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Best Containers for Florida Gardens: Top Picks for Every Plant Type

kitten examining a containers for Florida gardens

Did you know that choosing the right containers for Florida gardens can make or break your Florida garden? It’s true! In fact, a study by the University of Florida found that proper container selection can increase plant survival rates. It improves by up to 30% in our challenging climate.

As a fellow Florida gardening enthusiast, I’ve learned through trial and error (and more than a few crispy plants!) that picking the right pot is crucial. Today, I’m excited to share my top container picks for every plant type. I’m hoping this will help you create a lush, thriving garden that’ll be the envy of your neighborhood. Let’s dive in and find your perfect pots!

Understanding Florida’s Unique Container Gardening Challenges

Container gardening in Florida is rewarding, but the state’s unique climate does come with its own set of challenges. Understanding how Florida’s heat, humidity, and occasional weather extremes affect your plants can help you choose the best containers for Florida gardens.

The Impact of Intense Heat and Humidity on Containers in Florida Gardens

containers for Florida gardens and patios

Florida’s intense sun and high humidity can cause container plants to dry out quickly or, in some cases, become too moist. During the summer months, the sun can heat up containers fast. Especially vulnerable are those made of metal or dark-colored plastic. These can bake the roots and stress out your plants. Opt for lighter-colored containers. Or, you can consider materials like terracotta or glazed ceramic, which stay cooler in the heat and help regulate soil temperature.

Dealing with Sudden Temperature Fluctuations

While Florida is generally warm, sudden cold snaps in the winter can catch you off guard. Container plants are more vulnerable to these fluctuations since their roots don’t have the insulation of the ground. If a chilly night is coming, it’s easy to move smaller containers to a sheltered spot. You can cover larger ones with frost blankets. Choosing containers for Florida gardens with good mobility or placing them on rolling carts can make a big difference.

Importance of Proper Drainage in Florida’s Rainy Season

Florida’s rainy season can drench your container garden, and without proper drainage, plants can suffer from root rot. When choosing containers for Florida gardens, make sure they have plenty of drainage holes to allow excess water to escape.

Using well-draining soil can also help prevent water-logging. Raised containers can be a great solution for areas prone to heavy downpours, as they ensure water doesn’t pool at the base of your plants.

Considerations for Salt Air in Coastal Areas

If you live near the coast like I do, salt air can be an added challenge for your container plants. Salt can accumulate on leaves and in the soil, causing damage over time.

Look for salt-tolerant plants like succulents, coastal natives, or even certain herbs. You’ll also want to rinse your containers and plants occasionally with fresh water to wash away any salt buildup, especially after a windy day by the ocean.

Balancing Sun Exposure and Shade for Container Plants

containers for Florida gardens made of natural materials can break down quickly

Florida’s strong sun is great for many plants, but too much exposure can scorch delicate foliage. Keep your containers in areas where you can adjust their light exposure throughout the day.

For plants that prefer partial shade, consider using shade cloth or placing them under patio covers. With container gardening, you have the flexibility to move plants as needed—just make sure to keep an eye on how the sun shifts in your space.

By addressing these unique challenges, you can create a thriving container garden perfectly suited to Florida’s climate!

Essential Features of Containers for Florida Gardens

Choosing the right containers for your Florida garden is key to helping your plants thrive, especially with the state’s heat, humidity, and occasional storms. Here’s a detailed guide on what to look for in containers that can handle Florida’s unique climate and keep your plants happy and healthy.

1. Heat-Resistant Materials to Protect Plant Roots

Florida’s intense sun can cause containers to heat up, which can bake plant roots and stress them out. The material of your container plays a big role in keeping your plants cool.

Choose containers made from heat-resistant materials like terracotta, glazed ceramic, or fabric grow bags. These materials help keep soil cooler, allowing for better root health.

Avoid dark-colored plastic or metal containers for Florida gardens. They absorb heat and can cause soil temperatures to rise too quickly. If you already have dark containers, try wrapping them in a lighter fabric or shade cloth to reflect heat.

2. Proper Drainage Holes to Prevent Water-logging

Florida’s rainy season brings heavy downpours, and without proper drainage, your plants can drown in too much water, leading to root rot.

Make sure your containers have multiple drainage holes. A single hole may not be enough during Florida’s frequent storms, so check that your container allows excess water to escape freely.

If your container doesn’t have enough drainage holes, drill extra holes in the bottom. A layer of gravel or stones at the bottom can also help keep the roots above any standing water.

Elevate containers slightly off the ground by placing them on pot feet or bricks. This helps water flow out and keeps plants from sitting in pooled water during heavy rains.

Light-Colored Containers to Reflect Sunlight

In Florida’s strong sun, the color of your container matters. Lighter shades reflect sunlight, helping to keep the container—and the soil inside—cooler.

Choose containers for Florida gardens in light colors such as white, beige, or pastel shades, especially during the summer months. These colors reflect more sunlight and keep your plants’ roots from overheating.

If you already have dark containers, consider painting them a lighter color or using reflective wraps around them to protect your plants.

I use dark containers outdoors only during the winter months, particularly when trying to encourage root growth in cuttings.

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4. Durability to Withstand Florida’s Weather Extremes

Florida’s weather can be unpredictable, with everything from strong sun to sudden tropical storms. Your containers need to be durable enough to handle it all.

Invest in high-quality containers for Florida gardens made from sturdy materials like heavy-duty plastic, fiberglass, or glazed ceramic. These materials can stand up to heat, rain, and strong winds without cracking or deteriorating.

Secure lightweight containers or place them in sheltered areas to prevent them from toppling over in high winds. Heavy containers like terracotta or concrete are more stable but harder to move, so think about where you’ll place them long-term.

5. Size Considerations for Different Plant Types

The size of your container will affect plant growth, root health, and how much watering is needed—especially important in Florida’s heat.

For larger plants like fruit trees or shrubs, choose containers that are at least 18-24 inches wide and deep. These give the roots enough room to spread and hold moisture longer between waterings.

For smaller plants, herbs, or annual flowers, a container 12-16 inches deep will suffice. Make sure the pot is big enough to support root growth without needing constant watering.

When using grow bags, choose the right size for your plant. For example, a 5- to 10-gallon grow bag works well for vegetables like tomatoes or peppers, while a 1- to 3-gallon bag is great for herbs or smaller plants.

By choosing containers with these essential features, you’ll set your Florida garden up for success, ensuring your plants stay cool, hydrated, and protected from the elements.

Top Container Picks for Florida Vegetable Gardens

Growing lettuce in containers in Florida gardens

Choosing the right containers for your Florida vegetable garden can make all the difference in how well your crops thrive, especially in the hot, humid climate. Here’s a breakdown of the best container options for different types of veggies, helping you maximize space, conserve water, and keep your plants healthy.

1. Self-Watering Containers for Thirsty Veggies

Florida’s heat can cause containers to dry out quickly, and thirsty vegetables like cucumbers, eggplants, and squash need consistent moisture. Self-watering containers are a great solution, as they have built-in reservoirs that help regulate water supply.

  • Choose a self-watering container with a large water reservoir. This reduces the need for frequent watering, which is especially useful during Florida’s scorching summer days.
  • Keep an eye on the reservoir, especially during extended dry periods, and refill as needed. For vegetables that like a lot of moisture, such as cucumbers or melons, this ensures the soil stays evenly moist.

2. Large, Deep Pots for Tomatoes and Peppers

Tomatoes and peppers have deep root systems and need plenty of space to grow strong and healthy. Large, deep containers provide the room they need and help retain moisture longer, reducing how often you’ll need to water.

  • Select pots that are at least 18 inches deep and wide for tomatoes, and 14-18 inches for peppers. The extra depth gives roots room to expand and supports taller plants.
  • Choose sturdy materials like terracotta or heavy-duty plastic to support the weight of the plants, soil, and fruit. If you’re growing indeterminate tomatoes, consider adding a cage or trellis directly into the container for support.

3. Vertical Gardening Containers for Space-Saving

containers for Florida gardens can be low raised beds or vertical planting boxes

If you’re working with a small patio or balcony, vertical gardening containers are ideal for maximizing space. These containers stack or hang, allowing you to grow a variety of vegetables without taking up much floor space.

  • Look for vertical garden systems with multiple tiers or pockets that can support smaller vegetables, like lettuce, spinach, or even strawberries.
  • Position vertical containers near a wall or railing that can provide stability, especially during windy conditions. Make sure the structure allows for proper drainage at all levels, so water doesn’t pool at the base.

4. Fabric Grow Bags for Root Vegetables

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Fabric grow bags are perfect for root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and beets. They’re breathable, providing excellent drainage and air circulation, which prevents the soil from becoming waterlogged and promotes healthy root development.

  • Use 5- to 10-gallon grow bags for most root vegetables. These bags give your crops the space they need to grow deep without restricting root movement.
  • Place grow bags in a spot where they’ll get full sun, but be ready to water more frequently during hot weather, as fabric containers can dry out faster. Add mulch on top of the soil to help retain moisture.

5. Shallow, Wide Containers for Herbs and Leafy Greens

Herbs like basil, oregano, and cilantro, as well as leafy greens like lettuce and arugula, thrive in shallow containers with plenty of surface area. These plants don’t need deep soil but benefit from being spaced out for good air circulation.

  • Choose shallow containers that are 6-8 inches deep but wide enough to accommodate several plants. This allows you to grow a variety of herbs or greens together in one container.
  • Use a well-draining potting mix, and consider placing these containers in partial shade during the hottest part of the day to prevent greens from wilting or bolting prematurely.

By selecting the right containers for your vegetables, you’ll set yourself up for a productive and manageable Florida garden, no matter the size of your space or the challenges of the climate!

Best Containers for Florida’s Flowering Plants and Shrubs

Florida container garden with flowers and bulbs

Florida’s climate is perfect for growing a wide range of flowering plants and shrubs, but choosing the right container is essential for keeping them healthy and vibrant year-round. Here’s a guide to selecting the best containers for different types of flowering plants and shrubs, with tips on keeping them looking their best in Florida’s unique conditions.

1. Decorative Ceramic Pots for Colorful Annuals

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Annual flowers like marigolds, petunias, and impatiens add pops of color to patios and gardens. Decorative ceramic pots not only enhance their beauty but also provide the insulation needed to keep roots cooler during Florida’s hot summer days.

  • Choose glazed ceramic pots for annuals, as these retain moisture better than unglazed options. This is especially important in Florida’s heat, where moisture can evaporate quickly.
  • Make sure the pot has good drainage holes to prevent water-logging during the rainy season. If the pot doesn’t have adequate drainage, consider drilling extra holes or adding a layer of gravel at the bottom.
  • Pair brightly colored flowers with contrasting or complementary pot colors to create a striking visual effect on your patio or in the garden.

2. Hanging Baskets for Trailing Flowers

Using hanging planters in a Florida container garden

Trailing flowers like verbena, lobelia, and ivy geraniums thrive in hanging baskets, adding vertical interest to patios and porches. Hanging baskets are great for maximizing space while giving you the freedom to move plants into or out of the sun.

  • Choose sturdy hanging baskets made from materials like wire, resin, or metal with a coconut coir or moss liner for proper drainage. Avoid plastic liners, as they can retain too much water and cause root rot.
  • Position the baskets where they’ll get enough sunlight but can be moved into the shade during particularly hot afternoons to prevent scorching.
  • Water hanging baskets more frequently, as they tend to dry out faster, especially in Florida’s warm, breezy weather. Self-watering baskets can also help maintain moisture levels.

3. Lightweight Resin Containers for Easy Mobility

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Resin containers are lightweight, durable, and weather-resistant, making them perfect for gardeners who like to rearrange their outdoor space or move plants to protect them from extreme weather.

  • Choose resin containers with UV protection to prevent fading or cracking in the Florida sun. They come in a variety of styles that mimic more expensive materials like stone or ceramic but are much easier to move.
  • These containers are ideal for medium-sized flowering plants, such as hibiscus or gardenias. Their lightweight design means you can easily relocate them if needed—whether to catch more sun, avoid a storm, or bring them indoors during cold snaps.
  • Make sure the containers have proper drainage, and consider using a saucer underneath to catch excess water during heavy rains.

4. Large, Sturdy Pots for Flowering Shrubs

Flowering shrubs like hydrangeas, oleanders, and azaleas need more room to grow and thrive. Large, sturdy pots are essential to give their roots space and to support their size and weight.

  • Opt for large containers—at least 18-24 inches deep and wide—to accommodate the root systems of shrubs. Terracotta or heavy-duty resin containers work well because they’re both durable and stable, preventing the pots from tipping over in high winds.
  • Place shrubs in spots where they’ll get the right balance of sun and shade based on their specific needs. For example, hydrangeas do well in partial shade, while hibiscus prefers full sun.
  • Water shrubs deeply but less frequently, allowing the water to reach the deeper roots, and fertilize regularly with a slow-release fertilizer to support flowering.

5. Window Boxes for Small-Space Flower Gardens

Window boxes filled with flowers

If space is limited, window boxes are perfect for creating a colorful flower garden without taking up ground space. They’re ideal for small flowers like pansies, nasturtiums, or even small trailing varieties that spill over the sides.

  • Choose window boxes made from materials like wood, plastic, or metal, with enough drainage holes to prevent water buildup, especially after Florida’s heavy rains.
  • Position the boxes in areas where the flowers can get plenty of sunlight, but keep an eye on them in the hottest part of the day. Window boxes tend to dry out faster, so regular watering is key.
  • Mix flowering plants with a variety of textures and heights, combining upright flowers with trailing ones for a balanced and eye-catching display. Add herbs or edible flowers for a practical, decorative touch.

By choosing the right containers for your flowering plants and shrubs, you’ll ensure they thrive in Florida’s climate, creating a stunning, low-maintenance garden that’s easy to manage all year long.

Ideal Containers for Florida Native Plants and Succulents

Growing native tropical plants in a container garden

Florida’s native plants and succulents thrive in containers that provide the right drainage, space, and aesthetic appeal to complement their natural beauty.

Whether you’re growing drought-tolerant natives or creating a striking succulent display, choosing the right container is key to ensuring they flourish in Florida’s unique climate. Here’s a guide to selecting the best containers for these hardy plants.

1. Terra Cotta Pots for Excellent Drainage

Terra cotta pots are a go-to choice for native plants and succulents, particularly in Florida’s humid environment, because they allow excess moisture to evaporate easily through the porous material.

  • Choose terra cotta pots with drainage holes, which are essential for preventing water buildup and root rot—especially important for succulents and drought-tolerant natives like blanket flower and coreopsis.
  • Because terra cotta pots can dry out more quickly, check soil moisture frequently, but avoid overwatering. Many native plants prefer drier conditions, and terra cotta helps mimic their natural habitat.
  • Place your terra cotta containers in a sunny spot but be mindful that they can absorb heat. Mulching around the base of your plants can help keep the soil cooler in Florida’s intense sun.

2. Shallow Dishes for Succulent Gardens

Container full of succulent plants

Succulents, such as aloe, echeveria, and agave, thrive in shallow containers that offer plenty of surface area for sprawling, shallow root systems. Shallow dishes also create a beautiful, compact display, perfect for patios or balconies.

  • Select a wide, shallow dish with good drainage holes. Succulents hate sitting in water, and shallow containers help prevent overwatering by allowing water to drain quickly.
  • Create a well-draining soil mix by adding sand or fine gravel to a cactus mix. This ensures that water doesn’t linger around the roots, reducing the risk of rot.
  • Arrange your succulents in aesthetically pleasing groupings, mixing different shapes and colors. Succulents are slow growers, so you can pack them in tighter for a fuller look.

3. Hypertufa Containers for a Natural Look

Hypertufa containers are a great option for creating a rustic, natural look that complements the simplicity of native plants and succulents. These lightweight, porous pots are made from a blend of cement, peat moss, and perlite, giving them a stone-like appearance that weathers beautifully over time.

  • If you’re using hypertufa containers, their porous nature means they’ll help with drainage, which is perfect for drought-tolerant natives and succulents. However, you’ll still need to ensure they have proper drainage holes.
  • These containers are ideal for Florida natives like muhly grass or coontie, which thrive in dry conditions and don’t need frequent watering. Their rustic, stone-like finish also pairs well with succulents, adding texture and charm to your garden.
  • Hypertufa containers are easy to make at home if you’re feeling crafty! You can create custom shapes and sizes to suit your space and plant preferences.

4. Rock Gardens and Repurposed Containers for Natives

Florida’s native plants often grow well in unconventional containers like repurposed items or even directly in rock gardens. This approach blends aesthetics with function, creating a naturalistic look that mimics their original habitat.

Use repurposed containers like old wooden crates, metal troughs, or stone basins for a unique and eco-friendly garden. Ensure these containers have adequate drainage, especially after Florida’s frequent rain showers.

For a rock garden, place native plants like Florida tickseed or goldenrod directly into large rocks or shallow containers filled with well-draining soil. These settings replicate the dry, rocky environments many natives prefer, reducing the need for frequent watering.

Add some crushed gravel or small stones around the base of the plants to enhance drainage and provide a decorative finish that complements the natural look.

5. Small Pots for Propagating Native Plant Cuttings

If you’re looking to propagate native plants, such as saw palmetto or firebush, small pots are perfect for getting cuttings started before transferring them to larger containers or the ground.

  • Choose small, well-draining plastic or terra cotta pots for propagating cuttings. These containers are easy to manage and move around, allowing you to place them in optimal lighting conditions as needed.
  • Fill the pots with a lightweight, well-draining potting mix. I use a 50/50 blend of coconut coir and perlite. Native plant cuttings prefer a loose medium that allows for good airflow and root development.
  • Keep the soil moist, but not soggy, while the cuttings establish roots. Once they’ve grown strong enough, you can transfer the young plants to larger containers or directly into your garden.

By selecting the right containers for your Florida native plants and succulents, you’ll create a low-maintenance garden that thrives in the Sunshine State’s unique conditions. Whether you opt for terra cotta pots, shallow succulent dishes, or naturalistic hypertufa containers, you can enjoy a beautiful and resilient garden all year long.

Specialized Containers for Tropical and Citrus Trees

Florida’s tropical and citrus trees can thrive in containers if you choose the right setup. Whether you’re growing dwarf citrus or exotic tropical plants, picking the proper containers ensures your trees have the space and care they need to flourish. Here’s how to find the best specialized containers for your fruit-bearing beauties.

1. Large, Wheeled Planters for Easy Movement

Tropical trees and citrus plants benefit from mobility, especially when you need to shield them from Florida’s occasional cold snaps or intense summer heat. Large, wheeled planters provide the flexibility to move your plants with ease.

  • Choose a large container with sturdy wheels capable of supporting the weight of your tree, soil, and water. Look for wheeled planters with locks to keep them stable once in place.
  • Ensure the container is deep enough for the root system—tropical trees like banana or papaya need room to grow vertically, while citrus trees like lemon or lime require ample space for roots to spread.
  • Position your planter in a sunny spot during the day, then easily move it to a more sheltered location during extreme weather, especially as cooler evenings approach.

2. Half Whiskey Barrels for Dwarf Citrus Trees

Half whiskey barrels make excellent containers for dwarf citrus varieties, providing both depth and width for healthy root development. They also add a rustic aesthetic to your patio or garden.

  • Purchase a half whiskey barrel or repurpose one by drilling several drainage holes in the bottom to prevent water from pooling. Citrus trees are sensitive to waterlogged roots.
  • Fill the barrel with a high-quality potting mix designed for citrus, ensuring good drainage and aeration. You may need to add sand or perlite to improve drainage in Florida’s humid climate.
  • Plant your dwarf citrus tree (such as Meyer lemon or Calamondin) in the center of the barrel, allowing enough room for the roots to grow. Water deeply and place the barrel in full sunlight.

3. Air-Pruning Containers for Healthy Root Systems

Air-pruning containers are designed with porous fabric or mesh sides that encourage root pruning when roots reach the edge of the container. This promotes a dense, healthy root system, which is especially beneficial for tropical trees.

  • Choose an air-pruning container sized for your tropical tree. These containers are typically made from breathable fabric, which allows air circulation to the roots and prevents root-bound issues.
  • Use a lightweight potting mix to complement the air-pruning design. The mix should drain well and be rich in nutrients to support growth.
  • Regularly monitor the moisture levels, as air-pruning containers tend to dry out faster in Florida’s heat. Water your tree more frequently, but be cautious not to overwater, as the fabric allows for efficient drainage.

4. Decorative Urns for Tropical Statement Plants

If you’re growing large tropical plants like Bird of Paradise, hibiscus, or palms, decorative urns offer both style and functionality. These containers elevate the appearance of your garden while providing enough space for your plants to thrive.

  • Select a decorative urn that complements the aesthetic of your patio or garden. Ensure it’s large enough to accommodate the plant’s root system and has proper drainage holes.
  • Line the bottom of the urn with gravel or broken pottery to prevent soil loss through drainage holes, then fill it with a rich, organic potting mix suitable for tropical plants.
  • Position your urn in a sunny area where your tropical plant can soak up plenty of light, but be prepared to move it to a shaded spot during Florida’s hottest months to prevent leaf scorch.

5. Raised Bed Planters for Multiple Small Trees

If you’re growing more than one small fruit tree, such as dwarf bananas or figs, raised bed planters provide the perfect solution for keeping them contained while giving them enough space to thrive. These planters offer excellent drainage and flexibility for managing multiple plants at once.

  • Set up a raised bed planter that’s at least 18–24 inches deep to accommodate the root systems of small trees. This ensures they have room to grow while staying manageable.
  • Use a well-draining, nutrient-rich soil mix, and consider incorporating compost to provide additional nutrients. Raised beds tend to dry out quickly, so keeping the soil healthy is key.
  • Plant your small trees with sufficient spacing to prevent overcrowding. Water regularly and add mulch around the base of each tree to help retain moisture and regulate soil temperature.

By selecting specialized containers for your tropical and citrus trees, you’ll create a thriving, productive garden that can handle Florida’s unique climate. With the right containers—whether wheeled planters for mobility or whiskey barrels for rustic charm—you’ll have the flexibility to enjoy fresh fruit and tropical beauty right in your backyard.

Innovative Container Solutions for Florida Gardeners

When it comes to container gardening in Florida, innovation can make all the difference in dealing with the unique challenges of the climate. Whether you’re looking for convenience, year-round growth, or eco-friendly options, there are plenty of innovative containers designed to help you garden smarter, not harder. Here are some of the best solutions to consider.

1. Self-Watering Systems for Vacation-Proof Gardens

Florida’s heat can be intense, and keeping your plants hydrated while you’re away—or even just during the hottest days—can be a challenge. Self-watering containers take the guesswork out of keeping your plants moist by providing a steady water supply.

  • Choose a self-watering container with a built-in reservoir. These containers store water at the base and allow plants to draw up moisture as needed through a wicking system.
  • Fill the reservoir, and top off the container with high-quality potting mix that allows for good wicking action. Make sure the soil reaches the bottom to absorb water efficiently.
  • Plant your vegetables, herbs, or flowers as usual. Self-watering containers are especially beneficial for water-loving plants like tomatoes, cucumbers, and herbs. Check the reservoir every few days, and refill as needed.
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2. Hydroponic Containers for Year-Round Growing

If you want to maximize growing potential without soil, hydroponic containers offer a soilless solution ideal for Florida’s climate. These systems are perfect for growing leafy greens, herbs, and even small fruiting plants year-round.

  • Set up your hydroponic container by assembling the unit according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Most systems use water and nutrient solutions to deliver everything the plant needs directly to the roots.
  • Plant seedlings in the designated compartments, often using a lightweight medium such as coconut coir or perlite to support the roots.
  • Regularly monitor the nutrient solution and water levels, topping up and adjusting pH as needed. Hydroponic systems can thrive indoors or outdoors, giving you the flexibility to grow fresh produce all year, regardless of Florida’s weather.

3. Stackable Planters for Vertical Gardening

Maximize your space with stackable planters, a great solution for small patios or balconies. These vertical gardening containers allow you to grow multiple plants in a compact area, making the most of your space without sacrificing plant variety.

  • Select stackable planters that allow for drainage between layers. Many designs are lightweight and easy to assemble, letting you create as tall a garden as you need.
  • Fill each tier with potting mix and plant a variety of shallow-rooted plants like strawberries, herbs, or leafy greens. You can mix and match plants, creating beautiful combinations in small spaces.
  • Water from the top and let gravity do the rest, as water will naturally flow down to lower levels, ensuring every tier gets hydration. Rotate your planters regularly to ensure even sun exposure.
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  • Grow More Healthy Organic Fruits/Veggies/Flowers @ Home (Strawberries, Tomatoes, Peppers, Herbs, Greens, Green Beans, Beets…)

4. Smart Pots with Built-in Water Indicators

For Florida gardeners who want precision without constant monitoring, smart pots with built-in water indicators offer an easy way to ensure plants are watered correctly. These pots let you know exactly when your plants need moisture, preventing both under and overwatering.

  • Purchase a smart pot with a visible water level indicator. These containers typically have a float or gauge that rises or falls with the water level in the reservoir.
  • Plant as usual, ensuring good soil drainage and enough space for your plants to grow. Keep an eye on the water indicator and refill the reservoir as needed, especially during hot, dry periods.

Smart pots work well with a variety of plants, from flowering annuals to herbs and vegetables. They’re especially useful for gardeners who tend to overwater or under-water, as the built-in system makes watering more intuitive.

TPHRAVAL Intelligent Flower Pot, Electronic Bud, Maintenance Plant Assistant, Fun Interactive Flower…
  • 【Intelligent maintenance assistant】Usually we are worried about the maintenance of plant survival, the smart planter is equipped with 7 kinds of multi-dimensional sensors specifically for plants to help us protect the health of plants to the maximum extent.
  • 【Planter for 36 kinds of plants】The planter contains 36 plant care modes, which makes us not need to have maintenance experience, as long as you choose your favorite plants and give it to the smart planter, it will help us take care of the plant growth.
  • 【Fun and interactive】It seems to be a cute pet like a dog. Inverter touch sensing technology allows the planter to carry out rich interactive sessions in daily life, such as good cold, thirsty, low battery and other sensory transmission.
  • 【Support connecting smart home】If your home has a smart home system installed, the smart planter can be connected to them to meet your needs to a greater extent.
  • 【Rich usage scenarios】In the living room, bedroom, office desk, bedroom nightstand, the smart planter can accompany your life and bring you happiness, it is also the best choice for gifts for our girlfriends, parents or other friends.

5. Biodegradable Containers for Eco-Friendly Gardening

If sustainability is a priority in your gardening practice, biodegradable containers offer an eco-friendly alternative to plastic pots. These containers break down over time, reducing waste while still providing a reliable home for your plants.

  • Choose biodegradable containers made from materials like coconut coir, peat, or paper pulp. These containers are perfect for starting seeds or transplanting young plants, as they can be planted directly into the soil.
  • Fill the biodegradable pot with seed-starting mix and plant your seeds or seedlings. These containers allow roots to grow through the walls, so the plant can easily establish itself once transplanted.
  • When your plants are ready to move into a larger container or the ground, simply plant the entire biodegradable pot. Over time, the container will decompose naturally, leaving no trace behind.

By integrating these innovative container solutions into your Florida garden, you can streamline care, enhance productivity, and maintain a more sustainable approach to growing plants in the unique climate. Whether you’re aiming for convenience, efficiency, or eco-friendliness, there’s a container option perfect for every gardener’s needs.

Bestseller No. 1
Huvai 100 Pack 3.15″ Round Biodegradable Peat Pots Plant Seedling Saplings & Herb Seed Starters Kit…
  • Package included: 100 pack Biodegradable Peat Pots and 100 Pcs White Plastic Plant Labels. Use these peat pots in a ventilated environment or outdoors, let your plant grow faster.
SaleBestseller No. 2
ARGCONNER 4 Inch Peat Pots, 50PCS Biodegradable Plant Starting Pots Round Nursery Pot, Garden…
  • Peat Pots Dimensions: 50 plant starter pots(4inch) with 20 Plant Labels, Ideal for both indoor and outdoor gardening, Comes with 20 pcs plastic plant labels you can use them to mark the seeds in your peat pots
SaleBestseller No. 3
Dalzom® 60Pcs 3.1” Peat Pots with 60Pcs Plant Labels, Biodegradable Pots for Seedlings with…
  • 【Package Included】 The package include 60Pcs 3.1″ Biodegradable Peat Pots and 60Pcs Plant Labels.

Get Growing in The Right Pot for the Right Plant

There you have it, fellow Florida gardeners – a comprehensive guide to the best containers for every plant type in our unique climate. Remember, the perfect pot is more than just a pretty face; it’s a crucial tool in creating a thriving garden. Whether you’re growing juicy tomatoes, vibrant flowers, or a mini citrus grove, the right container can make all the difference. So go ahead, experiment with different options, and watch your Florida garden flourish! And hey, if you end up with more beautiful plants than you know what to do with, you know where to find me – I’m always up for a plant swap!

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Growing Tomatoes All Year Round in Florida: Winter Tomato Management

Winter Florida Tomatoes

With our mild winters and subtropical climate, many gardeners assume we can grow tomatoes all year round in Florida. The fact is that we can’t, but it’s not what you’d expect. Summer is a horrible time for anything but the semi-native, naturalized Everglades tomato variety. And sometimes it’s even too miserable for them.

Can you grow tomatoes in Florida in the winter? You sure can, if you approach it with some thoughtfulness. If you’ve never gardened before or you’re one of the many transplants from “up north,” it may seem like it’s hard to grow tomatoes at all in Florida.

But I remember growing up in the late 70s and hearing about the famous “Ruskin tomatoes.” They were a big deal in the Ohio suburbs, and since I was just a kid at the time, I can only speculate why. Before mass import of fresh produce became commonplace, Ruskin (Gulf Coast region, zone 9b-10a) was probably the first place to deliver fresh tomatoes in the spring in the Eastern U.S. So, obviously, you must be able to grow tomatoes in Florida in the winter, right?

If you look at some of the planting schedules published online for Florida, including our Florida Gardening Planner, you’ll note that for Central and South Florida, experts recommend starting tomato seeds for fall planting in August. My experience is that late July or any time in August is fine, and they’ll be ready for planting out in mid to late September.

This last year (2021) remained pretty hot and muggy well into October, so I felt comfortable planting out the remaining starter plants that month. In Central Florida, it currently stays pretty warm and mild throughout December, and we normally don’t get any real lows until January. That said, it’s pretty usual to have healthy, full-grown, and still-producing tomato plants on New Year’s Day.

But what about those cold snaps? How do you ensure that your tomatoes make it through the night? What’s the best way to grow tomatoes in the winter in Florida? How do you manage winter gardening in Florida when it’s impossible to predict the next cold snap?

Growing tomatoes in winter in florida

Plan Early for Winter Growing

Getting your tomato seeds started in time is key to growing tomatoes over the winter in Florida. For zones 9 and 10, that means having starter plants ready to establish in the garden well before any temperature drops. Tomatoes should have at least 8 to 12 weeks in their final homes before cold nights hit to develop strong and healthy root systems.

Plant for Optimal Sun Exposure

Placement is also key to growing tomatoes in a Florida winter. Just because it’s 80 degrees doesn’t mean the days are any longer. Plant your tomatoes with southern exposure, ensuring they receive as much full sun as possible. You may have to water them more frequently but setting them up for success with plenty of sunlight will create more resilient plants.

This isn’t a technique recommended for growing tomatoes in the spring, when a little protection from the midday sun may be beneficial. For winter tomatoes, full sun is required.

Protect Against the Elements

Depending on where you live in Florida, winter winds can cause havoc. Coastal areas are particularly beaten by high winds. Plant your tomatoes where buildings or larger shrubs or trees can protect them from harsh gusts.

Reflect on This

A south-facing wall can help collect heat and reflect warmth back onto your plants during the night. So, whether you grow in containers or garden beds, take advantage of any light-colored walls that can help keep your tomato plants toasty warm.

Mindfulness

Paying attention to the weather forecast is a must for gardeners in any location. Take note of the forecast so you can prepare. The good news is that even when it drops below 50 degrees, or even 40 degrees, it rarely drops that low for long enough to completely kill your tomato plants.

Tomatoes don’t produce well with temperatures below 50 degrees F, but they can survive down to freezing temperatures. A short blast of cold can damage leaves and stunt growth, and extensive frost can kill your plants, whether it’s 40 degrees or 30. But you can provide protection overnight to give them their best chance.

Prepping your Tomatoes for Cold Snaps

Part of planning ahead for winter gardening in Florida includes planting your tomatoes where they can be easily covered. This may be in containers that can be moved, in a greenhouse or polytunnel, or even against a trellis or arbor that offers support for frost covers.

Another key factor when planning ahead is choosing the right tomato variety for winter growing. Tomatoes are either determinate or indeterminate. Determinate tomatoes only grow to a specified height — about 3 to 4 feet. Indeterminate varieties continue to grow and vine up to 6, 8, even 10 feet long. Covering a relatively short tomato plant for a cold snap is infinitely easier than a tall, vining variety. So, if you’re planning on growing your winter tomatoes outdoors rather than in a greenhouse or tunnel, you may want to stick to the determinate varieties.

unripe tomatoes on the vine

Improving Resilience

Another way to help your tomatoes make it through cold spells is to ensure that it’s as healthy a plant as possible. A healthy tomato plant is far more likely to recover from any cold damage.

Watering

You may have noticed the specific weather pattern that often precedes a cold snap in Florida — a heavy rainfall. Winter and spring are some of our drier months in Central Florida, but we frequently get a good rainfall before a cold front hits. Take this as a clue from nature. Make sure to water your tomato plants deeply the day before the cold snap. Water keeps the individual cells of the foliage plump and strong, while moist soil stays warmer than dry soil.

In the case of tomatoes, it’s still a good idea to avoid getting the foliage wet, so water the ground, not the leaves.  

Covering

There are a number of commercial products you can buy to cover your tomato plants during a cold snap, from lightweight fleece sheets to insulating blankets. In warmer areas of Florida, an old sheet or blanket will do. We’ve also repurposed a number of old beach towels. If you don’t have any leftover bedding, check your local thrift store and save yourself a small fortune.

Many is the time we’ve had an “all hands on deck” to dig through linen chests and closets to find old sheets. The whole family works together to cover the tomato plants, and it’s funny to see the old kids’ cartoon character sheets flapping in the breeze.

Sometimes it’s not hoarding, it’s being prepared.

All fabric covering should be dry before covering the plant. Drape the plant as completely as possible, from the top to the ground, ensuring the edge touches the ground and is well anchored to keep in the heat. Make sure that no branches will carry more weight than they can manage.

Don’t use plastic unless you can guarantee it will never touch the leaves. Frankly, it may not be worth using at all unless, of course, you have a polytunnel.

After Care

Helping your tomato plants recover from a cold snap is just as important as preparing for it. Make sure you remove any covering as soon as you can after the sunrise. If condensation has collected on the covers, you should remove them ASAP.

With our wacky winter temperature swings, it’s not impossible that the day after a cold dip will get up into the 80s and be blazing hot and dry. Check your weather forecast, and if it looks like you’re in for one of those days, you should go ahead and water your tomatoes again to help them recover from the stress.

Observe your tomato plants over the next few days. You may see some cold damage on the tips of the leaves. These can be trimmed off, but I normally leave them as they are.

If you have any casualties, you can remove any unripened fruits and place them on a warm kitchen counter. They should continue to ripen and be quite edible in a few days. (You can also do this before the cold snap hits if you have time.) Compost the remaining vegetation.

Your Own Resilience

Gardening isn’t just a production line, it’s a process. It’s a way of nurturing yourself by growing healthy food for yourself. It’s a way to connect with your land and interact with the (somewhat) natural world. Don’t be too hard on yourself if your winter tomatoes don’t make it. Winter gardening in Florida can be very rewarding, but there are risks.

Cultivate your own resilience by accepting gardening losses with a big dose of humor and by working for more diversity in your garden, rather than “results.”

And, after all, it’s time to sow your spring tomato starts. So, it won’t be long until you have a whole new collection of tomato plants to fuss over.

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What’s Your Gardening Stupidpower? Garden Mistakes We Keep Making

garden mistakes I've made

Gardening is hard work, with all the soil toil and heat and the lugging around of pots. But you don’t really think about throwing in the towel until you realize that you keep making the same dumb garden mistakes over and over.

That’s when you start to second-guess yourself.

As age catches up with me, I find my dexterity less than optimal. Put simply, over the weekend, I was beginning to think my unique gardening talent lie in knocking over multiple pots of expensively rich potting soil.

But that’s just clumsy, that’s not a stupidpower.

A gardening stupidpower is when you find yourself repeating the same dumb garden mistake over and over. Gardening stupidpowers are EPIC!

The kind where you should know better. The kind you have told yourself over and over NOT to repeat.

Gardening is fun, even with all the hard work, but when you’re growing for real production, to put food on the table, garden mistakes can cost you real money.

Common Garden Mistakes

Some of the most common garden mistakes are the result of inexperience. Planting at the wrong time of year is a pretty common one, and it’s one that most new gardeners make. In fact, it’s pretty common for experienced gardeners as well, especially as climate change seems to wreak havoc with our annual growing conditions and timings.

Another common garden mistake is buying the wrong varieties for your microclimate, just because the seeds are cheap and plentiful in your area. (Yeah, I’m looking at YOU, Marketmore cucumber!)

Another bad habit I have found myself falling into is heeding the watering advice of pro gardeners from temperate zones. In fact, I could even classify that as a gardening stupidpower, except I finally learned THAT lesson.

A lot of temperate zone garden gurus say you should water deep, not often, for best results. They say it results in stronger plants.

Honestly, in Florida, along the Gulf Coast, in sandy soil, playing tough love with your annual vegetable plants through the heat of midday does not result in them digging in deep for moisture.

In my experience, it mainly results in a lot of dead plants.

My Personal Gardening Stupidpower

I must be a water-type Pokemon, because all my gardening stupidpowers involve H2O:

  • Overwatering
  • Watering at night
  • Watering extensively when rain is forecast
  • Forgetting to water entire sections of the garden … for days…

But my really, truly epic gardening stupidpower is attempting to lay out soaker hoses AFTER putting in starts. By myself.

I’ve crushed, stomped, choked, and lassoed to death more poor innocent vegetable starts than I want to admit to. All because I’m so anxious to get their little green heads into the garden.

Hoses are bad, ‘mkay?

Garden hoses all seem to have a personal vendetta against humanity and its agriculture.

I have often wondered if hoses want nothing more than to lay in the shed, rolled up comfortably, undisturbed. I wonder if they resent being dragged into the sunlight. Perhaps they’re in pain? Does watering hurt them?

Because they will seemingly do as much damage as possible to any and every plant they come near, no matter how careful you are. If there’s any way for a garden hose to take out your flowers, herbs, or vegetable plants, it will find that way.

Soaker hoses aren’t much better, but at least you should (conceivably) only have to place them once. I don’t really like using irrigation hoses. I like to hand water — it’s meditative. So, I often decide not to bother with putting down my soaker hoses and just start adding in my little plants as they grow big enough.

And inevitably, three weeks later, I decide that I really need to put down the soakers because I’m just flat out tired of dragging the hose around every morning or even just tired of the time it takes.

And yet again, this year, this last weekend, I made the mistake of trying to wrestle them into a reasonably even distribution across the garden beds after I had already planted a few of my fall starts.

Anyway, this year, there will be far fewer summer squash than originally anticipated.

What’s Your Gardening Stupidpower?

Many philosophers say that you’ll keep repeating the same mistakes until you finally learn the lesson they’re meant to teach you.

So, how are you educating yourself in the garden this year?

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Adventures in Soil Blocking

soil blocking

You’ve seen them on YouTube, right? All those market gardeners when their beaucoup cool soil blockers? You may have even done some online shopping to see if soil blocking is right for you.

But boy, are those soil blockers expensive! Those farmer dudes must be raking it in!

(Of course, they’re not!)

But in all seriousness, a heavy-duty, reliable tool for production is going to cost you. I’ve been eying the complete Ladbrooke soil blocking system for a few years now.

Ladbrooke Authentic Soil Block Maker 5-Pc. Essentials Nesting System Includes Mini 4, Micro 20,…
  • The Genuine Ladbrooke Essentials 5-pc soil blocking set provides the starting blocks of the…

Looks amazing, right?

You get the mini cubes, micro cubes, and the dibbler all in one handy kit.

Or maybe the “Master Grower” set, with the 4-inch blocker, for, you know, pumpkins and stuff.

Ladbrooke Authentic Soil Block Maker – 6-Pc. Master Grower Nesting System Includes Maxi, Mini 4,…
  • Look for the Ladbrooke logo on the handles of the Mini 4 and Micro 20. The Master Grower is our full set that includes all the pieces for the well known “nesting” system of soil blocking. The Micro 20 has a new stronger, smoother design.

Truth is, I couldn’t really justify the cost.

Yes, it’s the premium brand for soil blockers, and they’re used across the world by professionals.

But I couldn’t bring myself to pay for them.

So, I did the next best thing (sort of) and got a cheap plastic one from Fiskars.

After all, Fiskers is a good brand, right? They’re my go-to for scissors and secateurs. Surely, they can produce an awesome soil blocker, right?

First, I mixed up some soil blocking mix. Soil blocks rely on a high fiber content to keep them together, so they require a large amount of coconut coir (or peat moss, if you use it).

Some of the classic recipes for soil block mix include four parts coir to two parts perlite to one part compost. Plus, a whole host of amendments.

This is kind of long, but you can watch my personal hero, Jim Kovaleski, mix up some beauties:

My own attempts gave me some trouble. Was it wet enough? Would it stick? Would they crumble?

My awkward attempts started with me shoving the soil mix INTO the blocker. Nothing like that smooth, super-efficient ka-chunk that I see on the You-Tubes.

And this is what I got.

The Downside of Soil Blocking

Yeah, they worked. They held together. Sort of.

But do you see that I get only 40 modules in a tray with the Fiskars, instead of the 72 I would have gotten with modules?

I’ll try this thing a few more times, probably for pumpkins this fall.

But I have to admit, I’m not in love with the inefficient waste of space with this “spherical” design. I could have just used Jesse Frost’s hand-made soil balls and saved myself the money.

The soil doesn’t eject from the device very smoothly, particularly with the mini-block insert.

And honestly, the finished soil blocks will not stand up if your dog stomps through them in the middle of the night.

YMMV

Fiskars Soil Block Maker for Garden Seeds with Natural Air Pruning, Eco Friendly Soil Blocking…
  • Fiskars Soil Block Maker helps you grow healthier seedlings by encouraging stronger root systems through natural air pruning

You can find the Fiskars soil block maker on Amazon if you’re interested in giving it a shot. If you don’t seed like a maniac, as I do, it may work for you.

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Freedom From the Big Box: Making Your Own Potting Soil

making your own potting soil

Have you ever thought about making your own potting soil? That stuff at the big box stores is expensive, and you may not even know what’s in it.

Lately, there is a lot of controversy surrounding the use of peat in soil mixes. This is especially true in the UK, where there are so many gardeners and so little peatland. They’ll even be outlawing it by 2024.

Peat isn’t sustainable — not really. It takes thousands of years to replace. Here in the U.S., we get most of our peat from Canada, where we can assume that there is much more to be had. But it doesn’t grow back any faster in Canada.

While it seems disasterous that gardeners might someday run out of peatmoss, the really concern is that peat bogs sequester more of the earth’s carbon than any other type of vegetation. Every time a peat bog is drained and backhoe rips up a layer of peat, tonnes of carbon are released into the atmosphere.

And it’s not a trivial amount. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), peat bog harvesting results in the release of about 1.3 gigatonnes of CO2 every year. This equals approximately 5.6 percent of global CO2 emissions overall. That’s just flabbergasting.

Save Money AND the Planet by Making Your Own Potting Soil

With the UK banning peat in potting soil, manufacturers are rushing to create replacement mixes. You’ll find many brands overseas, but here in the U.S., they’re few and far between. They’re also expensive.

It may seem overwhelming to make your own potting soil, but it’s so worthwhile once you get a system in place. I can blame soil-blocking and a busted air conditioner for my foray into homemade potting soil.

I like the idea of using soil blocks. Mainly, because my seed trays were falling apart. I literally was using duct tape to hold them together. Soil blocking requires a special seed starting mix, so I was already armed with most of the ingredients for potting soil.

One of the key ingredients for potting soil is compost. That’s one that isn’t so quick to come up with — not homemade compost, anyway. I’ve been focusing a lot on soil health more than production this last year. So, I have finally managed to produce a somewhat adequate supply of homemade compost. (I also had a fresh bag of Black Kow to fall back on, just in case.)

Spare Covid masks make mixing potting soil safer too!

Soil Blocking Mix

For soil blocking (more on that another time), I started with a basic mix of:

4 parts coconut coir

2 parts perlite

1 part compost

1 cup Epsoma Bio-Tone Starter Plus organic plant food per cubic yard of mix

Soil blocking relies heavily on the fibrous nature of the coir (or peat) to maintain integrity, hence the high percentage in this mix. I went with the Epsoma Bio-Tone because I didn’t want to invest heavily in bags and bags of blood meal, green sand, kelp meal, etc., that most soil block mixes prescribe.

I don’t really have room to store them, and I didn’t want to carry them all, either.

Seed Starting Mix

In seed trays, you don’t need such a heavy hand with the coconut coir. I modified the soil blocking mix to use as a seed starter:

4 parts coconut coir

3 parts perlite

2 parts compost

1 cup Epsoma Bio-Tone Starter Plus organic plant food per cubic yard of mix

Upgrade to Potting Soil

The best part of making your own potting soil is that once you have your seed-starter mix, you don’t have to start from scratch. Just take your seed starting mix and add more compost and Epsoma.

4 parts seed starting mix

1 part compost

1 cup Epsoma per cubic yard of potting soil mix

These formulas all work for Making Your Own Potting Soil for vegetable plants, flowers, foliage houseplants, and landscaping plants. The mix provides an excellent structure, microbiology, and some nutrition.

You can add liquid food for specific stages of growth without worrying about burning your plants.

making your own potting soil delivers great results
Beautiful Homemade Potting Soil

Making Your Own Potting Soil is a Form of Freedom

One of my biggest gardening goals in the last two years is being able to break ties with the big box stores for most of my garden needs. While we have lived in Florida for several decades, the idea of “buying dirt” strikes something in my Midwestern (and frugal) soul.

I like to source as much of my garden inputs as I possibly can. (Just wait, I’ll be re-learning how to fish sometime this year, because when you live within walking distance of the Gulf, you have no excuse for buying fish emulsion).

Making my own potting soil feels like I’m that much closer to self-sufficiency.

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Summer Cover Crops: Time to Rest the Veggie Beds

use summer cover crops in the and take a break from gardening

Recent decades have seen an explosion in new discoveries about soil health and its impact on agriculture. On a smaller scale, home gardeners are learning how to better nurture the microbiology in their gardens for better yields. In most North American gardens, that means keeping the soil covered during fallow times. But here in the South, when gardening is a year-round affair, your best bet is to take advantage of summer cover crops.

Along the Gulf Coast, in areas like Houston, New Orleans, and all throughout Florida, winter is an excellent time for farming and gardening. Although the rainfall may be a bit scant, the pest and disease pressure drops so dramatically that it’s worth it to irrigate.

This means that many Southern gardeners may miss a chance to sow important cover crops to restore organic matter to the soil. In other areas of the country, winter is the time for keeping plots fallow or sowing cover crops like hairy vetch, sudan grass, or clover. No one wants to leave a perfectly good garden bed fallow during its most productive season. That’s where summer cover crops come in.

Summer Cover Crops Are Effortless

In the South, summer is a great time to set your garden beds to fallow mode. While you may not be able to plant cool-season cover crops like winter rye, there are great alternatives for our warmer, wetter climates. As well as restoring structure to your soil and feeding the microbiology, it’s a good time to get out of the sun and avoid heatstroke. Summer cover crops don’t need weeding or watering.

Grab a mojito or a sweet iced tea, and let the bees and bugs have their time in the sun.

Finally Got That Round Tuit

In a previous post, I wrote that I would show you how I put a garden bed to rest for the summer. Although I am running pretty late this year, I did finally start to put the beds to, well, bed.

The first step was to put The Girls to work, digging up the weeds, aerating the soil, eating some bugs, and perhaps even leaving a few nitrogen bombs behind.

Adding Amendments

After letting the chickens loose a few times on the target bed, I add a few soil conditioners and some organic matter to the bed. The first bed is particularly deficient, because it’s a new area on top of what can only be called sand, rather than soil.

Because it will be sitting fallow for about two months, I won’t be digging it in. I’m going full Lasagna mode on this one. I normally prefer a no-dig approach to vegetable gardening for several reasons.

The first is because our barren, sandy Florida soil is already sparse with worms and other organisms that I don’t want to risk them by cutting through the turf and topsoil.

The second is that our heat index is usually around 110°F and our humidity around 90%, so the less I have to do outdoors, the better.

Alfalfa Meal

I have recently discovered the many benefits of adding alfalfa to the soil. It makes a wonderful fertilizing tea. A few scoops in both potting soil or garden beds provides slow-release nutrients.

Studies have found it to be just as effective as fish emulsion and other organic fertilizers. The advantage is that alfalfa meal is a whole lot cheaper and smells a great deal better.

Alfalfa also contains a chemical called triacontanol, which acts as a growth stimulant in other plants. Studies testing triacontanol on plants found that it shortened plant dormancy and increased trunk size and bud development by 100%, and leaf and foliage production by over 200%.

This is one of my fallow beds with the alfalfa pellets.

I use pelleted alfalfa, sold for cattle and horses, at my local feed store. I like the Standlee brand in either organic or non-organic. The upside is that we can also feed it to our rabbits. For smaller areas and container plants, Down to Earth and Espomo both deliver quality organic products.

Do check around and find a feed store near you to source alfalfa meal or pellets for gardening. You’ll spend half as much and most likely you’ll be supporting a small business in your community.

Kitty Litter

Yes, kitty litter — basically, clay.

If you live in an area with heavy, cloying, clay soil, you definitely don’t want to add more. However, I live about a mile off Tampa Bay, and our sandy soil drains quickly. Many thirsty plants can’t drink deep enough before it filters through.

I started adding plain, scentless kitty litter to the soil last spring and the results were truly remarkable. I found that I didn’t have to water every single day just to keep things from wilting.

I also added a small dose of Epsoma Bio-Tone Starter. While there is plenty of organic matter going into this bed, Bio-Tone contains beneficial fungi and bacteria to assist in plant growth.

Because it’s the rainy season, and because bacteria and fungi grow pretty prolifically on their own in this climate, I just added a small bit to innoculate the soil and get it started.

Compost

along with summer cover crops, I add more rich compost to the vegetable beds

Over the last three years, composting has become something of a sacred mission in our house. Family members come to me with food scraps and ask me where to place their offerings.

Then, we got a paper shredder! Saturday nights are a blast now!

Composting is the single most effective way to feed your garden and reduce your carbon footprint.

My Summer Cover Crops

Summer Cover Crops don't have to be expensive

Yep, a cheap bag of black-eyed peas from Publix!

Last year, I planted Cowpeas that I got from the garden center in a Ferry Morris or Burpee package. They cost me about $5 and I only had enough for a small area of my garden. They grew well. The aphids LOVED them. I did not.

So, this year, I spent $1.50 on a bag of black-eyed peas from the grocery store. That way, I won’t have to feel guilty if don’t eat any of them.

More Compost, Plus Biochar

There is no such thing as too much compost.

This layer of compost also includes some biochar I made that has been charging for about two months.

Hay There!

I watered everything in well and dropped a light covering of hay to keep the soil cool, retain moisture, and try to fool the squirrels.

There has been a lot of controversy about the use of hay and straw in the garden. More specifically, gardeners are finding that some of the hay they’re sourcing has been sprayed with the herbicide Grazon or aminopyralid.

Apparently, there is no killing this stuff! If you put it on your garden as a mulch, it will kill everything you grow there for years.

If you buy manure from horses or cows that have eaten hay sprayed with aminopyralid, it too will kill everything you use it on for years.

I’ve been lucky so far. But, I’ve also been careful.

According to No-Dig Guru, Charles Dowding, you can test for this contaminant in any hay, straw, manure, or compost you buy before destroying your garden:

Time to Chill

From now until I plant out starts in September, I don’t have to think about that garden bed. No watering, no weeding, no cares, no worries. I’ve finally learned to stop worrying and love the summer.

According to experts at the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, other good summer cover crops for Florida and other Gulf Coast areas include legumes like Indian jointvetch, cowpeas, hairy indigo, sun hemp, and velvet beans. You can also use grain plants like sorghum and sudangrass, if you’re also looking for a huge amount of biomass at the end.

Whichever way you choose to chill this summer, feel free to give your garden a summer vacation without guilt. After all, unlike most of the U.S., we can garden all the way through the other months of the year.

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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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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.