Plant 'early' varieties of vegetables for fall crop

By Audrey Post
MS. GROW-IT-ALL

Q: Is it too late to plant tomatoes in Tallahassee? How about lima beans?

A: No, it’s not too late to plant tomatoes for a second crop in the fall, but it’s a good idea to select “early” varieties. “Early” means they produce fruit in fewer days than most varieties, or earlier, and are generally used in early spring. But considering the gardening calendar in our area is a little different from the rest of the country, it works well for us in fall.

We usually have a freeze in late October, and then weeks go by before we have another one, so be prepared to protect your tomatoes during that period.

You can also plant cucumbers, squash and bush beans now. Unfortunately, lima beans take longer to mature than snap beans so I wouldn’t try to plant any this late.

Plant giveaway report: Jerry Patton reports his plant giveaway was a success, and he has a few plants left.

“More than 50 night-blooming cereus were taken (some took more that one plant); and, 21 century plants found a home. (Many said they'd like one of the latter, but just didn't have the space, etc.) Too, 17 crape myrtles were carted off -- all that were potted). As for the mystery plants, they too, fell into the hands of a gardener.

“I still have both night-blooming cereus and century plants. And, not unlike kittens, ‘all are available to a nice home.’ And, I must add, your readers are the nicest people. Great conversations were had by all.”

Thanks, Jerry. I agree. If you want some of his plants, be sure to call him at 850-878-1321 to make sure he’s home and to get directions to his home.

Use scissors to thin vegetable patch

By Audrey Post
MS. GROW-IT-ALL®

Q: I planted a winter vegetable garden and now I need to thin it, particularly the carrots and the mesclun. What’s the best way to do it?

A: People who live in USDA Zones 8 and south have the luxury of being able to garden year-round, as long as they plant the right crop for the right season. Winter crops include carrots and mesclun, which is the collective name given to a mix of salad greens that can include several varieties of leaf lettuce, arugula, endive, kale, chicory and mizuna, an Asian green.

Initially, you can use the same tool to thin the carrots and the mesclun: scissors. Trim the carrots when the tops are about half an inch high; wait to trim the salad greens until they’re 2 to 3 inches high.

When trimming the tops of the carrots, cut the leafy tops close to the soil level. With no green top, no photosynthesis can occur and the root will never develop into the carrot we know. This will leave room for the remaining carrots to develop both above and below the soil. You’ll probably need to thin the carrots at least one more time before the final crop matures, but you should have baby carrots by then that you can pull and eat.

As for the mesclun, most varieties of lettuce in the seed mix are what is known as “cut and come again.” That means after you trim the young leaves, new ones will grow to replace them.
The carrots will continue to grow until you pull them. Your mesclun should continue to produce until temperatures hit 80 degrees F. regularly during the day, if you keep it cut.

Q: Is it too late to plant daffodils? I live in Florida’s Panhandle.

A: No, it’s not too late, but you’d better get busy planting the bulbs now. Daffodil bulbs can be planted from September through January through the Florida Panhandle. The green strap-like foliage of early varieties of daffodils has already sprouted, but you can still plant bulbs if you can deal with mixed success.

Early varieties might not perform as well as they would have had they been planted earlier, but you should still get some bulbs this year. Next year, the show should be better.

Last frost dates vary by region

By Audrey Post
MS. GROW-IT-ALL®

Q: I’m planning to plant a vegetable garden this year, and everything I’ve read, including the seed packets, says to wait to plant until after the danger of frost. When is the last frost in Florida’s Big Bend? How can I know when it’s safe to plant?

A: The last frost in the eastern Panhandle/Big Bend region of Florida is usually the third week in March. The easiest way to remember is to connect it in your mind with the first day of spring -- March 20. But as with all other gardening things, particularly in this region, that’s just a date on a calendar and you have to be ready to adjust planting plans.

Cautious gardeners in the Tallahassee area used to wait until April 1, but the Easter freeze in mid-April two years ago surprised all of us. That freeze was much later than normal, but the lesson here is that we can’t accurately predict the weather. It’s always an educated guess.

If you plan to sow your seeds for summer vegetables directly into the ground, you need to wait until after the last frost for two reasons: first, to prevent frost from killing the plant, obviously; but second, and perhaps more importantly, seeds won’t germinate in soil that’s too cold for that particular plant. Seeds planted in too-cold soil either lie there waiting for the soil to warm enough, or they rot before the soil warms. That’s why many people choose to start their seedlings indoors.

The seed packets tell you to start seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost date, so they should be ready to transplant to the garden in late March if you start them indoors the last two weeks in January. The farther north you go, the later the date of the last frost, so adjust your planting schedule accordingly.

If we’re having a cold snap when your projected planting date arrives, just wait. Most seedlings can stay in their little starter pots another week or so. If they’re really bursting out of them, transplant them to slightly larger pots. The 3- and 4- inch pots that annuals come in are good for that purpose.

A week or so before you plan to transplant your seedlings into the garden, move them outside to begin acclimating to spring weather. The first couple of days, bring them back inside at night. Then leave them in a protected location at night for several days. Try to transplant them on a cloudy or overcast day. If you have to plant when it’s sunny, provide some shade the first day or two they’re in the ground.

Remember that some vegetables prefer cooler temperatures and can be planted now, as long as you protect them from a hard freeze. Local nurseries have seedlings of lettuces, spinach, cabbage, broccoli and other cool-season vegetables available. Carrots, peas and radishes can be sown in the garden now.