Experimenting in September With Vegetable Seed Planting

I live in east, Central Florida, which is growing zone 9b. It is September, and I have planted a few different vegetable seeds as a trial. I don’t know if the weather is too hot for them. Last year I waited until October. So far, I have seen some nice sprouting.

Here’s a list of the seeds I have planted, and where they were planted (in ground or pots). They are all growing, but some look better than others.

• Daikon radish – these seeds were put into the ground.
• Cucumber – first set of seeds didn’t do much, so I’ve planted more from a newer packet. (in ground)
• Carrots – in fabric bag
• Texas Grano onions – will probably have to re-plant in October (grow box)
• Shallots – barrel raised bed
• Seminole pumpkin – edge of Vegega to hang over the side.
• Golden beets (fingers crossed these do well) – in grow box.
• Tomatoes – cherry and Mortgage Lifter (normal size) – both in fabric pots

The summer months have been unusually dry. Now, we are getting lots of rain. I only hope it won’t be too much for my seedlings.

This time, I purchased multiple seed packets from my favorite online places. That way I can experiment and see if things will grow this early without really losing much. I have a lot more seeds, which I will plant in October.

My favorite places to buy seeds are SESE (Southern Exposure Seed Exchange), The Urban Harvest, and Annie’s Heirloom Seeds.

The beds are not completely ready, even though I have tried to be organized. My usual problem is a lack of dirt and compost. I buy and buy, but it gets used up so quickly. I still have time, because some of the seeds I planted did not do well. The Tatsoi, arugula, and broccoli will need to be planted again in October.

Each of my square grow boxes needs an overhaul. This means digging out all the dirt, drilling holes in the bottom and re-filling. I’ve done about half, but have three, or four boxes left.

Grow Box Refurbishing

The grow boxes I purchased have a drainage panel near the bottom. They also have a tube that reaches up through the dirt where watering is supposed to happen. The idea is to fill the bottom with water so it can be pulled up by the roots of the growing plant. There are side vents for water overflow. (When you tip the box and no water comes out, it could be because the bottom is full of dirt.)

The idea is good, but flawed. Seeds need moisture and must be watered from the top in this big box. It is unavoidable that dirt will sift through those drain holes. If roots get long, they can clog the base also. Even if you keep the drain system in place, cleaning out the entire box is advised. (Raccoons actually pulled up one of my drain pipes, and it can’t be put back without emptying the box.)

The boxes are still very nice and sturdy. They come with wheels, which is really helpful if the box is on a deck or patio. I will continue to use them, but without the drain panel. Instead, I am drilling holes into the bottom of the box itself.

Last April, one sweet potato slip was planted into a grow box. It grew like mad and gave me some funny looking sweet potatoes. There was not enough depth, but I was desperate for space when I planted it. Once I began digging out the sweet potatoes, I realized that dirt had filled up the water reservoir – and I found a few small sweet potatoes down there as well!

Now I am going through all my grow boxes to empty the dirt, remove that screen, drill holes in the box, and re-filling for planting.

Filling the Grow Box

Any time a grow box or fabric pot needs filling, a combination of products is needed. First, drainage should be addressed. For the box, I used a thick layer of pine straw (literally long pine needles) in the bottom. Then, I added some granite stones. After that I mixed potting soil, compost, and perlite, along with some bone meal to create a good growing compound.

The new idea I had, was to put a layer of coconut coir on top of the dirt before I plant the seeds.

One last suggestion is to add earth worms! I have them in all my boxes, raised beds and fabric bags. I found them in the yard and gave them a new home. They tend to multiply and make the dirt loose and fabulous!

Problems Planting in the Ground

I’d love to have rows and rows of vegetables growing, but I don’t have the space. Also, I have overnight visitors (raccoons and armadillos) who continually dig up the ground. Each morning I check on things, and usually there are numerous holes randomly dug all over the garden.

In order to resolve this problem, I will need to buy more raised beds. I’m hoping for a winter sale because they are expensive. It will be too late to use the beds for this year, but I can work on getting them ready for next fall. Filling those beds takes time.

Amazon Links to Some of the Products I Use

I am an Amazon affiliate, which means these links can provide a small income to me if someone clicks the link and makes a purchase. It does not affect the price of the item.

• Grow boxes. If you have read this page you will see that I decided to not use that drain. It works well for a while, but the dirt eventually clogs up that space, and there is no drainage after that. Without proper drainage, plants will die.
• Perlite, organic – loosens the soil, and is especially beneficial when beginning with new dirt. Once the dirt becomes really good – from compost, previous roots, and amendments – it should be naturally loose.
• Bone meal, organic – helps growing plants create strong roots.
• Coconut Coir, organic – good for water retention and starting seeds. It does not clump together, so used by itself, not good for transplanting seedlings. Mix with potting soil, or use on top of dirt to start seeds (see my photos above).
• Garden plant tags – I have purchased two packs of these tags and they are great! The raccoons have not pulled them up. The writing stays. Just what I needed for seed planting.

Are you growing anything in September? Have you begun your Fall growing? It is the best time of year to grow in my area, but I may be starting a little too soon. What do you think?

More about my garden journey