April Garden Guide: The Ultimate Guide to Florida Gardening 

For anyone in the Tampa Bay Area for the people food plot is having a class this Sunday for edible plants best suited for central/south Florida!!!!

Last year I grew Okra next to my Cranberry hibiscus and the flower/color combo was stunning 🥰

I put a 30 ft row of summer squash in yesterday with a marigold in between each plant. Dropped a bunch of bell pepper seeds under the broccoli plants all before this nice rain shower today. I have learned so much! Oh, I have been meaning to share I bought a Calamondin plant and it has giant swallowtail caterpillars on it. ❤ I don't mind sharing 😂

Hello! Fellow Pinellas, FL gardener here :D Its so sad that strawberry season is coming to an end, this was the first year that I've ever grown them and their flavor was absolutely paradigm shifting-ly good lol. Went with the Chandler variety of bare roots, was completely blown away, so very sad that they're passing prime, and I had an issue with thrips start recently, so fun lol. We moved in to a house last September, so its the first time I've really gotten to have an actual garden that wasn't a windowsill or shaded patio lol. Carrots were also insane, so crazy how much better. my tomatoes did amazing as well, i thought I didnt like tomatoes... now I love them lol. Having an issue with beggarticks, popping up literally everywhere! (my dog's fur, my goodness). But I have to say, planting flowers seems to have been the secret to a lot of my success, we had TONS of bees all season, some would say too many bees at times... lol, one didnt realize I was a friend just watering plants and decided to let me know that wasn't a good time for them.. first bee sting ever, but hey, didn't die so not allergic :D I hope.. I met someone recently that lives over in Sarasota that said they couldn't really garden in FL because its too hot. I was like, um what? She was shocked at what I've been harvesting all year, I told her to stop trying to plant northern or conventional style/varieties of plants, and instead look for subtropical plants or plants that thrive in Africa or New Zealand do really well. She didn't think anything grew there lol I was like girl, people there have to eat too... my ethiopian kale does amazing, new zealand spinach, and just all heat tolerant varieties of things. and I only have grow bags and vertical towers! Shade cloth during the dead of summer is a godsend as well, as are some of the taller trees that are around me lol. Gardening in florida is definitely challenging, just different challenging than the conventional gardening in the areas more north. Man, pest pressure really got me early in the season before the bees and lacewings and ladybugs decided to start hanging around the flowers. And the heat... the plants just go all wilty and you worry they're gonna die, but you shade and water them and they always bounce back (almost always) lol.

Cranberry Hibiscus is delicious, and it puts out beautiful flowers (which make great tea!). They root almost as fast/easy as pothos, so after you harvest a branch and pull the leaves for eating, stick the bare stem in water.. in a couple weeks your scraps will be new plants ready to transplant! I've never tried them from seed, but I have dozens of them growing around my property now thanks to one cheap plant and water propagation.

Finally a RU-vid channel for Central Florida Gardeners. I dont why I didnt search for this sooner. Very informative video amd I will be watching more. I just learned that i need to plant a summer crop to not lose all the nutrients i currently have in my raised bed now. So thank you for the important lesson in that. Question for you, would do you mulch the tops of your raised beds to help retain the mositer jn in them? I mostly do container gardening, but did a raised bed this year. So I never put mulch on top of containers and wonding if there would be a benefit to doing that. Super glad I found your channel getting ready to watch more videos.

Best video ever!!

I had on my list to pick loquats yesterday because they were getting ripe and the tree was full. I went out and there were only 4 left after the squirrels got done with them. They were pretty tasty.

My neighbor's magnolia is about 3 storey high. The root goes into my garden bed (about 30ft away) and suck up all the water and nutrient. The root itself is pretty dense and it will take over the garden bed. Be careful of planting big trees if you want to have a garden

Thanks, I am going to start my melons so hopefully they can establish and grow. My neighbor gave me a little gardenia, I have never seen one before or a jacaranda tree. Those trees are beautiful, I think I want one now.

Great information as always. Thank you. I am finally chopping down my Gardenia bush. Planted it 6 years ago. Leaves were always yellow no matter how much iron i sprayed/fed it with or no matter how much gardenia fertilizer I gave it. It was constantly burdened by white flies or mealy bugs and no amount of lady bugs could overcome these pest. Putting in a fruit tree in its place.

I just order your planner. I can’t wait to get it. I just started a few things you recommended in containers and want to keep track of what I’m doing and when to harvest.

Southern magnolias are my favorite beside hibiscus. Magnolias are beautifil and have amazing history. I was supposed to get tons of yard cleanup done today but it dumped rain on us and still raining. 😑

My garden beds are on hold. I have 2 so far but my husbands sister and brother have moved up here with us so our work is getting them settled in. Love the video.

Down here in Fort Myers I Just pulled out my sandwich tomato plants (full of green tomato) (gave to to several neighbors) so I can plant my canning Tomatoes that are 2' tall fruiting in 10" pots. First beet crop almost ready. Second beet crop looks like yours so I am hopeful they will mature before it gets too hot and I have to water every couple days.

Love these videos! They help me stay thinking ahead which is not my strength 😅 trying to have a better rotation of crops this year so when one is done the next is ready!

Well after 6 years I have failed. I think I've tried everything but I've only been able to grow cherry size tomatoes, and lots of green beans. I keep reinventing my setup to adjust what I'm told works. I'm disappointed in myself. As much as LOVE plant life,when it comes to a veggie garden I fail. I put in a drip line. I'm in the Inverness FL area.

Thank you for your knowledge!

If you can't keep up with those tomatoes and have too many, I know someone who would take them! 😜 Just sayin'.... I'm super impressed with the variety and amount of food you get from your yard!

You're husband is one lucky guy 🙌

Muy buenos resultados

Just got my summer garden planted yesterday and the overnight rain was perfect timing! Can Seminole Pumpkins be planted later than April?

Where do you get your Puerto Rican beans from? Grew up eating them and want to plant it!

The Southern Magnolia Tree is beautiful But it is a pain to clean up the leaves as well as the cones that drop. You have to decide.

Do you know where I can get some of the Puerto Rican black beans you grow?

Where should you plant Seminole pumpkin since they get so big?

I've been thinking about trying peanuts. Do you recommend just buying raw peanuts from the grocery store or buying from another supplier?

My favorite is hibcuis and needs little care

Just was curious about the Puerto Rican black beans and the squash that can tolerate the heat. Do you grow either one of those throughout the summer? I am down in Southwest Florida zone 10. I had just gotten my order in of seeds and don’t know if it’s really too late to plant those? Thanks for your help and advice.

I just found a bunch of white grubs in my raised garden bed by mr radishes. 😢 What can I do to get rid of them?

What can I start in May? North Florida

I REALLY struggle with tomatoes here, thoughts?

I want to decorate my house this fall with pumpkins. We dont eat them but will they produce all the way to September?

Where do you order your Puerto Rican black beans from.

I want to add rosella in my garden? Did you start yours off from seed or a transplant? Where did you find them?

I messed up and forgot to order my wifes asparagus crowns... When is it TOO LATE to get these into the ground? Also does anyone know where i can find Seminole pumpkin seeds or starters? Im in Zephyrhills just north of plant city and Tampa.

Can I grow Asparagus in zone 10A central fl?

Should I uproot my California Wonder bell pepper😬?

6:20

Where can I get seminole pumpkin seeds and everglades tomatoes?

Somehow I ended up with 11 hibiscus in my front and back yards.. i don't know...😅😂