Author: Fawn Neun

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Finding the Best Soil for Raised Beds in Your Garden

best soil for raised beds

It seems like everyone is using raised beds these days, and they’re more popular with gardeners than ever. Experts from all styles of gardening recommend them — from old-school horticulturists to chop and drop sustainability advocates. One place you’ll notice a big difference in opinion, however, is when it comes on which is the best soil for raised beds.

You’ll find big bags of garden soil at your local home center or big box store. And if you’re willing to spend a small fortune, you could definitely blow the budget filling up those raised beds. But depending on the type of raised bed you’re using and what you’re planning to grow, you may want to do a little planning first. Right?

So, what types of raised beds do gardeners use?

Raised Beds Types

A “raised bed” basically means lifting your soil above ground level. It’s one way of prepping your garden for planting. But it’s not until you decide which kind you’re going to use before you even need to work about which is the best soil for raised beds.

Some critical factors to consider before deciding on what type are your budget, your physical endurance, and any time constraints.

Double-dug Raised Garden Bed

The most basic type of raised bed isn’t raised very high at all. A double-dug raised bed only results in a few inches of height above the normal ground level of your garden.

In double-digging, you dig the soil twice over, while loosening the deeper layers with a garden fork. While digging, you can work in extra organic matter, like compost or manure. With enough aeration and organic matter, you’ll increase the volume of soil in the garden bed, raising it slightly.

You want to loosen the soil up to 2 feet deep, so that fast-growing vegetables and fruit plants aren’t hindered by packed earth. Double-digging is hard work, but it will give you lighter and better-aerated soil for your plants. It also helps raise the planting area for better drainage.

This is the form of raised bed I used most often, mainly because it’s so economical. First of all, you don’t need to purchase lumber to surround the bed when it’s only 6 or so inches high. Secondly, if you make your own compost and other soil amendments, you won’t have to purchase the best soil for raised beds. You’ll be making it – right at the site you need it. \

The best part of double-digging is that you only need to do it once. In fact, I recommend that after you’ve initially prepared your garden bed, you go no-till.

Framed Raised Garden Bed

You created framed raised garden beds directly onto the ground with no barrier between the planting area and the ground soil. This allows for complete drainage and offers access to microbes and worms.

More gardening experts are focusing on soil quality these days, which means creating a healthy ecosystem with the right fungi and bacteria for plant health. And the ones that do the best work for you are those found in your own backyard.

Most gardeners build a framed raised bed with wood, cement block, or even sheet steel from 10 to 12 inches or so above ground level.

While this can be expensive, it does offer some protection for your plants. For one thing, they’re less likely to get stomped on by careless children and enthusiastic dogs.

Before building your raised bed, make sure you loosen the ground soil beneath it with that handy garden fork. This helps improve drainage and breaks up the soil to allow plants to really dig in. For extra protection from weeds, you can also line the bottom with many sheets of newspaper or a sheet of cardboard. Don’t worry – the worms love it and it will soon break down and improve your soil.

Once you build your frame, you’ll want to find a good growing medium to fill it with. You can either buy the best soil for raised beds or mix your own. The best type really depends on what you’re planting in it.

Raised Container Bed

While not technically a “raised bed,” a lot of gardeners like to use large containers and planters for their fruit and vegetable plants. And you may see them listed as “raised beds” by the manufacturer.

But note that the real difference between a raised bed and a container is whether it has a bottom that isolates the plants from the native soil.

Some gardeners like to use container raised beds to lift the entire garden off the ground. This makes it easier to tend if you have physical challenges. If you decide to go with a “planter” or any kind of enclosed container, whether off the ground or on, make sure the bottom has been punctured for plenty of drainage.

One caveat, however, with this type of garden planter — you should fill it with the best soil for raised beds that you can afford. Container soil needs to last several seasons, with very few amendments. When they’re isolated in a container and can’t reach the soil below, your plants receive very limited moisture and nutrients. So, make sure that you choose a soil that isn’t too heavy, provides good drainage, and still holds moisture and nutrients.

So, invest in a good mix and then add some compost or slow-release fertilizer at the beginning of each season.

Specialty Raised Beds

If you do a bit more research, you’ll also find a few specialty type raised garden beds you may want to try. Some of them feature explicit instructions for the best type of soil for raised beds using these designs. And in one interesting case, the design is part of what creates the garden soil.

Square-Foot Gardening Raised Beds

Square-foot gardening has been around since the early 1980s and has a lot of advocates. This method uses a simple raised bed laid out in a grid. When you do a little research into this type of bed, you’ll find that it calls for a very specific type of soil mix, and many gardeners say it’s definitely the best soil for raised beds.

Hugelmound

“Hugelkultur” has gained popularity recently as many home gardeners look for ways to work more sustainably. A hugelmound is a unique way of creating optimal conditions for growing a wide range of plants in a small space. Form a big, mounded garden plot, starting with logs and yard debris in a shallow pit. Then add compost and soil.

You’ll get extra room to grow, and the best part is that a hugelmound creates a variety of microclimates. So you can add Meditterenan herbs to the top, where the drainage is best. For plants that like their feet a bit damp, plant around the bottom of the mount.

Depending on how you orient your hugelmount, you can add your sun-lovers on the south-facing side, or give them a little relief in some shade by planting on the north side.

The logs help retain moisture in the soil, and the yard debris will break down slowly, adding nutrients to your raised bed. Don’t be surprised if your hugelmound starts to shrink after a year or two as the organic matter is broken down by happy soil microbes.

Lasagna Raised Bed

Often called the “lazy gardener” method, “Lasagna” raised beds are great for no-till, no-weeding maintenance. It’s also called sheet mulching, and it’s simple and effective if you have the materials.

Start your lasagna raised bed directly on the ground by adding a thick layer of cardboard. Then, add layers of yard waste, fallen leaves, scraps from the kitchen, and compost. Lasagna fans say to layer it up to a foot high.

Lasagna gardening is said to turn even desiccated, exhausted soil into a rich planting area wit the best soil for raised beds.

The Best Soil for Double-Dug Raised Garden Beds

If you decide to go with the double-dug raised bed, you may want to have your soil tested first at your local county extension office. It can help you identify if you need to make specific amendments to your soil, such as lime or pine mulch.

Your local extension office can offer an in-depth test to see if you need to add particular macronutrients to your soil and if it has any deficiencies.

Soil Amendments for Macros

Now that you know what you need to add before getting your garden going, take a look at some excellent organic amendments that you can mix in to improve your harvest.

Nitrogen

Is your soil poor in nitrogen? Add the following:

Phosphorus

Needs more phosphorus? Try:

Potassium

You can add potassium using:

Organic matter and compost

To improve the structure as well as the nutrient levels, add compost, composted manure, or worm castings to your raised beds. It will also help feed those vital microbes in the soil that work to keep your garden veggies healthy.

The Best Soil for Raised Beds

For larger raised beds or containers, you’ll need to buy or mix garden soil to fill them. As I mentioned before, there’s a lot of disagreement about what makes the best soil. It really comes down to what you’re trying to grow and where and when you’re trying to grow it.

That said, here are some excellent recommendations from gardening gurus worth looking at:

The Old Farmer’s Almanac

You’ll find this homemade soil mix recipe on the Farmer’s Almanac website:

Raised Bed Soil Recipe

  • 4 bags (2 cubic feet) topsoil
  • 2 bags (3 cubic feet each) peat moss or coconut coir
  • 2 bags (2–3 cubic feet each) compost or composted cow manure
  • A 2-inch layer of shredded leaves or grass clippings (free of pesticides and herbicides)

Joe Lamp’l

The Joe Gardner podcast says this mix is “perfect.” You’ll find the following mix on his website:

  • 50 percent high-quality topsoil (bulk or bags)
  • 30 percent compost (homemade or purchased)
  • 20 percent mix of organic matter, including any of the following:
    • Shredded leaves
    • Worm casting
    • Mushroom compost
    • Aged chipped or ground bark
    • Composted Cow or chicken manure

Gardeners.com Mix

Gardeners.com will show you how to build your own raised bed, as well as showing you what to put into it.

  • 60 percent topsoil
  • 30 percent compost
  • 10 percent perlite or vermiculite

The Square Foot Garden Soil

The inventor of Square Foot Gardening, Mel Bartholomew, has a special mix he recommends. It’s called “Mel’s Mix,” and the formula is easy to remember.

Mel’s Mix

  • 1 part vermiculite
  • 1 part peat moss
  • 1 part compost

If you don’t like using peat moss — and many gardeners don’t — you can also use coconut coir.

Which Is Really the Best Soil for Raised Beds?

There’s never a simple answer when it comes to gardening, since there are so many external factors that affect your results. If you’re double-digging, you may not need to buy or mix any soil at all. I never have – although I do garden in containers a lot.

The mix you choose may change depending on what you grow. Do your vegetables need rich, fertile soil? Or do they need a lighter mix with better drainage??

Root vegetables, on the other hand, prefer something easier to spread out in, like Mel’s Mix.

Fast-growing and hungry vegetables like tomatoes, eggplant, and squash prefer a soil that holds moisture and is rich in nutrients. They may do better in the Joe Gardener or the Farmer’s Almanac mixes.

Leafy greens need plenty of nitrogen as soon as they’re planted. So, the best soil for raised beds for growing salad greens would include composted manure. Organic matter might take too long to break down to do them much good. So, the mix from Gardeners.com might be best.

Get Growing

Once you know what plants you’ll be growing, let their needs guide you to the best soil for raised beds. Make sure you understand their optimal conditions, and then choosing will be much simpler.

Light, loose, even sandy soil is great for carrots, rutabagas, turnips, and potatoes. Leafy greens like a soil that’s high in nitrogen. Fruiting vegetables like tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers like lots of nutrients and steady moisture.

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When to Fertilize for Your Southern Lawn Care Schedule

southern lawn care schedule

The unseasonably warm winter we’re having may be fooling us into thinking that spring has officially arrived. And some of us are already looking for a southern lawn care schedule. As if our lawns weren’t still all brown and dormant.

And no one can blame us. It seems that as soon as the winter solstice passes, and the holidays wrap up, the days grow longer so much quicker, that we can feel it in our gardener’s bones.

We can feel the sun return and the lengthening of the days. And 80-degree highs during the day aren’t helping matters.

On the other hand, it never hurts to be prepared. Setting up a do-it-yourself lawn care schedule before the question even arises is an effective way to plan a great gardening year. And a month by month lawn care schedule can ensure your lawn looks great this year and into the coming years.

When to Fertilize a Lawn in Spring in the South

Most lawns in the south are made up of what they call warm-season grasses. Warm-season grasses go dormant in the winter, turning brown and giving us at least a short break from constant mowing. Even during the wet winter we’ve been having.

Your southern lawn care schedule needs to be flexible to accommodate erratic weather patterns.

Warm Season Grass Varieties

Some common types of warm-season grasses used in Zones 8 to 11 include:

  • Bahiagrass
  • Bermuda grass
  • Centipede grass
  • St. Augustine grass
  • Zoysia grass

In the southeast, Bahia and St. Augustine are both popular choices. Bermuda and Zoysia are excellent choices in areas of the South that gets winter weather.

Centipede grass is great for those who want to cut back on lawn maintenance and spend less time on their southern lawn care schedule.

Your Southern Lawn Care Schedule and Dormancy

While our winter weather may seem warmer than usual, it may still not be consistently warm enough to return our southern grasses from dormancy. They prefer soil temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and nighttime temperatures can have a huge impact.

While the highs may hit the high 70s and even the 80s during the day, nighttime temps below 65 mean that our grass remains dormant. This may be perfect for growing tomatoes and lettuce, but St. Augustine is still sleeping and waiting for true spring.

It’s important not to fertilize before nighttime temperatures rise above 65 on a regular basis – unless you want to just fertilize your weeds. And feeding your lawn too early can mean severe damage if you get an unexpected cold snap.

That’s why it’s so important to plan ahead. If you really want a green lawn over the winter, consider overseeding with a cool-season ryegrass. Note, however, that you’ll run into problems when you overseed St. Augustine. You may find that the damage you need to do to your turf with scarifying isn’t worth the trouble. And without it, you may not get much growth from your seed.

Southern Lawn Care Schedule: When to Fertilize

If you haven’t overseeded with a cool-season grass, you’ll want to wait to fertilize until nighttime temperatures remain mostly above 65 degrees to prevent feeding your weeds.

Many experts will recommend fertilizing as soon as your last frost dates passes, but that may be too early unless you’re using a weed and feed with an herbicide. And frankly, herbicides are so often overused and are unnecessary. Unless you have an HOA breathing down your neck about every sprout of dollar weed, avoid them when possible.

Regardless of pressures from yard-police and gardening peers, weed and feed combinations can prove less than effective. In fact, you’re better off applying pre-emergent herbicides after the last frost date, in February or March, and then waiting a month or two before adding fertilizer. It’s more work, but it’s also more effective. If you haven’t noticed, weeds are pretty hardy little lifeforms. They’ll germinate at lower temperatures than grass will tolerant and will thrive with much less water. You want the Best fertilizer for Green Grass, not green weeds.

Fertilizing in the fall before dormancy is usually more than adequate to feed your lawn in preparation for the first flush of spring.  

Keep tabs on your temperature trends and then add fertilizer when it warms up consistently. In fact, depending on your location, the biggest challenge during the spring may be rainfall, not your lawn fertilizer schedule

Here in Florida, March lawn care means watering. Spring can be extremely dry, which can cause challenges for warm-season grasses trying to green up for spring. Your southern lawn care schedule may include weekly or twice-weekly watering but make sure your local watering regulations permit it.

The Lawn Controversy

Some people hate lawns and think they shouldn’t exist. I don’t know how many signs I’ve seen that say “Grow Food, Not Lawns” all over the internet. While I’m keen on sustainable landscaping and gardening and I love veggie gardening, I honestly think that these statements come from a position of ignorance.

Grasses are an important part of any ecosystem, and in the natural world, they cover up to a third of arable land on the planet. At least that’s the figure I recall. They feed a vast number of Bovidae: gazelle and bison, wildebeest, and buffalo. Which then go on to feed a vast number of predators.

Bovids eat the grass to nourish them and then return the favor by feeding it with their waste. They tend to migrate, spreading the love and allowing the grasses a chance to grow back.

In fact, grasslands are a better and more reliable carbon sink than forests, because they store most of it underground. Grasslands also prevent soil erosion and over time, improve soil quality with their ability to keep the soil aerated with their deep running roots.

Grasses and lawns are unfairly maligned. Keeping a green swatch of grass that isn’t overly treated is far better for the environment in the long run than mulching everything in favor of raised food beds. Mulch doesn’t retain as much moisture as a healthy lawn, nor does it prevent soil erosion as well.

While I’m a vegetable grower at heart, even I don’t want a front lawn full of corn stalks.

Lawns aren’t the problem. Your southern lawn care schedule isn’t the problem.

Our quest for the impossibly perfect lawn is the problem. While there’s nothing wrong with curb appeal, there’s just as much on offer with a mixed blend of grasses or a properly tended organic patch.

But grasses are hungry plants and use up a lot of nutrients when they’re actively growing. While using a mulching mower can add nutrients back into the soil, it may not be enough if hot and humid south. So, your southern lawn care schedule may include a dose or two of fertilizer every year during the active season.

Bermuda Grass fits in well with a Southern Lawn Care schedule

Why You Need to Understand Your Fertilizer

To look its best and remain resistant to disease and pests, your grass lawn needs a few basic nutrients. The main components of lawn food are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Most companies refer to this as the “NPK,” because those are their atomic symbols. You’ll also see a few minerals, like iron, manganese, calcium, and others.

Like any other plant, grasses need different balances of these nutrients depending on their stage of growth and the time of the year. This can make choosing the best fertilizer for your Southern lawn pretty complicated.

The best fertilizer for grass in spring tends to rely on nitrogen, while summer feeding may include potassium for disease and pest resistance. Phosphorus may only be needed for newly seeded lawns or occasionally for a fall feeding before winter depending on how well you kept to your southern lawn care schedule in previous seasons.  

Lawn Fertilizer Components

One way to determine which is the best lawn fertilizer ratio for your lawn and the season is to understand how the common nutrients affect the growth of your grasses. It also helps to understand how these nutrients are balanced in most commercial formulas.

For example, you may see the “NPK” listed a series of three numbers. These numbers express the balance of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in any given fertilizer. So, if you see a fertilizer labeled 13-1-2, that means it has 13 percent nitrogen, 1 percent phosphorus, and 2 percent potassium. You might also see other nutrients like iron, magnesium, or sulfur on the label.

Nitrogen (N)

Nitrogen is what all plants need for vegetative growth. Grasses produce a great deal of “green” biomass, so they tend to need lots of nitrogen. Most lawn fertilizers will feature a higher percentage of nitrogen than any other nutrient. And the Best lawn fertilizer for Spring may feature nothing but nitrogen.

Phosphorus (P)

In plants, phosphorus drives root development. Strong roots help plants, particularly grasses, remain drought resistant with strong, deep roots. Phosphorus is also important for flowering plants.

However, for lawns, your southern lawn care schedule shouldn’t include high levels of phosphorus, especially during your rainy season.

Potassium (K)

Potassium can boost the overall health of your grass and help it remain resistant to diseases and pests.

Which is the Best Lawn Fertilizer for Southern Warm-Season Grasses

You can find a broad range of excellent fertilizers for your Southern Lawn. Because you’ll probably need to fertilize three times a year, it’s a good idea to alternate between high-nitrogen and balanced fertilizers.

The best fertilizer to green up a lawn in spring is a high-nitrogen formula. You can also apply high-nitrogen blends again in the summer, to give them a bit of a boost. If you have wet, rainy summers, another boost of fertilizer can help replenish the soil, if necessary. I tend to only fertilize once in the spring, but my goals for my lawn are pretty low-key.

But if you’re looking for that amazing lawn, save the balanced formula for the fall, when you’re prepping your lawn for whatever amount of cold weather you’ll get. These help feed roots and improve disease resistance moving into the winter months.  

Types of Fertilizers for Your Southern Lawn Care Schedule

Slow-release fertilizers, organic or synthetic, may not provide that exciting rush of instant greening, but then they don’t tend to kill fish or cause algae blooms. For all of our learning and science, nature does have a system in place for feeding grasses and other plants. While we sometimes have to improve on that process, if it’s not necessary, don’t spend the money or stress that system.

Organic Fertilizers

Organic fertilizer is made from natural plant and animal materials like feathers, bones, manure or seaweed. Fish emulsion, made from fish scraps, is one of the most popular.

Organic fertilizers are becoming more popular, especially the slow-release variety that doesn’t’ result in a deluge of nutrients entering the environment and causing trouble in the local ecosphere.

Along with being better for the environment, organic fertilizers can be safer for your lawn, as well as your pets and kids.

Synthetic Fertilizers

I’ve been known to use synthetic fertilizers, if not pesticides, because they provide a lot of bang for your buck and they work quickly. Because they’re synthetic and somewhat bare forms of the basic element, plants can uptake them quickly and put them to work.

They’re also a lot cheaper.

They do come with some downsides, unfortunately. Because they’re concentrated, they can also burn your lawn and ornamental landscaping.

They can also leach into the water table very easily and can contaminate lakes, streams, and coastlines. Note that some areas have regular fertilizer bans during the rainy season.

And finally, while they’re quick to green up your lawn, they won’t improve the quality of your soil over time. Organic material doesn’t just feed your plants, it also feeds the microbes and insects that support the health of your plants. Earthworms and fungi like organic debris, not “MiracleGro.”

Forms of Fertilizers for your Lawn

Whether you chose organic or synthetic, you can find the best lawn fertilizers in several different forms for your convenience. Note that the form will affect how quickly it works and how long the benefits last.

Liquid Lawn Food

Your grass absorbs liquid fertilizers quickly and readily. But it’s important to make sure to use liquid lawn food when the grass is thirsty and hopefully when no rain is predicted.

Unfortunately, the effects don’t last very long. While liquid fertilizers are pretty good for greening up your grass early in the year or right before a big party, you’ll need to reapply it again after a couple of weeks.

Slow-Release Lawn Food

Granular fertilizers provide a slow-release feed that generally lasts serval months. You apply it to your lawn with a drop or rotary spreader after mowing. You may have to water it in, or at least apply it right before it rains. With slow-release formulas – the best time to fertilize a lawn is before or after rain. But check the instructions, since some formulas may vary.

The benefit of these slow-release fertilizers is that you only have to apply them every couple of months to maintain a green lawn. However, the downside is that they don’t work very quickly.

You can, however, use both liquid and slow-release fertilizers, especially if you use organic formulas that won’t burn your grass.

The Best Lawn Fertilizer for Your Southern Lawn

Now that you know more about lawn fertilizers, you can choose from some established and innovative new brands on the market.

1. The Andersons PGF Complete 16-4-8 Fertilizer 

This all-in-one formula features a slow-release action and host of vital micronutrients like iron, manganese, sulfur, copper, and zinc. And it won’t leave your soil quality wanting, as it includes a combination of humic acid and fulvic acid, which increase nutrient absorptions in your lawn grasses by stimulating important beneficial microorganisms.

This granular formula is easy to apply and is more finely milled than other brands so that you get improved coverage.

Specifications

  • NPK: 16-4-8
  • Form: Granular
  • Delivery: Spreader
  • Season: All season

2. Grow More 5705 Water Soluble Fertilizer

While this formula is high in nitrogen, it also provides a good balance of phosphorus and potassium for overall plant health. https://amzn.to/2tcTkY3

Grow More 5705 also features micronutrients such as copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc. This formula for athletic fields is a big hit with homeowners.

Specifications

  • NPK: 30-10-10
  • Form: Soluble power
  • Delivery: Sprayer
  • Season: Spring and summer

3. Simple Lawn Solutions Advanced 16-4-8 Balanced NPK- Natural Liquid Fertilizer

This all-purpose natural liquid fertilizer features a high-nitrogen blend along with micronutrients for overall health. It’s specially formulated for Southern lawns and recommended for St. Augustine, Bermuda, Bahia, Zoysia, Centipede, and Palmetto grass

No harsh chemicals and includes seaweed and kelp for improved soil.  

Specifications

  • NPK: 16-4-8
  • Form: Liquid
  • Delivery: Sprayer
  • Season: Any

4. Urban Farm Fertilizers Liquid Lawn Fertilizer

This concentrated formula offers a broad spectrum of complete nutrition for your lawn, as well as including important mycorrhizae and enzymes for healthier soil. Your grass will readily absorb this liquid formula and you can apply it easily with a hose-end sprayer.

With humic acid and beneficial fungi, this natural fertilizer makes use of bat guano, worm casts, and kelp for a healthy lawn that safe for your family and favorite wildlife.

Specifications

  • NPK: 3-1-2
  • Form: Liquid
  • Delivery: Sprayer
  • Season: Any

5. GreenView Fairway Formula Lawn Fertilizer

Need fast greening and long-term fertilizing? GreenView offers an immediate boost of nitrogen for quick spring greening. Then, the slow-release food kicks in to last up to 12 weeks of steadying feeding. It also features a boost of sulfur to help your grass take up nutrients faster and more efficiently.

So, save time and money while still getting the best of both liquid and slow-release fertilizers.

Specifications

  • NPK: 27-0-5
  • Form: Granular
  • Delivery: Spreader
  • Season: All-season

6. Ferti-lome Centipede Grass Fertilizer

For Southern lawns, this formula is just right for Centipede, St. Augustine, Bermuda and other warm-season grasses in the Southern lawn. The high nitrogen 15-0-15 formula keeps your lawn green and improves resistance in established lawns.

It also includes micronutrients like copper, manganese, boron, and zinc.

Specifications

  • NPK: 15-0-15
  • Form: Granular
  • Delivery: Spreader
  • Season: Spring and Summer

7. Milorganite 0636 Organic Nitrogen Fertilizer

This organic formula releases slowly and naturally to provide extra nitrogen and potassium to your lawn safely. One special bonus is its supplemental iron content, which greens up your lawn without causing excess growth. So, you get a green lawn without any extra mowing, which means less work for you and a lowered impact on the environment.  

It also contains calcium to improve acid levels in Southern gardens.

Specifications

  • NPK: 6-4-0
  • Form: Granular
  • Delivery: Spreader
  • Season: All season

Finding the Best Lawn Fertilizer for Your Southern Lawn Care Schedule

Knowing what type of grasses you have in your lawn and how it reacts according to seasonal changes empowers you to make good choices about your southern lawn care schedule.

And knowing what nutrients it needs – and when – makes choosing the best lawn fertilizer much simpler. You may want a quick green-up or long-term improvement. The good news is, you can achieve both if you follow your lawn’s cues.

What types of fertilizer have you found work best on your warm-season grasses? Feel free to share your favorite lawn feeding tips and tricks with our readers.

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My Love-Hate Relationship: Growing Tomatoes in Florida

Growing tomatoes in Florida is a labor of love

Grow tomatoes, they said. It’ll be fun, they said. Growing tomatoes in Florida seems like it’d be a natural, right? After all, it’s sunny nearly all the time and rains quite a bit. Tomatoes love sunshine and water.

Florida is also the home of “Ruskin” tomatoes, named for a small rural town not far from where I live. They’re world-famous, yet somehow, I struggle at growing tomatoes in Florida.

It’s Not the Yield, It’s the Mileage

When I say that I struggle with tomatoes, what I mean is that they’re crazy-making. I get tomatoes. Boy, do I get tomatoes. In fact, last year I got so many tomatoes that my freezer is still filled with ones I failed to find some way to consume.

Here’s the thing: When you’re growing tomatoes in Florida, you can’t count on anything going to plan.

It’s a constant juggling act, filled with an exhausting spraying schedule and fertilizing plan. If you’re not standing in the blistering sun to cover them with shade cloth, you’re standing outside in the cold night air to cover them with fleece.

Between tying and pruning and feeding and spraying, it’s a wonder that I find time to care for my family much less myself. It’s probably a good thing that I waited until my children were grown before I seriously took on growing tomatoes in Florida.

Best Time to Plant Tomatoes

One of the trickiest parts of growing tomatoes in Florida is getting the timing right. Experts say to plant them between August and September for a fall crop – but I’ve found that the heat destroys them when you plant that early. I’ve always ended up nursing them through fungal diseases and plagues of leaf-footed nymphs until a decent drop in the temperature finally saves the day.

At that point, even with the cooler nights that November brings, they’re so ravaged that they don’t recover until well into January before finally producing some tomatoes.  

Starting seedlings for another round in November and December means you can plant them out in February – which is another time frame recommended by experts. Many say you should never plant them after February.

The problem is, even in Zone 10a, we still get the occasional cold snap in January and February. Even December can pose a risk. So, be prepared to cover your plants with fleece or some other cloth for those three months.

Growing Tomatoes in Containers

Until recently, I’ve always grown my tomatoes in containers. The nematode problem in Florida is near legendary. So, rather than risk it, I’ve purchased loads of rich potting soil and stuck to pots.

Last year, however, I risked planting Everglades tomatoes in the ground. These tiny berry tomatoes are well-known here in the South for producing in even the worst heat and humidity. They conquered a sunny spot in the backyard and took over until the leaf-footed nymphs invaded and sucked the juice out of each and every tiny tomato.

In a fit of pique, I pulled out every single plant to stop the slaughter once and for all.

The Obvious Contempt of Tomatoes

But this is also where my love-hate relationship with tomatoes truly becomes epic.

This fall, I dutifully planted several varieties into pots with fresh (and expensive) potting soil. I nurtured and fed them. I pruned them weekly. I watered them daily. I kept their little leaves dry and aired.

I planted four separate varieties in pots: Homestead, Beefsteak, San Marzano, and Boomer Cherry.

The damn things became sick from the get-go. Some horrible disease that twisted leaf and stem. Some plague that shriveled their meager fruits. Some microbial bug that stunted their growth.

Growing tomatoes in Florida can be a gamble with the hot, humid weather. My sick tomatoes are suffering.
My pampered but sickly tomatoes

Meanwhile, thirty feet away, volunteers that escaped from our compost tumblers grew lush, wild, tall, strong, and healthy. Without a hint of fusarium wilt. Without a blemish.

tomato plants
Happy volunteers

And then to add insult to injury, the three “spare” Homestead seedlings I plunked into a bare spot in a neglected vegetable bed did the same.

The Everglades I planted out in my most productive beds also took off without a hitch and began producing first.

Not, of course, ANY of the ones I carefully planted in pots, exactly per extension office recommendations, and fussed over daily.

Cherry tomatoes growing near the compost pile
Volunteer cherry tomatoes

Renewed Dedication

Even with the wet winter we’ve been having, I became complacent. In the interest of keeping organic, I neglected my spraying schedule. After all, my plants were covered in predators like assassin bugs and ladybugs. Wasps buzzed, patrolling for caterpillars.

But no more. A recent declaration of war has put me back on alert.

This means war!

Best Varieties for Growing Tomatoes in Florida

Every year, I look for lists of resistant varieties for planting. What is the best tomato to grow in Florida? But the problem is, I’m pretty cheap. I grow from seeds. I dropped a significant amount of money on seed starting trays and cell cubes. I enjoy planting from seed, and I’m generally pretty good at it. After all, my tomato seedlings grow lush and healthy — at least until I plant them out.

Most of the resistant varieties seem to be hybrids produced by local nurseries, and I’m too cheap to drop $6 on a plant that will surely die within weeks. Especially when I usually grow about 25 to 30 tomato plants.

And most of the stores I frequent don’t carry a wide range of seed types. It’s almost as though growing tomatoes in Florida doesn’t really happen. We get seeds for locations like Ohio or Missouri, and that’s what I’ve been buying. And probably the reason for my love-hate relationship with tomatoes.

I took a risk on some Patio tomato starters and gave two to my mom and kept two for myself. Guess who has gorgeous, healthy, robust Patio tomatoes? It ain’t me.

Many Southern gardeners in Florida are plagued by nematodes, and a lot of research has gone into preventing nematode damage.

My French marigold program seems to have prevented nematode damage, so fungal infections – blight, mosaic virus, and yellow leaf curl seem to be my bane.

French marigolds can help prevent nematodes in Florida tomato gardens
Image by skeeze from Pixabay

In the future, I may simply have to adjust which cultivars I choose when growing tomatoes in Florida. While the Beefsteak tomatoes look delicious in the picture on the seed packet, I may simply have to invest in Cherokee Purple and Brandywine seeds. I’m not sure how well strange-colored tomatoes will go over with the family, but I do know that what I’m doing now isn’t working – at least not when it’s supposed to work.

The state ag offers a list of recommended varieties. They’re the best tomato to grow in Florida, according to experts. But I can’t verify how well they’ll do in a Florida vegetable garden.

Top Cherry Tomatoes

Luckily, cherry tomatoes are pretty heat-tolerant and will grow well through the hot southern summers. A few good disease-resistant varieties to try are:

Best Berry Tomatoes for Florida

Also called “grape tomatoes,” depending on the size, berry tomatoes do quite well in Florida with good disease resistance and a better tolerance for higher temps. My experience says they’re the best tomato to grow in Florida. If you can find them, try:

  • Amai
  • Jolly Girls
  • Sweet Hearts

And of course, there are Everglades. Everglades grow beautifully with very little effort. Of course, you can’t cut them up and put them on a sandwich — a fact that the spouse points out repeatedly. These tiny tomatoes are cute and full of flavor, but they’re the size of your pinky fingernail.

It’s also difficult to find the seeds commercially. Most Florida gardeners give them away or swap them. The tomatoes themselves are commercially unviable. They burst easily and have no shelf life to speak of. The best way to use Everglades tomatoes is to pick just before adding them to a salad.

Growing tomatoes in Florida is easy if you pick the right varieties, like Everglades.
Everglades tomatoes ready to pick

Good Round Tomatoes for a Southern Garden

If you prefer slicing tomatoes, like the spouse does, look for heirloom varieties like:

Indeterminate vs. Determinate Tomatoes

Another factor in selecting the right variety when growing tomatoes in Florida is deciding whether to grow determinate or indeterminate tomatoes.

Every gardener on the planet must have seen the picture of the guy standing on a ladder next to his ginormous tomato plant.

And maybe we were a bit envious, and maybe we also felt a bit sorry for him, too. After all, we’re simply slaves to our tomatoes. Cutting, pruning, feeding, tending, worrying. It’s worse than having teenagers.

That’s what you can get with indeterminate tomatoes, though. Those suckers will grow as tall as they can, sprawling and climbing over everything until the first frost puts them down.

So, while the idea of a season of endless tomatoes sounds great in theory, they can eventually exhaust you and themselves. I’ve always struggled with providing a tall enough support for them, and I’ve literally had the spouse tie them to the sides of the house (I’m too short to reach) so they could wind themselves around makeshift supports.

If it gets cold relatively early, you can count on Mother Nature to put them out of your misery eventually. Here in my Southern garden, I’ve found that the heat of summer finally does the job. I plant in the fall, and by the following May or June, the heat and blistering sun have given me enough excuse to top them.

Topping is when you cut off the tops of your indeterminate tomato plant. This forces any existing tomatoes on the plant to rush to ripen and stops any future growth.

But until frost or topping, indeterminate tomatoes will bloom and fruit continuously, giving you a whole season of oncoming tomatoes.

In contrast, determinate tomatoes feature a bushy structure with less top growth. Don’t let this fool you though, because even if the seed packet promises no more than four feet of height, they still need plenty of support. Especially once they start producing tomatoes.

The downside is that they only produce once before dying off. You’ll only get tomatoes once from your determinate varieties before you’ll need to pull them.

Choose Your Go-To Tomatoes

One of the reasons I decided to grow Homestead tomatoes this year was because they’re determinate. I’ve tried several trellis methods for indeterminate tomatoes, and they’re kind of exhausting to keep up with.

The larger the tomato, the more time and effort they need to grow. Large indeterminate tomatoes can mean a lot of work in the garden. So, I decided to try a determinate variety for my large tomatoes. So far, so good, with the Homesteads. I think they’re a keeper — a “go-to” tomato — for me.

Choosing successful cultivars and staying loyal is one way to manage growing tomatoes in Florida. Although the weather can vary somewhat throughout the year, finding a proven winner that works in your climate is gardening gold.

Everglades, although indeterminate, are another go-to tomato for me. Although their size limits their usefulness somewhat, they grow and fruit in the chillier days of winter and the jungle heat of summer equally well.

So, do some experimenting to find the perfect go-to tomatoes for your Southern garden. Once you find those true-blue winners, you can experiment with other varieties without risking your whole food supply.  

Growing tomatoes in Florida, Homestead determinate
Homestead tomatoes doing well in the ground

Prepared for the Glut

It’s January now. This means that I’ll spend the next two months catering to tomato plants. I’ll get tons of fruit that I will then need to rush to harvest green in the face of every threatened cold snap.

We’ll have piles of half-green tomatoes all over the kitchen counter. Then, after my good intentions to puree, cook, strain, and freeze them become broken promises, I’ll chuck them into the freezer in plastic bags to deal with later.

But I’m ready. After all, there has to be some reward after all these months. Perhaps instead of saying I have a “love-hate” relationship with tomatoes, I should turn that around. I have a hate-love relationship with tomatoes. Because the hate really comes first.

I hate standing in the hot sun through September and October to prune them. I hate the constant and seemingly futile spraying of fungal preventatives only to be met by a plague of insects instead. I hate standing out in the bitter wind at midnight after a last-minute frost warning, trying to save them with old sheets. Especially when, comes the hour, the temperature turns out to be 10 degrees warmer than predicted.

But I love the fresh taste of homegrown tomatoes.

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Getting Started on Vegetable Container Gardening in the South

vegetable container gardening

With our erratic weather and poor soil, some gardeners in the South have all but given up on growing their own vegetables. But whether you live where the soil is red clay or soft sand, you can always focus on container gardening.

In fact, for years after moving to Florida I refused to try to grow anything outside of container gardening. Between poor soil and nematodes, I just couldn’t take the heartbreak of watching as my tomato plants fell one by one, stricken by fusarium wilt or malnutrition.

And even though I have now cultivated some nutrient-rich garden beds over the last couple of years, I still turn to containers every growing season.

If you’re one of the many that have resigned in disgust because of heat, humidity, bugs, or crummy soil, container gardening with vegetables may just be what you need to get your gardening mojo back.

Advantages to Container Gardening

Vegetables can be some of the most challenging plants to grow. Unlike flowers or decorative foliage, gardeners need to stay alert through every stage of a vegetable plant’s development. It would be so much easier if we just needed to get them to grow beautiful leaves or pretty flowers.

Most vegetables require a bit more. Many of them are pretty picky when it comes to the soil quality or moisture levels. Others are magnets for voracious insects that will strip month\’s worth of growth overnight.

Luckily, some of these challenges because so much easier to overcome when you’re growing vegetables in pots on a balcony or back porch.

Improved Soil Quality

The most significant advantage to container gardening is improved soil quality. Many gardeners have struggled for years trying to create the perfect loam in their garden beds. They add compost, manure, and mulch. They encourage earthworms and assemble massive irrigation systems.

But containers are easy. You can buy the perfect soil for any vegetable plant and control what goes in your planters. And best of all, you can grow a wide variety of edible plants that require diverse types of soil when you’re using containers.

Sunlight and Temperature Control

While some vegetable plants need plenty of sun to thrive, others need a bit of shade to do well. With container gardening, you can move your vegetable plants around to take advantage of changing light patterns in your yard.

It’s a terrific way to keep cool-weather plants – like lettuce and spinach – protected from the hot sun and extend your growing season. I grow my lettuce in containers so I can start them early in the fall while it\’s still ab it hot and grow them into May just by moving them into the shade.

Longer Harvest

If you live in an area of the South that gets the occasional frost or even freeze, you can bring your container vegetables indoors to protect them. There’s no reason to let your tomatoes freeze when you can place them in a garage or enclosed porch overnight.

Gardening in a Small Space

Last, and certainly not least, if you have very little room, container gardening lets you grow more. Small yards aren’t a problem when you can stack planters vertically to add space for herbs, greens, and strawberries.

Even if all you have is a balcony or tiny patio, container gardening allows you to grow a wide range of vegetables and fruits.

Planning Your Container Garden

If you’re ready to get started growing your own fruits and vegetables in planters and pots, the first thing you need to do is devise a plan.

Container vegetable gardening 101 requires that you start keeping track of the conditions around your gardening space. Once you know how much rain and sunlight you have available in your outdoor space, you’ll want to create a container vegetable garden layout.

Container Vegetable Garden Layout.

Pick out the space you want to place your containers and spend a day off seeing where the light falls in the space. You’ll need at least six hours of sunlight a day to grow most vegetables. You may even want to sketch out your space the sunniest spots highlighted so you can position your plants for optimal production.

Also, get an idea of what kind of rainfall you can expect. Are there lots of trees blocking your container gardening space? What above overhangs? Make sure you have easy access to an outdoor hose bibb, in any case.

You’ll also need some outdoor storage space for your gardening supplies. Whatever your good intentions, it’s far easy to leave tools and products laying around. Unfortunately, this leaves them vulnerable to rust and degradation.

Make sure you have a watertight shed or cabinet for storing your tools and supplies.

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Best Vegetables for Container Gardening

Once you have your space picked out, you’ll want to decide what kinds of plants you want to grow. Make sure the plants you choose are suitable for container gardening. But don’t be too surprised by the variety you can still grow in a pot.

For example, it never occurred to me to start growing snap peas in pots until I watched a little-known gardening show from Ireland that proved that they can do better in containers than in the ground.

Container gardening lettuce is also an easy-peasy solution for fresh salad greens. I grow my lettuce in shallow containers, planting a fresh one every week until I have about 12 growing at any given time. I use the cut and come again method, starting at the most mature. By the time I get through the last one, the first one has grown back enough to harvest again.

Container gardening herbs is one of the easiest steps for new gardeners, and many choose a large container to grow a number of different herbs together. However, make sure that you don’t mix herbs with different growing needs. Mediterranean herbs, like oregano, rosemary, and thyme, all need drier conditions than fast-growing herbs with high demands like basil, tarragon, and mints.

One excellent method to approach container gardening is to choose compact varieties of your favorite plants. For example, if you want to grow tomatoes, consider patio tomatoes or even Tiny Tim or Tumbling Tom varieties.

If you’re keen on beans, then consider bush beans instead of pole varieties, which need 6 feet of trellis and can run amok.

If you’re brand new to gardening, pick a handful of basic vegetable plants that you know you’ll enjoy eating. Check with your local extension office to find out what’s growing best this season.

Simple Container Garden Ideas

And if you just want to dip your toe into container gardening, consider the following themes for one or two planters to get started:

Salad in a Planter

In a large planter, add Tiny Tim tomatoes, Mesclun mix lettuce, a few radishes, and maybe a fast-maturing bush variety of cucumber. EarthBoxes and other self-watering containers are perfect for “Salad in a Planter” setup

Mixed Herb Container Gardens

Another great container gardening idea for beginners is mixed herb container gardens. Depending on the varieties you want to grow, you may need two or three large containers. For most culinary herbs like oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram, you’ll need one large container with low-nutrient soil with good drainage. For lusher herbs, like basil, tarragon, parsley, and cilantro, add another container with richer potting soil and even a self-watering reservoir.

Best Soil for Container Vegetables

The best soil for container gardens really depends on what you’re planning to grow. Most vegetables have optimal conditions depending on their origins. Most do well with potting soil mixes that contain organic material and soil lighteners, for loose potting soil.

Check the label on your potting soil and look for things like peat moss, coconut coir, tree bark, vermiculite, and perlite.

It’s possible to use plain garden soil from your yard, but you’ll need to amend it drastically if you have poor soil, like I do. However, British horticultural hero, Monty Don, recommends putting a shovelful of garden soil in containers to add natural bacteria and micro-organisms. So, don’t worry if you accidentally used garden soil in pots for container gardening.

Tips for Choosing Containers for Gardening

Now that you know how much space you have and what you’ll be growing, it’s time to choose containers. For safe container gardening, make sure you use natural materials or at least food-safe plastics.

That said, you can find many cheap containers to grow vegetables by using a little imagination and by recycling and upcycling old materials. Some gardeners – like myself – have been reusing the same free landscape pots from other plants for years and years.

Safe materials

While you want your container garden to look attractive, you also want to be sure you use materials that work well for your vegetable plants. For example, terra cotta is a classic beauty, but here in Florida, they dry out far too quickly to sustain demanding veggies like tomatoes and eggplant. I only use them for culinary herbs and arid-loving ornamentals.

If you’re planning to move your vegetable plants often, you may want to stick to plastic containers. Some are quite decorative and best of all, easy to move.

The color of your containers can also impact your vegetable plants. Here in the South, dark containers can kill delicate vegetable plants in a single summer day. They\’ll absorb heat from the sun and send the temps in the soil skyrocketing. I only use these in the winter or in partial shade. The rest of the time and in very sunny spaces, I stick to light-colored pots.

Size counts

While many gardeners start seeds in small starter trays and move them to larger pots later, you don’t want to have to transplant your vegetable plants too often.

Transplanting is sure to cause a little shock, and since vegetables need to grow and flower and fruit so quickly, you don’t want to set them back any more than you must.

So, make sure you have large enough pots for your container gardening, depending on the mature size of your plants.

Some common container sizes and the plants they accommodate are:

Half Gallon Pots

  • Bush Beans
  • Herbs
  • Salad greens

One Gallon Pots

  • Cabbages
  • Cucumber
  • Green beans
  • Leaf lettuce
  • Spinach
  • Chard
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Patio Tomatoes

Three Gallon Pots

  • Eggplant
  • Sweet and hot pepper
  • Determinate tomatoes
  • Broccoli

Five Gallon Pots

  • Indeterminate tomatoes
  • Squash
  • Zucchini

Seven- or Ten-Gallon Pots

  • Potatoes
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Blueberries

You can also grow a number of different vegetables in larger pots and planters, such as planting 12 to 14 peas in a three-gallon pot, etc.

DIY Garden Containers

You can even try your hand at getting creative by making your own garden containers. Many gardeners swear by five-gallon buckets from their favorite home improvement stores or local bakeries.

One year, I was enthralled by the idea of grow bags, but I didn’t want to spend the money to buy the 40 or more I needed. So, I just purchased some landscape fabric from the fall clearance section and sewed my own.

You can aim for practical or whimsical, but either way, before you take out the recycle bin, do some shopping around inside to see if you can convert anything to a growing container.

Container Gardening Tips

Now that you’re ready to start growing your healthy veg the easy and convenient way, here are a few pro tips to ensure a good crop.

You may wonder how often water container plants. The bad news is that containers can dry out very quickly, especially in the summer months. You may need to water up to twice a day. Consider self-watering containers or adding trays for a water reservoir under your containers.

Fertilize often and early. You can add organic matter or slow-release fertilizers, but since the resources your container plants have available is pretty limited, you may want to use liquid fertilizer. You can choose fish emulsion for an organic option or simple Miracle-Gro tomato food.

For the most bang for your buck, plant your vegetables sequentially. If your bush beans mature fully in 60 days, make sure you have something ready to go in starter trays to replace them for the rest of the season. Mix in a little composted manure after harvesting your beans and then add seeds you’ve already started for squash or cucumbers.

Get Growing

As winters grow increasingly mild in the South, the time to start container gardening with vegetables can be all year round. Here in Zone 10a, we’re enjoying 76 to 80-degree sunny days with mild nights that are perfect for fall and winter vegetables.

The best part is that if we get a cold snap, I can move my container gardening onto a warm, covered porch or even indoors. They’re also easier to cover with fleece when they’re in containers because I can huddle them together for warmth and cover more than one at a time. When the temps rise the next day, they can go back into their sunny slots in the yard.

Ready to grow your own? What are your favorite vegetables for container gardening?

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Growing Strawberry Plants in Florida as Perennials

Growing Strawberry plants in a Southern Garden

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a Florida gardener in possession of a good fortune in October, must be in want of bare strawberry plant roots. ” ~ Plants and Prejudice

Fall and winter are the strawberry growing seasons here in Florida. But Florida gardeners do it differently than they do up North.

Despite the fact that I’ve lived in the South for over 26 years, I’m still a bit confused about it. Apparently, in Florida, strawberries are annuals.

That’s right. Come May (or June, or whenever), Florida growers and home gardeners pull and compost millions of strawberry plants.

Back in the summer of 2018, I preordered a big batch of strawberry plant roots — Radiance variety. In October, I planted my bare root crowns and watered and fertilized them diligently.

 Like many home gardeners, I potted them in shallow containers in rich potting soil rather than in the ground. (I’m partial to Jungle Growth brand.)

I got just a few fruits in December, but then they went kind of dormant, despite the mild winter.

I stuffed them with a high potassium tomato food and got some flowers in late January. Strawberries duly appeared in February and March and continued until May.

At that point, all of my gardening mentors suggest that I remove and compost them.

They’re no good anymore, they told me. They won’t produce again, they advised sagely. Burn ‘em.

But, rebel that I am, I refused to pull and dispose of perfectly good strawberry plants.

I continued to water them and feed them throughout the hot, wet summer. Then in September, I pretended I still lived in Ohio and repotted them in fresh potting soil.

Just in case, I also picked up some beautiful strawberry starts from a local feed store. I chose Sweet Charlies this year – mainly because that’s what they had. Sweet Charlies are early-season “June-bearing strawberries,” that, in Florida, produce from November to March.

That just shows you how messed up growing strawberries in Florida can be.

Growing Strawberry Plants Can Be Confusing

If you starting planning to grow them, you’ll see that there are three different types, all depending on their fruiting habit. There are four, if you include wild strawberries.

Frankly, I’m still in denial that I will likely never taste a wild strawberry again in my life. Growing up in northern Ohio, we used to pick and eat them covered in milk. It was heaven, really.

But as to varieties you can buy, you can choose from June-bearing, ever-bearing, or day-neutral types.

June-bearing strawberries seem to be the favorites in most of the country. They produce fat, bright-red berries that are simply irresistible to home gardeners.

Ever-bearing types give you two solid harvests during the growing season — one in spring and another in fall.

Day-neutral varieties produce continuously as long as the temperatures stay between 35 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.  

Growing Strawberries in a Southern Garden

While I can only speak of growing strawberries in Florida -– and argue against the “annual” approach — there are plenty of excellent resources for growing them in other regions of the South.

Can you grow strawberries year round in Florida? Experts say no. While your strawberry plants may not die off in the summer, they won’t produce either. It’s just too hot!

StrawberryPlants.com has an excellent resource for finding the right variety of strawberries for your region.

My Strawberry Experiment

As I said, I couldn’t bear the idea of just tossing a bunch of strawberry plants.

I simply watered them and took care of them like any outdoor potted plant. I fed them once a month or so with a balanced fertilizer.

When the rainy season came, I applied my usual organic, copper-based anti-fungal. The bugs left them alone since they had no fruit. (My spring tomatoes were too much of a distraction.)

In the fall, I refreshed the soil, added a fat layer of hay on top, and began watering and feeding for production.

Low and behold, my 2018 Festivals started to deliver.

My strawberry plants in December 2019
December 13, 2019

I’m not an expert in growing anything, but I’m a passionate gardener who loves to experiment. I can’t guarantee that every gardener in Florida (especially in the southern zones) will be able to “over-summer” strawberries.

I can’t even guarantee that I’ll be able to do it again.

What I can say is that I’ve heard of one other gardener in my area that tried it successfully. And I can say that it’s worth trying.

Do you grow strawberries in your home garden? What zone are you in, and what varieties do you plant? I’d love to hear how other gardeners in the South approach strawberry growing.

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How Long Do Seeds Last: Testing Their Viability

How long do seeds last -- vintage seed catalogs

Did you remember to stock up on seeds back in the spring when everyone was selling them? If you did, you may be wondering how long do seeds last. And if you didn’t, do you know if the ones you purchased last year will still germinate?

How long do seeds last after you’ve purchased them? Depending on how they’re stored, vegetable and flower seeds can last from two to five years and still be viable. Some of the longest-lasting seeds include cucumbers and lettuce. Seeds with a shorter life span include sweet corn and peppers.

So, if you’ve discovered some seed packets you purchased last year or even a couple of years ago, you may be in luck. You can also test them out and see if they’ll germinate before you start double-digging your garden beds.

How Long Do Seed Last: Seed Viability Chart

One of the most frustrating parts of gardening in the South is that by the time our fall and winter planting season comes around, no one is selling seeds locally anymore. It seems that every garden center has been turned into Santa’s Workshop.

So, you’ll need to buy them early in the year if you want fresh seeds to plant in the fall and winter.

But what if you didn’t get all the seeds you wanted back in March? Will the ones you purchased a year ago – or even two years – still grow?

Let’s take a look at how long do vegetable seeds last in packets in the seed viability chart:

Seed Viability Chart

How long to store seeds.
Arugula3
Asparagus3
Beans3
Beets4
Brocolli3
Cabbage4
Carrots3
Cauliflower4
Celery5
Collard greens5
Cucumbers5
Eggplant4
Endive5
Kale4
Lettuce5
Okra2
Peas3
Peppers2
Pumpkins4
Radish5
Rutabagas4
Spinach3
Squash4
Tomatoes4
Turnips4
Watercress5
Watermelon4

How Long Do Seeds Last: Seed Packet Dates

When you buy seeds, you’ll see that the company has printed the expiration date on the packed somewhere. However, this is the date that retailers need to remove them from the shelves.

And you don’t want to spend time preparing your vegetable beds only to find out that your seeds aren’t viable. Having an expiration date on the packet gives you an idea of the likelihood of germination.

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Seed Storage Factors

How long your seeds stay viable in storage depends on a couple of factors. The first consideration is what type of seed it is. Some seeds simply have a longer shelf life.

Another factor is how you’ve stored them. Conditions like temperature and humidity play ab big role. Dry, dark, and cold conditions will help you keep your seeds viable for a longer period.

How Long Do Flower Seeds Last in Packets

Annual flower seeds are some of the most delicate of all the seeds. So, it’s important that you store your flower seeds properly. However, most will only be good for a year. You can also try the germination test on them, just in case.

Perennial flower seeds last from two to four years.

How Long Do Herb Seeds Last

Herb Seed Viability Chart

How long to store herb seeds.
Basil5
Chives2
Cilantro2
Fennel3
Oregano4
Parsley2
Sage4
How long do seeds last? Assorted vegetable seeds.
Assorted vegetable seed-mix of snap bean, garden pea, pinto dry bean, winter squash, sweet corn, broccoli.
Image CC by 2.0 SA by Lynn Ketchum via Oregon State University

How To Store Seeds

To make the most of your seed purchases, store them correctly. Remember: Cool, dry, and dark conditions will keep them alive the longest.

So, whether you collect seeds from your garden or like to stock up on sales, you should:

  1. Make sure the seeds are completely dry.
  2. Place your seeds inside a paper envelope with the name and date marked
  3. Place the paper envelope inside an air-tight container
  4. Put the container somewhere where they’ll stay cool and dark.

Some additional tips for seed saving techniques:

Adding a desiccant to your air-tight container can help keep the moisture level below 10 percent.

You can refrigerate your seed container, but don’t freeze your seeds.

How to Save Seeds

Saving seeds from your garden can help you save money. And it’s especially useful when you find a vegetable or flower that does particularly well for you. But first, you should know which seeds you can save.

Heirloom Seeds

Seeds from heirloom flowers and vegetables are your best bet if you want to save seeds. That’s because they’ll be the most like the parent plant.

You’ll need to let your plants go to seed – which means vegetables will go past their best-to-pick stage. For flowers, you’ll get seed pods that begin to dry up and turn brown.

Because they may drop before you can harvest them, put a small paper bag or net bag over the seed pods to catch them.

Seeds from Hybrids

Hybrid plants have been bred to alter them from their original form. That’s not the same as GMO, though, so you don’t have to be concerned.

Some have been bred to improve their flavor – such as varieties of sweet corn.

Others have been bred to improve their resistance to diseases or pests.

Unfortunately, seeds from hybrid plants are rarely viable. They won’t grow to form or may not grow at all.

When you first purchase your seeds, check the packet label to see if they’re a hybrid or not.

how to store vegetable seeds
ParentingPatch [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Seed Germination Test

While you now know that seeds can last for many years, you may want to test them out before dedicating a portion of your precious garden space.

It’s pretty easy to check them following the method below:

  1. Choose 10 seeds and lay them in a row on a paper towel that you’ve damped with water
  2. Carefully fold the paper towel over them and then roll them up so that they don’t touch.
  3. Place the paper towel in a plastic zip bag and close it.
  4. Put the bag in a warm, well-lighted place like a windowsill
  5. Carefully unroll the paper towel after five days to check for germination.
  6. Dampen the towel by spraying it with water and reroll.
  7. Roll the paper towel back up and put it back in the bag
  8. Keep checking the seeds every couple of days
  9. After two weeks, count how many of your seeds have germination.

The final number is the percentage of the germination rate, times 10. So if six out of 10 seeds began to sprout, your germination rate is 60 percent.

You can still use the seeds, but you may want to compensate for the low germination rate. So, if you normally put one seed in a starter tray cell, use two for extra insurance.

You may want to purchase new seeds, however, if the germination rate is very low. Keep in mind that the germination rate for some plants (particularly wildflowers or exotics) can be lower than more commonly used and commercial seeds.

Seed Float Test

Some people swear by the “float test,” although I’ve only used it with morning glories and moonflowers.

When you’re ready to plant your saved seeds, first put them into a small cup of water. Put them in one at a time and then let them sit overnight.

After 24 hours, check the seeds – the viable seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl. The “bad” ones will float.

Remove the floaters and then plant the seeds that sank immediately. You can put them in peat pods or starter cells if you’re not ready to sow outdoors.

Starting Old Seeds

It pays to remember that even when an old seed germinates, you may not get a healthy plant from it. So, if your seeds are beyond the storage dates in the seed viability test, you should probably just get new seeds. Even if they did germination when you tested them.

If you start your seedlings two or three months before planting them out, you should have plenty of time to weed out any that may not produce well.

So, How Long Do Seeds Last?

Saving your seeds is a good way to save money while identifying those sure-fire winners that thrive in your particular climate and soil.

If you’re like most gardeners in the South, you know that sometimes you have to stock up in early spring on seeds you won’t be planting until December. So, make sure you know how to save seeds by keeping them in an air-tight container in a cool, dry, place.

While expiration dates on your seed packets are generally helpful, they’re not the end of the story. If you’re not sure whether your seeds are viable, just give them the germination test.


Image CC1.0 via Public Domain Pictures

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How to Fix a Lawn Mower That Won’t Start

how to fix a lawn mower that won't start

Spring is in the air, your grass is shaggy, and you’re ready to cut the lawn. But if your mower has been sitting in your shed all winter, you may find yourself wondering how to fix a lawn mower that won’t start.

How do you fix a lawn mower that won’t start? You’ll need to troubleshoot it and identify the problem. You may need to change the spark plug, replace the carburetor, replace the filters, or just replace the fuel.

A gas-powered mower needs fuel and a spark to get going, and a number of things can get in the way. Fuel may not be getting from the carburetor to the engine. It may have a blocked fuel line, which means it may start but then die as soon as you start cutting.

Troubleshooting a Stubborn Lawn Mower

It’s not unusual for a gas-powered mower to have trouble starting after sitting in a garage or shed for months. Even here in the South, our lawns go dormant and don’t need mowing when the days are short. So, an idle lawnmower can become a troubled lawnmower.

The following tips on how to fix a lawn mower that won’t start should help you correct minor problems. The fixes are simple enough for most people. Try these quick fixes first before taking your mower to the repair shop or replacing it completely.

Before You Start

Before you start trying to figure out how to fix a lawn mower that won’t start, you need to take some safety precautions:

Wear Protective Equipment

Working on a lawn mower can mean cuts and scrapes from sharp metal edges, so work gloves are a must. Eye protection will also keep metal shards and gas fumes out of your eyes.

Disconnect the Spark Plug

Before troubleshooting a lawn mower that won’t start, disconnect the spark plug wire. It may bend back toward the plug and make contact, so cover the connection with electrical tape. Then tape it down as far from the plug as you can. Then, set the throttle to “stop”

how to fix a lawn mower when the cat is in the way.

What Causes a Lawn Mower Not to Start?

If you’re not sure how to fix a lawn mower that won’t start, begin with two of the most common issues that you can easily rectify.

Replace the Fuel

If you didn’t drain out any leftover gas before storing your mower for the winter, try replacing it. Exposure to heat, humidity, and oxygen can cause it to degrade, which means it may not work.

It may also have taken on water. Ethanol is a common additive to gasoline sold in the U.S. Unfortunately, it also absorbs water from the air, which ends up in your gas tank. And this means it can cause all sorts of damage to your mower’s engine.

So, check the fuel tank for old gasoline and replace it.

DO make sure you dispose of unused gasoline according to your local regulations. Check with a local auto parts store, as many offer this service.

Check the Mower’s Air Filter

Next, take the air filter out of your mower and check it. If you have a paper filter, you’ll need to replace it.

If you have a sponge-type filter, you can try cleaning it:

  • Remove the air filter cover and filter
  • Clean with diesel fuel, gasoline, or a specialized cleaner
  • Squeeze out all cleaner until it no longer drips and let dry.
  • Once dry, replace it and replace the cover.

Now that you have fresh gas and a clean filter, try starting your lawn mower again. If it still fails to start or the lawn mower starts and then dies, you can move on to the next troubleshooting steps.

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Spark Plug and Wire

Start with the spark plug wire, checking it for cracks or frays. The connection should fit tightly onto the plug.

Then take a look at the spark plug. Remove the plug and check for physical damage. If you see any, you should replace it. Changing the spark plug on a lawn mower is a quick, cheap, and easy fix.

If it’s not damaged, it may be gapped incorrectly. However, you can clean it, check it and gap it using the following video from lawn mower manufacturer Briggs & Stratton.

Once you’ve checked or replaced the spark plug, replace it, reconnect it, and set the throttle to start on the mower and give it another try.

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If it’s still stubborn and won’t start, it’s time to check the carburetor.

Clean the Carburetor

Carburetor problems are second only to spark plug issues when it comes to figuring out how to fix a lawn mower that won’t start. It can also cause your mower to run roughly or stall out.

Remove the air filter again and check your mower’s carburetor. You’ll need to check the inside to ensure that it’s clean and functioning. If fuel is not getting from the carburetor to the engine in your mower, use automotive carburetor cleaner.

Lawn mower carburetor replacement isn’t complicated, but if you’re itching to get to the yard work, try cleaning it first. A few quick shots of carb cleaner into the device works, but avoid any plastic parts if possible.

Then, reassemble and try starting your mower again. If it still refuses to start, try checking the vent in the gas tank cap.

Fuel Tank Cap and Primer

If your mower has a fuel tank with a vent hole, make sure it isn’t clogged. A clogged hole forms a vacuum in the tank, preventing the fuel from flowing.

Simply unscrew the camp to let air bank into the tank. Then clean out the vent with a wire.

Then check the primer button. Some mowers have rubber push-button primers that can deteriorate. You may need to replace it. Luckily, it’s a simple job and you can find plenty of videos that show how to replace the one on your machine.

Common Lawn Mower Problems

Now that you know how to fix a lawn mower that won’t start because of the most common problems, you’ll want to know how to deal with other problems that often come up.

How to fix a lawn mower pull cord

There are a couple of common problems that make the pull cord on your lawn mower hard to pull.

  • Safety bar not tightly pressed to handle
  • Mower sitting in tall grass that prevents the blade from rotating
  • Mower deck caked with wet grass

Lawn Mower Loses Power When Blades Engaged

If your lawn mower is losing power when you’re mowing, it’s most likely because your grass is too tall, too thick, or even too wet.

First, check that the deck isn’t clogged with grass. Then, raise the blade a notch to see if that resolves the problem. You may have to raise it by several settings until you get it high enough that the wet grass doesn’t stall out your mower.

You can lower the blade and make another pass on your lawn, but if wet grass is the problem, you’re better off waiting for it to dry.

If Your Lawn Mower Is Smoking

Overfilling and oil spills are the primary cause of a smoking lawnmower. You can wipe up any excessive spills with paper towels and then run the machine and let the oil burn off.

If your mower is smoking and running roughly or stalling out, however, you’ll probably need to have it checked by a professional.

What to do when your brand new lawn mower won't start

When Your Brand New Lawn Mower Won’t Start

Nothing is as frustrating as buying an expensive new machine for your yardwork only to have it fail on day one.

Before boxing it back up for the return desk, try a few of these tricks:

Priming

New mowers may have air in the fuel line and combustion chamber. So, make sure you prime it before starting it. Check the manual for priming directions.

Fuel Tank

Your new mower may have been a floor demo. So, check it to see if the retailer put fuel in the tank. If it’s been sitting around with fuel in the tank, you’ll need to replace it.

Two-Stroke Engines

Some mowers have two-stroke engines and some have four-stroke engines. While four-stroke engines use regular gasoline, two-stroke models are more complicated.

Two-stroke engines require a mix of gas and oil to run, so check your owner’s manual and follow the directions to the letter.

Choked Off

Some manufacturers ship lawn mowers with the choke in the closed position. This blocks how much air can get into the carburetor, which will prevent your brand new lawn mower from starting.

Open the choke to increase the airflow until it starts and stays running. Then return the chock to the normal position as indicated in your manual.

Cutoff Switch

Some new gas-powered mowers come with a safety switch that cuts off the fuel. If your mower has an electric starter, check the manual to see if it has a cutoff switch too.

These safety switches can make getting a brand new lawn mower started difficult if you’re not used to them. But they can prevent gas leaks and accidents.

Conquer the Mower, Conquer the Lawn

You now know a few tricks for how to fix a lawnmower that won’t start. Hopefully, you were able to get your trusty mower working and get out on that turf.

However, if none of these tips resolved the problem, it may be time to call a repairman. Call the manufacturer first, though, in case they have any other tricks to try. At the very least, they can help you find a repair shop in your locale experienced with their products.