How to Grow Vegetables From Seed in Florida

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Gardening has become increasingly popular as more people decide to "go green." Growing your own vegetables from seeds can be a rewarding and delicious experience. It is cost-effective and allows you to control what kind of fertilizers and pesticides are used on your food. With plant-friendly weather almost year-round, growing vegetables in Florida is easy.

Things You'll Need

• Small gardening pots
• Potting soil
• Vegetable seeds
• Water
• Gardening gloves
• Hoe
• Trowel
• Natural fertilizer
• Mulch
• Shears or scissors

Instructions

Planting the Seeds

1. Fill the small gardening pots halfway with potting soil.

2. Place a few seeds in each pot and stick the seed packet in the side of the pot to label the plants.

3. Fill the pots the rest of the way with potting soil but do not pack the soil.

4. Water the seeds so that the soil is damp but not saturated.

5. Place the pots in a warm, sunny area such as a windowsill or on the porch.

6. Check the moisture every day by inserting a finger into the soil. The soil should remain damp but should never be wet or muddy.

7. Wait six to 20 days for the seedlings to begin sprouting.

8. Water the seedlings in the morning every other day to encourage root growth.

Transplanting Your Seedlings

1. Wearing gardening gloves, clear the section of earth you will use for your garden by pulling up grass and weeds. Loosen the soil with a hoe.

2. Use a trowel to dig holes about a foot apart where you want your plants to grow. Mix in a natural fertilizer such as a manure-based soil.

3. Remove the seedlings from the pots by covering the base of the plant with your hand and flipping each pot over. Tap the bottom and sides of the pot to get the plant to slide out along with as much soil as possible.

4. Place the plants in the holes and pack them in with soil to keep them sturdy.

5. Water the plants and cover the soil with mulch.

Sustaining Your Plants Until Harvest

1. Check your plants daily and pull any weeds.

2. Water your garden early in the morning or in the evening to allow the plants to absorb the most water.

3. When your vegetables are ripe, harvest them by clipping the fruit from the vine with scissors or shears.

Tips & Warnings

• For a more eco-friendly garden, try cutting old water bottles in half instead of purchasing gardening pots. Insects are a major problem in Florida, so surround your garden with marigolds to keep the pests at bay.

• Overwatering your garden is just as harmful as not watering your garden. Do not flood your plants.

References

• No-Dig Vegetable Garden
• Ed Hume Seeds

Resources

• Harvesting Your Vegetables