GREEN COVE SPRINGS – How many people do you think in our area have all had the common experience of planting a tomato, pepper, or some other vegetable transplant or seed and watching over the next few weeks as the plant simply does not grow or dies?

While it may seem like the simplest and most quintessential part of gardening, growing vegetables in Northeast Florida can be a major challenge, especially those new to the area or the hobby. Once you take into account the soil, climate and pest issues, many gardeners are left scratching their heads wondering what went wrong. The only way to work to prevent this from happening is through proper planning and the research-based resources from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences can be a big help.

With any vegetable garden in our area, soil tends to be a major limiting factor. With well-drained sandy soil with low organic matter and nutrient levels for the plants, most varieties cannot be simply planted in the ground and left to grow like they can in other regions of the country. Soil amendments, such as compost, are needed to add in organic matter and improve the water holding capability of the soil. Another option is to start growing your plants in containers or raised beds, where you can buy or create your own soil or soilless mix to match the needs of your plants. As you gain experience, also consider starting a compost bin as this will help provide you with free nutrition and soil amendments in the future.

Another major issue with vegetable gardening that interacts directly with the well-drained soil is water. While we can get major amounts of rain throughout the growing season, it often will enter back into the groundwater or run off the surface, leaving plants dry soon after the clouds roll away. Hand-watering or micro-irrigation are good options to provide additional water as needed by the plants but take into account the needs of each variety of plant. Sometimes too much water can doom vegetables to failure. Mulch can also be added around some vegetable plants to limit water loss.

One of the most major issues facing many new gardeners is also how our growing seasons are different than many of regions of the country. With warm season vegetables, the normal timetable for production is from mid-March through May with the possibility of a second crop to be planted in September. Vegetable plants simply do not do well in the heat of our summers so it is best to leave your garden fallow and solarize the soil with clear plastic during this time. In the winter, you can also grow many different vegetable varieties as well. Make sure to research the growing season of your chosen plants before putting them in the ground.

Finally, Florida is home to many pests and diseases that can wreak havoc on your garden. Be sure to start with plants that are disease and insect free and use seed that is certified to be disease-free as well. Also, follow sanitary practices in the garden by keeping your tools and equipment clean and removing any disease plants or fruit immediately.

It is best to keep a constant watch on the garden for invaders and diseases and to control them as the issues arise. Start with options such as removing the insects and killing them by hand or removing leaves or fruit that show disease. Chemical control can be an option, but should only be considered after proper identification and research of the best ways to manage that issue on that particular plant, usually starting with the least hazardous control option first. If in doubt of what the issue or insect is or how to control it, contact us here at the UF/IFAS Extension Clay County office and we will be happy to help.

For more information on getting started with vegetable gardening, check out the UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions website at http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu or contact your local UF/IFAS Extension Office. I will also be holding an Introduction to Vegetable Gardening class on March 8th from 6-7:30 pm at our office. Visit http://bit.ly/2koEzIo to register and bookmark the page as all of our Extension Agents post their classes to this site.

If you have any questions about landscape and garden topics, need plant or pest materials identified, or have questions about classes and services offered, contact the University of Florida/IFAS Extension Office online at http://www.clay.ifas.ufl.edu, follow us on Facebook, or call by phone at (904)284-6355.