Garden Doing Well So Far...

[bcfishman]

I know it's way early for a lot of you northerners, but I started my Garden back in December. (I live in FL) This is the first year that I am attempting to grow vegetables on my own. My neighbor who lives across the street got me turned onto gardening with some of the stuff he grows.

I kicked around the idea a few times but nothing developed. On a December trip to Lowe's I came across the Ferry Morse Seed Display and went to town picking out what I wanted.
Here's what ended up in the basket... Also the quantity of each plant I ended up with
Beefsteak Toms-4
Cherry Toms-4
Sweet Toms-3
Yellow Squash-3
Zucchini-3
Cucumber-3
Broccoli-4
Cauliflower-4
Cantaloupe-3
Watermelon-3
Cayenne Peppers-4
Serrano Peppers-4
Jalapeno Peppers-4
Habanero Peppers-4
Red/Green Peppers-4
Banana Peppers-4
Spinach-2
Romaine-4
Onions-4
Celery-3
Okra-2
Basil-2
Beans-2
Papaya-2

I also bought a few of the bonnie plants due to some concerns my neighbor had. I bought a Beefsteak, Cherry and Mr. Stripey Tomato and a Chocolate and Yellow Bell Pepper.

I started everything off in Miracle Gro and Jungle Growth soil from Lowe's. I used blue solo cups to start the seeds in. I poked holes in the bottom with a hot nail. Soon, everything began sprouting. I was surprised and well pleased with the success I had had to begin with. After things started getting too big to be in the cups, I began buying black plastic potting containers from a local nursery. I continued to use the Miracle Gro and Jungle Growth while I transferred things to the next size containers.

Things continued growing and started to outgrow the 1 gallon containers I transferred things to. My buddy who works for a landscape / maintenance company brought me a bunch of 2.5, 3, 5 and a couple 7 gallon plastic containers he had in his garage. At this point I decided that buying $7 bags of soil was going to get expensive quick. I went to the same local nursery and got a cubic yard of soil for $39. This went a lot further than I thought it would and thankfully God provided more free containers while I was at the nursery. While waiting for the gentleman who was helping me, I saw a large stack of containers sitting next to the dumpster. I asked if I could have them and the guy said they're all yours. After loading up and heading back, I returned home to find I needed every single container I had to transfer the soil into.

My wife helped me a couple weeks ago transfer everything over to the final containers and things have continued to progress.

Here are some pictures of things in there current state. I still have to transfer the 2nd set of peppers to their DIY containers I made. They have worked well so far with the set of tomatoes I put in them.

Hopefully I will have more pictures to post as things progress.

Thanks for looking.
This is a view of everything


This is my Cucumber, Squash, Zucchini Setup. (3 of each)


Baby Squash


Baby Zucchinis


Broccoli and Cauliflower


Watermelon and Cantaloupe


Some of the tomatoes




And this is peppers, okra, onions, celery, beans, basil and more.

 

[ganny76]

Looks great. Why not use some of that yard you have and then you would not need all those containers?

 

[darrin]

Looking good. Can't wait to see the peppers!

 

[bigbaldbbq]

Very nice. I'm still trying to talk the wife into a garden for this year.

 

[bcfishman]

FL soil is less than ideal for gardening.

Also, with the extreme heat we have during the summer, and the torrential downpours we have daily, my yard does not drain all too well when it's saturated.

With containers, I can move them onto my porch during the hot days and keep them relatively cool.

Lastly, using containers is supposed to help prevent soil insects from getting in.

My yard isn't too big, and making a raised bed would require a Heck of a lot more soil than I am currently using. trying to sell the wife on everything was hard enough. telling her I was going to drop a few hundred on dirt and cow doody wouldn't have gone over too well.

 

[grothe]

Lookin good...can't wait for spring here!!!

 

[ganny76]

You are probably right. The plants look good.

 

[bassman]

Looking good so far, but only 3 zucchini plants? Gosh, you should have at least 5 or 6.

 

[smoke freak]

Its Feb.9 here in Kansas! What is the date in your world?

 

[bcfishman]

Definitely Feb 9 here as well.

I covered the plants twice so far and thats because it got to 29 both nights.

They say we should be done with the "really" cold weather.

It's supposed to get into the 80's this week.

FL is a little different than those frozen tundras you live on.

Notice the palm trees in the picture.

 

[irishteabear]

lol, Sure rub it in.

It's slowly getting warmer here, yay! Nice crop of veggies you're going to have.

 

[beardo]

looks great I'v got maybe 6weeks before Ican start my garden,3or4 to get the seeds going. Tobad you cann't put in raised beds,I have 2 and love em.Your toms. look great my friend did some in containers last year he had great luck but a short season. I' heard there is as much root groth as branch groth thats a lot, But I sure like what you got there. Beardo....

 

[venture]

Wow! I hope you have preservation methods in mind. Or hungry neighbors who won't run when you come bearing squash. LOL

Looking good!

 

[cajunsmoke13]

Nice garden. Just tilled mine up. Ready to go

 

[rio_grande]

I am going to try this year to grow A Big Garden,,, Need to can alot this year to help through the winter

 

[rickandtaz]

Looking good bc! I've got some tomatoes in an "earth box". Just two plants produced more than we could eat. I'm hoping to try some peppers soon and okra when it gets hot here.

You're an insparation!

 

[bcfishman]

Thanks for the compliments everyone.

I am going to pick up another half cubic yard of soil tomorrow.

I want to get some more squash, zuccs, cukes, lettuce, spinach, okra and maters going.

I just bought two packs of specialty tomato seeds yesterday.

Brandywines and Yellow Tomatoes.

I have to finish two more earthboxes for my serrano and red/green peppers.

I also want to move my watermelon and cantaloupes to bigger containers.

 

[rw willy]

Nice looking garden
The temp was the same as the wind speed here today 50! EEK
Can't wait till spring. My garden goes in on Preakness Race Day.

 

[flash]

There is always one more good one in March. My stuff is in the ground, but during winter we set up maters in large pots. Still you will find your set up will outgrow those cages and get top heavy. Brace them well or you will find them fallen over at times when winds get high.
nice to have tomatoes during the winter time

As long as you don't mind all the potting and transferring, go for it.
Oh and it depends on what part of Florida you are talking about. I've seen 16 and 17º this year.

 

[morkdach]

good looken start we had a couple on nice days here in kansas just enough to get ya thinken. got down to 12* last night but i'm still thinken