How to make Florida soil fertile

Everyone who has ever tried growing fruits and veggies in Florida soil already knows how nothing would ever grow in the ground. No wonder - with less than 2 percent of organic matter in Sunshine State's natural soils, every kind of fruit, veggies and even most herbs - can only be starved to death.

Any healthy vegetable garden requires good soil mix which means at least 25 percent of organic matter in the earth - to provide sufficient nutrients for food crops.

So - how to garden in Florida successfully?

Retired horticulturist Allen Cordell from Largo has decades of in-the-dirt experiences about growing foods in Florida. He worked for Pinellas County Extension for 25 years and oversaw the vegetable and herb garden at the Florida Botanical Gardens.

Cordell recommends growing food crops in:

• containers with with good drainage which are best choice especially for the first time Florida gardeners - you can keep moving them around your property until you find the perfect sun exposure and natural protection for your plants

or

• raised beds - at least 8 inches deep (see detailed description for A Raised Vegetable Garden)
  
  

Cordell's recipe for a soil mixture:

• 4 parts of bagged topsoil - choose inexpensive but loose and pliable to the touch


• 1 part perlite - to boost moisture retention, to improve drainage and encourage root growth


• 1/2 part dolomite - to boost calcium

***

Easy accessible raised beds

Kitchen garden at Griffin home

It doesn't really mater in what shape you choose to design your new raised bed. The most important thing is to make it as easily accessible for planting, weeding, watering, harvesting and cultivating - as possible.

That's also the reason why smart and experienced gardeners keep their raised beds no more than 6 feet wide - for access from both sides.

When you can only approach your raised bed from one side, keep it 3 feet (or less) wide for easy maintenance.



***

Round flower bed

200601 flower bed
Originally uploaded by supercilious

Round flower/herb beds are fun. They add that relaxed, lively and playful feel to the landscape which might otherwise look too orderly (notice example on the photo).

Another good thing about the round bed is that one is easy to create.

If you decide to use curved edgers, the price tag in your local store will most likely tell you how many you need for a circle.

In case you decide to build your circular flower bed with stone, draw or mark that circle (future raised bed) first.



***