Landscapes, Gardens & More in the Florida Panhandle

FEBRUARY 2019

Here we are starting the second month in 2019 and it has been four months since Michael. Although many of us are still working on damage from the hurricane, we must start considering the spring garden and what must be done to our landscapes.

It is time to prepare the garden area whether in the ground or up in the raised beds. If you are working in the ground, a soil test will be beneficial. Check with your county agent for a kit. It is always a good idea to amend your soil with a media such as mushroom compost. If you have sandy soil the compost will help you retain moisture and in turn the fertilizer will remain in the root zone longer. On other soils the organic matter in the compost will help. Extremely tight soils may also need sand added to increase drainage. When you get your soil test back, the county agents office will be able to help you with understanding it. The soil test will also tell you what fertilizer should be added to the soil and in what quantities.

Some of the vegetable plants that can be planted now are; Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, cauliflower, collards, sweet corn, kale, lettuce, mustard, turnips and Irish potatoes. Remember it is important to plant what you like to eat and sometimes things that the neighbors might enjoy.

Moving on to your raised beds, it is time to get them ready. Check the media that you are growing in. It is advisable to change some of the media each year. By adding new material, you can correct drainage problems along with providing missing minor elements that have been leached out. You can also add about one pound of minor elements per 32 square feet of raised beds. Always use a complete fertilizer in these beds because the media allows the fertilizer to leach out through the drainage from watering.

Don’t forget that we are here at Maphis Nursery and Tree Farm to help. 850-638-8243, www.maphistreefarm.com located at 1534 Orange Hill Rd, Chipley, Fl.