August is time for many Florida gardeners to start planting seeds for the fall garden. This video lists what each region of Florida can plant in August. Generally, North Florida is considered the region north of State Rd. 40, South Florida is south of State Rd. 70, and Central Florida is the region in between.
For major pest infestations the following can be used:
Organic Pest Control Methods:
1) Spray Insecticidal Soap directly on the the bugs (I do this late in the day and rinse off the next morning so the sun doesn't burn the plants). Do repeated treatments every few weeks until they are gone. For a homemade soapy water spray, I mix up some castile soap with water and neem oil (I do 1 tsp of Dr. Bronner Soap + 1 tsp Neem Oil to a quart of water in a spray bottle, per the instructions on the neem oil bottle, but there are many recipes online for homemade insecticidal soap that would probably work just as well).
Alternately, you could buy a pre-mixed Insecticidal Soap.
These are the brands I have used, but I'm sure there are plenty of other good ones:
Pre-mixed Insecticidal Soap: amzn.to/36YZPBq
Dr. Bronner's Soap: amzn.to/3JOD3uq
Neem Oil: amzn.to/36VG1P1
2) For Caterpillars/Worms I use the organic products Spinosad and/or "Bt" (Bacillus Thuringiensis). I only use them for severe infestations that can't be controlled by routine hand picking. I spray it in the evening when bees are not active and only spray it on the affected plants. These are the ones I have used, but there are other brands that would also work (Note that these are concentrates, meant to be mixed with water following the instructions on the label): Spinosad: amzn.to/3IOmzRw
Bt: amzn.to/3uI9uV4
Shade Cloth (I use between 30% and 40% shade cloth): amzn.to/3C2z35a
Here are links for many of the products I use in my vegetable garden. Note that a lot of these items, like the fertilizers and the trays/saucers, have gotten much more expensive lately (like everything else). I shop around to find the best prices on the items and if I can't find something at a reasonable price then I will just do without or find a substitute):
7 Gallon Grow Bags: amzn.to/2XaJ1mp
5 Gallon Grow Bags: amzn.to/3ht2wNP
10 Gallon Grow Bags: amzn.to/3k4WpkB
14 Inch Diameter Grow Bag Trays/Saucers: amzn.to/3tAkzqc
16 Inch Diameter Grow Bag Trays/Saucers: amzn.to/3AiP724
Sustane Organic Fertilizer (4-6-4) 20 lb Bag: amzn.to/3lztPHJ
or
Jobe’s Organic Fertilizer (4-4-4): amzn.to/3EdxeV2
or
Espoma Organic Fertilizer (3-4-4): amzn.to/3EbvJ9P
For Berries: Espoma Berry-tone Organic Fertilizer (4-3-4): amzn.to/3jlD8dA
In addition to the above fertilizers I occasionally use these seaweed and fish fertilizers to give my plants a boost of nutrients. I also use some of the seaweed fertilizer (half-strength) on my seedlings right after I transplant them (Note: I don’t use fertilizers with fish in them for seedlings):
Maxicrop Seaweed Fertilizer (Powder): amzn.to/3uWO9ak
Maxicrop Seaweed Fertilizer (Liquid): amzn.to/37uA0JJ
Neptune's Harvest Tomato & Veg Fertilizer 2-4-2 (Note: this formula is best for first few weeks of plant growth, as it encourages lots of green leafy growth. For fruiting/flowering plants, I switch to the Rose & Flowering formula after the first few weeks. Also, this contains fish and the smell attracts animals, which will dig up the plants trying to find the source of the fish smell, so I use it early in day and water it in just before dark to minimize the smell). amzn.to/3r8OJ40 Neptune's Harvest Rose & Flowering Formula 2-6-4 (Note: this formula is best for later stages of plant growth to encourage more flowers and fruit to grow. This formula also contains fish so everything I said above about attracting animals applies to this formula too). amzn.to/3KqBino
The Following Organic Soil Amendments Add Trace Minerals To The Soil.
Green Sand (Organic Soil Amendment Adds Trace Minerals): amzn.to/3z5uG7B
Kelp Meal (Organic Soil Amendment Adds Trace Minerals): amzn.to/3tz2lFH
Dolomite Lime: amzn.to/3CbclIl
Row Cover (A multipurpose plant covering that can protect plants from insects, provide some cold protection in winter, and can also provide a small amount of shade): amzn.to/3nreXh5
Drip Irrigation: amzn.to/3uzbhuV
Self-Watering Grow Boxes:
Patio Pickers: amzn.to/3vrhHhW
Earthbox: amzn.to/39VfsaX
31 июл 2022
