ZONE 10: Planning your garden and Sowing the seeds
Welcome Beekman Heirloom Gardeners !
I write to you from South Florida with great hope and happiness for a properous 2011 growing season. South Florida has a year round season, but one has to carefully select the proper times to plant various seeds. I usually start the season by drawing a planting plan on a piece of paper, kind of like a road map, to refer to along the way.
It's good to plan ahead. Decide what you are going to plant, when and where, using in-ground or raised-bed plantings. Make raised-beds six inches above the ground or higher with wood or concrete blocks. In South Florida, use materials that are resistant to rot and termites. Most home improvement stores have pre-treated wood to use for this purpose, though some people are worried about the chemicals used in pressure-treated wood. I use a bed that is four feet wide. The lengths of the beds can vary to incorporate the amount of plantings.
Most plantings need a sunny location, six to eight hours of sun a day. In South Florida, most of the soil is sand. Sand offers good drainage and aeration for root growth, however it holds few nutrients and plants need frequent watering and feeding. I add organic matter to the soil. Compost works great. You can make your own or pick it up at a landfill. Peat moss is another good alternative. I like to use four to six inches of peat moss and mix it in with the sand. Manure also works well. Horse, Cow and Chicken manures are readily available in garden stores or if you have a farm nearby, bake something and and see if you can negotiate a trade. I have never been turned away with fresh baked goods in hand. I use about twenty five pounds of manure for each one hundred square feet of bed. Potting soil also works well but it can get expensive if you are planning a large garden.
You can test your soil with a pH kit available at most garden centers. Some garden centers offer pH testings free of charge. pH is important as it determines the availability of nutrients to the plants. We are now planting for our warm season so some of the vegetables included in the Beekman Heirloom kit cannot be used at this time in South Florida. I am planting the pumpkin, winter squash, bell peppers, busch beans, cucumbers and black cherry tomatoes. I will use the other seeds included in the kit for the cool season planting. If you're in zone 10, don't wait any longer to start your seeds. I am using Peat Pellets to germinate the seeds. You may use any containers you wish to use.
If you do use the peat pellets, follow the directions on the package. Use two or three seeds per pellet. Keep the seeded containers in an area with good air movement to prevent disease and out of direct sunlight. Check the containers each day to determine if additional water is needed and when you do need to add some, add warm water. When the first seeds sprout, if using the peat pellets, prop the dome open a little. The tomatoes should sprout first, probably within a week to ten days. The other seeds will follow along within a couple more days. When all of the seeds have sprouted, if using the peat pellets, remove the dome and place in a sunny location. After the first leaves appear, cut back all except for the strongest seedling in each pellet. Place outside in the shade for two to three days and gradually expose to full sunlight.
I have another week or so to complete the planting beds. Check back for additional posts and pictures of the planting beds once they have been planted. It is my pleasure to be a part of this wonderful community garden project. Good growing everyone !!!
Dianne Reed is the Beekman Deputy Heirloom Gardener for Zone 10. She lives in Boynton Beach, Florida with her husband, Daniel, Bichon Frise Dog, Bentley and Amazon Parrot, Jasper.
