sand. Sand cannot hold water and has no nutrients in it. Add or replace with brown colored soil or compost will help retain moisture in the soil. CALCIUM NEEDS Add your crushed eggshells in the hole before planting your tomato. This will prevent blossom end rot. Once a plant is calcium deficient, you cannot correct the problem. ROOT KNOT NEMATODES These itsy-bitsy worms enter the roots then, simply put, procreate and move the family in. This prevents the plant from absorbing nutrition. The roots look like a gnarled up finger. Solutions: Solarize your soil next summer, grow in pots that do not touch the soil, grow plants that are resistant (but...

Why vegetable garden in containers? Excellent for small/unique areas Move as needed (frost, sun/shade, wind...) Sprawling plants can be controlled (sweet potato) Can be raised off ground to be accessible to all Control soil conditions Control root knot nematodes Easy to provide drip irrigation Ideas for containers Bag of compost—one time use (cut hole in bag to plant and make drainage holes in bottom) Self watering planters Cinder blocks/concrete planters (be aware that concrete changes pH of soil to more alkaline) Cloth bags such as grocery store cloth bags— limited life Inverting a large storage container to raise up the container for easy accessibility Not recommended: buckets (disintegrate), clay pots (heavy), wood (disintegrate), tires (code enforcement issue) Crop Rotation Leaf, Fruit, Root, Legume Container How-to Bigger is better: the more soil, the more water and nutrients it holds If reusing a container, sterilize with a mix of 10% bleach and 90% water (...

Pinching Pinch off the terminal bud with your thumb and forefinger. Pinching encourages bushy growth. Heading Heading is more aggressive than pinching. Cut farther back on the stem than you would for pinching. Make the cut right above a leaf. Heading encouraging dense growth. Angle cuts at 45º. See diagram. Thinning Thinning removes the entire stem or branch. Angle cuts at 45º. See diagram. Shearing Shearing is used to create a form. Shearing stimulates many buds to produce new growth. This method cuts right through leaves. Small leaved plants are best for this because the damage is less noticeable.

Cloning a piece of a mature plant hastens fruiting. The parent plant is already mature so the clone/cutting is also mature.  Sterilize* pots. Fill pots with sterile potting soil mix*.  Soak soil thoroughly with water. Sterilize*  clipping/snipping tool(s). Select a healthy, disease-free, indeterminate tomato plant that you would like to clone. An indeterminate grows indefinitely until cold, insects, nematodes, or disease kills it. Determinate plants grow to a certain size and stop growing.  Clip tip sections of tomato stems in at least 3 inch lengths (up to 2 feet if their are suckers at  all the nodes). A sucker (auxiliary bud) is a growth coming from the “crotch” area between the  leaf stem (petiole) and the node. A node is the point on the stem where leaves develop.  Start making cuttings: Clip the tip section with the shoot apex/terminal  bud about 1 inch below the node. Shoot apex/terminal bud is the place where new growth comes...

Propagation The process of growing a new plant from parts of one or more other plants. Seeds See how to start seeds post. Division Division is the process of separating a clump forming plant into parts. There are many ways to divide plants. Stock and bulb division. Plants such as lemon grass and asparagus (stock), or onions and garlic (bulb). The plant clump is dug up to include the root and is separated using your hands, trowel, or even a shovel. The separated clumps are then replanted. Sucker and Runner division. Plants such as bananas, bay, and elderberry, are separated by cutting the UNDERGROUND “cord” that joins the mother plant from the sucker child plant. Plants such as strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries. They are also separated from the mother by cutting the ABOVE GROUND “cord” that joins the mother plant from the runner child plant. Cuttings Cuttings are a way to “clone” a plant. It will grow true to the original plant. There are many types of cuttings. We will b...

Never plant two crops right after each other using the same plant family Example: never plant tomatoes, then later in the same spot, plant peppers WHY? Because insects and disease are lurking in the soil where they were planted.

What summer cover crops can do Remove nitrogen (N) from the air and transforms it into the soil Provide organic matter which improves soil’s ability to hold water and nutrients Control weeds by smothering them out Suppress root knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.)  Provide an edible crop during unfavorable summer vegetable growing season Suppress sting nematodes (Belonolaimus longicaudatus) which affect strawberries Suggested crops Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) Colossus, California Blackeye #5, Iron Clay, Magnolia Blackeye, Mississippi Purple, Mississippi Silver, Tennessee Brown, Zippercream Sunn Hemp (Crotolaria juncea)  Marigold (Tagetes spp.)  French, Mexican, and African Marigolds (not SIGNET varieties)  Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan L.) a tree that is turned under instead of allowing to grow tree-sized  References: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in516, http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_053283.pdf, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/tr003, http...

These plants tolerate heat and humidity. *parts of these plants are poisonous or should be prepared in a special manner Amaranth Arugula Basket Vine/Haitian basket vine/hoop vine* Bitter Cucumber/bitter gourd/bitter melon/Balsam pear/Sopropo Brazilian Spinach Bunching Onion/Welsh onion/Japanese bunching onion Cassava/Manioc/Tapioca/Yuca* Ceylon Spinach (Talinum triangulare) AKA Waterleaf, Philippine Spinach Chaya/Tree Spinach (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius)* Chayote Cherry Tomatoes (NOT pear) (nightshade family)* Chinese Greens CowPea/Adzuki Bean, Southern Pea Cranberry Hibiscus/False Roselle/Maroon mallow/Red-Shield hibiscus (invasive) Edible Hibiscus Eggplant/Aubergine/melongene/brinjal/guinea squash (nightshade family)* Egyptian Spinach Ethiopian Kale/African Cabbage/Abyssinian cabbage Garlic Chives/Chinese chives Hot Peppers (nightshade family)* Jicama/yam bean* Katuk/star gooseberry/sweet leaf/leaf vegetable/tropical asparagus Lagos Spinach/Quail Grass* Lima Beans Long...

When first symptoms of disease show on one plant, spray all Certain insects require reapplication a few days later Reapply after a rain Spray in early morning to avoid leaf burn Spray upper- and under-side of leaves If insects drop to the ground, also lightly spray the soil

Bleach 10% chlorine bleach + 90% water  Soak for 30 minutes Rinse Alcohol 70-100% Ethanol or Isopropyl (Iso-pro-pill) Alcohol No soaking required Can wipe on No rinsing required

Solarize Sunny Areas For best results, it should be done in open, unshaded areas. Solarize in June, July, and August The best times for solarization are during the summer months of June, July, and August because these have the hottest temperatures. Remove Weeds and Debris and Till Clear area of existing weeds and debris. Debris should be removed so it does not poke holes in the plastic. Till site to increase penetration of heat into the top 6 inches of soil. Moisten if Needed Water helps to conduct heat, so best results occur if soil is moist but not waterlogged or muddy. On sandy soils in Florida, the best conditions are when the soil received rain or irrigation the day before plastic is applied. Cover Soil with Clear Plastic A CLEAR plastic sheet or strip is stretched out over the area to be treated. The plastic piece should be a little larger than the area treated because the edges will need to be buried in soil (see next step). Black plastics or reflective plastics will not a...

Plants that help fight nematodes French Marigolds, rye, and certain cowpeas. Resource: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in892 Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, mustard, rutabaga, turnips, kohlrabi, collards, kale. Resource: journals.fcla.edu/jon/article/view/78314/75732

VFN is resistant to Verticillium wilt, Fusarium wilt, and root knot nematodes Resistant/tolerant does not mean impervious Use disease-free seeds, many diseases are seed-borne ab = Alternaria (early blight) fw2 = Fusarium wilt, race 2 asc = Alternaria stem canker gw = Gray wall an = Anthracnose gls = Gray leaf spot ber = Blossom end rot lb = Late blight bw = Bacteria wilt nhr = Nail head rust cf = Cat facing rkn = Root knot nematode clm = Cladosporium leaf mold st = Stemphylium spot cr = Crack resistance sun = Sun scald cs = Crease stem tmv = Tobacco mosaic virus fw1 = Fusarium wilt, race 1 vw = Verticillium wilt ylcv = yellow leaf curl virus

Gene McAvoy, Hendry County UF/IFAS Extension Director and Agent

Gene McAvoy, Hendry County UF/IFAS Extension Director and Agent

Can be used at any time of the day. Reduced water use: Drip irrigation brings the water to the plant root zone and does not wet the entire area. Drip irrigation typically requires half to a quarter of the volume of water required by comparable overhead-irrigation systems. Reduced pest problems: Weed and disease problems may be reduced because drip irrigation does not wet the row middles or the foliage of the crops as does overhead irrigation. Automation: Drip-irrigation can be simply managed and programmed with an AC- or battery-powered controller. Adaptation: Drip systems are adaptable to oddly shaped garden beds or those with uneven topography or soil texture, thereby maximizing the use of available land. Production advantages: Combined with raised beds, polyethylene mulch, and transplants, drip irrigation enhances earliness and crop uniformity. Using polyethylene mulch also increases the cleanliness of harvested products and reduces the risk of contamination with soil-born ...

Adapted from Estimated Water Requirements of Vegetable Crops: http://extension.missouri.edu/sare/documents/estimatedwaterrequirementsvegetable2012.pdf

One inch of rain + 1,000 square foot roof will fill TEN, 55-gallon rain barrels Benefits of Rain Barrel Water Reduces water runoff that contains lawn/garden fertilizers (Nitrogen and Phosphorus) that cause algae blooms.  Reduces lawn/garden pesticide runoff into our waterways and ground water.  Reduces soil erosion.  Reduces overdrafting. (Extracting groundwater, via well water, beyond the safe yield of the aquifer.) Provides water for irrigation when we are in drought conditions.  Provides water for plants, washing cars, filling birdbaths, and fish ponds. Provides FREE water that does not have to go through a house filtering system.  Does not contain chlorine, lime or calcium.  Saving water protects our environment.  Things to consider Place barrel high enough to allow your watering can to fit under the spigot. Rain barrels work off of gravity. Placed barrel uphill to allow water to move downhill through a hose.  Ensure rain barr...

BORON (B) Terminal buds die, witches’ brooms form. CALCIUM (Ca) New leaves (top of plant) are distorted or irregularly shaped. Causes blossom-end rot. COPPER (Cu) Leaves are dark green, plant is stunted. IRON (Fe) Yellowing occurs between the veins of young leaves. MAGANESE (Mn) Yellowing occurs between the veins of young leaves. Pattern is not as distinct as with iron. Palm fronds are stunted and deformed, called “frizzle top.” Reduction in size of plant parts (leaves, shoots, fruit) generally. Dead spots or patches. ZINC (Zn) Terminal leaves may be rosetted, and yellowing occurs between the veins of the new leaves. MOLYBDENUM (Mo) General yellowing of older leaves (bottom of plant). The rest of the plant is often light green. SULFUR (S) Younger leaves turn yellow first, sometimes followed by older leaves. MAGNESIUM (Mg) Older leaves turn yellow at edge leaving a green arrowhead shape in the center of the leaf. Plants also require carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, which are extracted fr...

N   Nitrogen   P   Phosphorous K   Potassium strong stem healthy root growth overall health foliage growth flower production disease resistance seed production Deficiency: General yellowing of older leaves (bottom of plant). The rest of the plant is often light green. Deficiency: Leaf tips look burnt, followed by older leaves turning a dark green or reddish-purple. Deficiency: Older leaves may wilt, look scorched. Interveinal chlorosis begins at the base, scorching inward from leaf margins. What the numbers mean. A fertilizer label which reads “18 -24 - 6” 18% of the content is Nitrogen 24% is Phosphorous 6% is Potassium 52% is inert (or inactive) material