February Garden Planting

It is the end of February and here in Florida I am getting some seedlings and sweet potato slips into the raised beds.

Finally I have filled my long raised bed. This took some real effort. The metal bed is from Vegega and is 17 inches high. It had 12 pieces to assemble and it was a hot day. It actually took me 2 days to put it together, and then it was time to fill. That took many days and a couple of trips to the Yard Shop.

The last push to fill it took 8 bags of purchased soil. I also mixed in some perlite, compost, and fertilizer. At last it was full.

Vegega raised garden bed
Garden bed set up and leveled with cardboard
metal raised bed being filled with dirt
Filling with cut plants, paper, and soil
metal raised bed is filled with dirt.
Filled to the top
light green Vegega raised bed
Sweet potato slips are planted

I’ve had some sweet potato slips growing on my windowsill for a few weeks. I kept finding sweet potatoes buried in the yard that were rooting. They really needed to get into the ground. Our weather is not super hot yet, but I figure the plants are better off in dirt than in water in my house. Also, we have an upcoming camping trip. The goal is to plant things before I leave.

sweet potato slips

Originally, I had planned to order some sweet potato slips. When companies send out the slips, they do not specify when they will come. We have a couple of camping trips coming up and I’m afraid I will not be home when the slips arrive. Also, I found so many potatoes in my yard that were already growing, that I don’t really have room to plant more.

I have one more raised bed to set up. It could take me a while. I’m feeling good that this one is planted and hopefully I will have sweet potatoes to eat in a few months.

Peppers and Eggplant

Both pots of peppers were doing nicely. I have not tried to grow either type before. I planted the seeds for the Sweet Banana and Ubatuba months ago. The seedlings were thinned to 2 in each pot. Have you ever heard that peppers like to touch each other? I remembered this so I left 2 together. I’ve always had a very hard time getting peppers to grow, so I don’t have high hopes for these.

Now they are safely planted into the round metal bed. I had to set up my umbrella because it was very hot and sunny. I’ll let them have sun all day once they are adjusted to their new grow space, or if it cools off a bit. They will definitely need this shade every afternoon during summer.

Seedlings
Seedlings with peppers
peppers planted
4 pepper plants
eggplant seedling in ground
Long purple eggplant
umbrella to shade the garden
Shaded

In Hindsight

I’ve written about growing peppers often. Last year I had many plants that looked great for a while and then suddenly died. One had waterlogged roots, so I knew the cause of that. It made me empty my grow boxes and drill holes for drainage.

The other pepper plants were in fabric bags. I think there is a problem with these bags. First, I moved the plants from one area to another. I suspect the roots were damaged when I did that. Also, fabric bags dry out fast. I’m learning this from emptying them now. Even though I water like mad, there is lots of dry soil in every bag. I plan to write more about this.

Happy gardening! … to those who are lucky enough to be able to do it in February.

garden vegetables divider
Thanks for reading!

Setting Up My Second Metal Raised Garden Bed

My new, long raised bed came from the Vegega company. It is 17 inches high and 8 feet long. This one has been a challenge to set up.

Today, and for days after, I have spent time putting together my Vegega raised garden bed. This is a metal, raised bed that is a long, skinny shape. The size is 8 feet long by 2 feet wide, and 17 inches high.

A while ago I bought a round bed and it was fairly easy and quick to put together. This new, larger bed was not nearly as easy. Having help, or better yet someone young, or a husband, to do it for you, would be ideal!

Vegega long garden bed made of metal.
Pieces of the Vegega are up and loosely screwed together.

The round one went together fast. I did one half of the circle at a time, in the house. Then I assembled the two halves outside. I think I did it all in one day. The long bed took more effort because of it’s size and shape.

What is left to do? There are bars, to act as supports for the sides, that need to be placed. The directions are not great, but it appears they hook over the screws. – Nope, they take the place of the screws. A rubber edging needs to be applied all the way around to shield from sharp edges. I need to make sure it is fairly level, and then begin the filling.

The Beginning

I want my beds ready to plant by March. Time is passing. Not only do they (I have two) have to be set up and filled with dirt, there is prep work.

Each piece is coated. This bed has 12 pieces and the plastic coating needs to be removed from all of them. I did sit on the floor to peel all that coating off. This is almost the worst part. It comes off in one piece nicely, but there is lots of tugging to be done.

Peeling
Every piece is coated
Lots of pulling

It took me 2 partial days to set up this bed, tighten the screws and add the two braces needed for this size. I did a few sections inside the house. I carried the sections out and attached them as I went.

A few days later I added the support bars – of which there are no directions, except where to place them (image). They take the place of the nuts in two sections. After that, I tightened all the 1,000 screws. Just kidding, but seemed like it. The day was quite hot, and my new Vegega is directly in the sun.

It took 7 minutes to put the black edging on (yup I timed it), and there was plenty of it with a bit leftover.

I feel like the round Vegega was a LOT easier to do. It’s smaller, was easier to set up and quicker to finish. I kept waiting for a good sale, but they never had one. Each bed is a different shape. The next one is 4×6 I think. Hopefully it is easy.

Screwing it together took a lot of bending over. I don’t have a real problem bending, but the angle to tighten the screws was awkward. Also, did I mention? It was hot.

A long garden bed needs support bars.
This bed has two cross supports
Vegea bed edging on the top
Leftover edging
Adding the edging

Filling The Raised Bed

I’ve found that the easiest, and cheapest, way to fill a raised bed for planting is to use a variety of things. I want this bed ready to plant by March. I only have a few weeks.

Cardboard boxes are something I save. They have been building up on my porch all summer. It is so hot that we don’t use the porch for much except storage, until the few winter months.

Cardboard works well to level the bed and fill the bottom. It is not there to keep weeds out! Weeds grow from the top, not 17 inches upward from the bottom. It amazes me that everyone puts black plastic under their beds to keep the weeds out! I like something compostable incase whatever I grow needs more root space beyond the depth of the bed. I didn’t do anything to the ground beneath the bed.

Next I added some paper filler that came in some deliveries. On top of that I added pine straw. The local Yard Shop only sells this and not regular straw. It will be flattened once the dirt is added. Pine is acidic, but it will be way down in the bottom and will eventually decompose.

Cuttings from old vegetables, flowers, and shrubs are added next (nothing diseased). Sometimes I have dirt from a box or pot to throw in. I’ll be buying and adding more new dirt, along with fertilizer and homemade compost. I’ll mix the cuttings with all the other dirt to fill this bed. Some Perlite will be added to keep the dirt loose.

Vegega metal raised garden bed

All of this will compost over time. It will break down and become part of the bottom layer of soil.

Mid-February: Still adding dirt, compost and cuttings to this bed. It’s taking a lot to get this thing filled. I still have to buy more dirt. In the end, I will have a nice, big bed for planting.

metal raised bed being filled with dirt

This metal bed is 17 inches tall, so most of what I grow in it will not have roots that deep.

Ideas For Planting in This Raised Bed

I have one idea for summer planting in this new raised bed. I will grow sweet potatoes. Maybe some Holy Basil plants will work next to the edge. Not much else grows in summer. At least nothing I would plant in this bed.

sweet potato sprouts

Next winter I will use this new bed for planting broccoli, onions, and carrots.

Keep Reading

Borage Season is Here

Florida gardeners can easily grow borage. The blue flowers add interest to any garden, and honey bees love them. The plant is short lived as it dislikes the heat.

One of the things I love about a Florida winter is that the Borage will grow. Borage is a fuzzy-leafed, blue-flowering plant. Its leaves make a delicious tea. The little flowers are blue, or sometimes pink, and star-shaped. They can be used in salads and ice cubes.

Saved borage seeds, from last winter, were planted in the yard this Fall. The borage really began to take off in January. Now, in February, it is getting leafy and some of the plants are showing off lots of flowers. The flowers attract honey bees.

(All photos on this page are my own and are not free to use.)

bee on borage flower
borage flowers with bee
borage plant flowering
borage
flowering borage plant
Morning blue flowers

Borage likes the cool weather. It wilts in the sun on hot days. Soon I will be collecting some seeds from the early flowering plants.

At this time of year it can be cold or hot. We had a very cold January, but February has been very warm with temps near 80 during the day (in the sun).

borage plant with lots of leaves
Borage plant
wilting borage in mid-day sun
Borage in sun is wilting
borage leaves rinsed and drying to freeze
Borge leaves drying

I have been picking, rinsing and drying borage leaves to freeze. The plants won’t last once the weather is consistently hot.

cabbage and borage

Borage can be grown among vegetables to keep unwanted pests away. The leaves are very hairy and prickly.

honey bees on borage flowers
Three bees visiting a flowering borage plant.

Borage is a medicinal herb (read more here). I pick the leaves fresh and make tea. The seeds are rather large and are easy to save, if they can be found before dropping from the pod.

The bees are also on the newly flowering red Lantana. I planted this red one and two others (yellow and dark red) last year. This is the only one doing well. The Lantana will still grow and bloom in the heat. When the Borage has gone by, the bees will have other flowers to visit.

bee on red lantana
Lantana

More Garden Stories

My newer posts are from my Florida gardening experiences. Any stories with snow were created when I lived in New Hampshire.

Final Word on Growing Daikon Radish

I’m done growing the Daikon radish. It grew so well in my garden over the winter, but I just can’t handle the taste.

When Fall arrived, I planted some daikon radish seeds. They began to grow right away. After a while, I planted more. I was really hoping I would like them. I tried. I don’t. This is my final word on this vegetable.

Daikon radish growing in garden bed
Daikon radish and new dirt section for planting
Daikon radish seed packet
Seeds planted Sept. and Oct.

They are milder than a regular, small red radish. But they are still radishes. I tried numerous times to eat them in salad, or as a slaw mixed with carrots and sugar.

I would mix up the grated carrots, Daikon, sugar and oil, then let it sit for a while. This slaw mix ended up being okay mixed with greens as a salad. But not great. Honestly, it wasn’t worth my time and effort.

Daikon radish and carrot slaw
Daikon slaw
Daikon radish slaw in jar
It lasts about 3 days.

Now it is almost February. This means Spring planting is right around the corner. It was time to pull up the Daikons to make space for something more edible.

Growing Daikon Radish in Zone 9B

I had great luck growing the Daikon radish in my garden. The first seeds were planted September first. It is still very hot here and they grew. I planted another variety in October. Both types seemed to taste exactly the same, but the Miyashige White grew bigger. I bought the seeds at Annie’s Heirloom Seeds.

Some plants were a bit close together, but I don’t have a lot of space. They grew without any problems, through heat in early Fall, and cold, drought, and rain in January. Figures. All the foods I DON’T LIKE grow super well here. (Okra is on my mind.)

Many radishes became quite large, but others were still small when I pulled them. It is amusing how they push upward out of the dirt.

It might be a fun crop for kids to grow. Be aware that the leaves are a little bit prickly.

Daikon radish growing
Daikon radish growing
very long Daikon radish pulled
A big guy
Daikon radish growing
Daikon radish growing
Daikon radish growing

I began a new compost pile with all the radishes I wouldn’t be eating. Nothing goes to waste. These will break down and provide rich soil to put back into the garden.

Daikon radish plants in compost pile.
New compost pile, and Fontana
New compost pile begun
No waste gardening

I think that the only thing I can say about growing these big radishes is that they help to break up the soil. The roots are very long. Because they are so large, with bunches of greenery, they add goodness to compost. It’s not a good reason to grow them, so I am done.

vegetables divider separator

Ways to Use Garden Greens and Not as Salad

Fresh garden greens can be used in many ways besides making salads. They can also be cooked and added to many dishes for additional flavor and health.

Now that winter has come to Florida, I am growing a variety of greens, and I love it! It’s the best feeling to be able to walk into the backyard and pick my own fresh food.

Let’s first define the “greens”. Obviously, typical salad greens, like arugula, lettuces, and spinach are included. Broccoli and cauliflower leaves, and sweet potato leaves (use in summer) are some others I include.

During winter months I use my Chijimsai spinach and arugula leaves to make salads. Honestly, I do get tired of eating salads.

Fresh green leaves can be added to many dishes and they can even be sautéed. The garden provides greens year round in one form or another. The trick is to have them always available, and not letting them go to waste.

Cook Rice in a Healthy, Green Water

I’ve never been a big rice eater, but lately I’m eating Basmati rice mixed with vegetables. The type of rice does matter, and it has changed my mind. The vegetables may come from the garden, or can be store bought. Either way, a little bit of rice, with loads of vegetables, works well to create a healthy meal.

My Rice With Greens

From the garden I have picked one beet leaf, three small parsley sprigs, one piece of oregano, Chijimisai spinach leaves, arugula, and mustard greens. I’m using what is available right now.

After rinsing everything off, I rolled it up and chopped it finely. The green bits were added to water, along with dried basil, chopped onion and poblano peppers. I let it simmer for 20 minutes and then added the rice.

spinach and green leaves
Greens (and one tomato) from the garden
simmering chopped greens in water
Simmering
white rice cooked in water with fresh greens added
Basmati rice cooked with greens

Once the nutritious rise is made, combine it with just about anything!

When it’s time to thin the carrots, beets, Broccoli, and other edible seedlings, eat those as microgreens!

Fresh Greens For Flavoring Soup

Pick greens fresh, rinse and add whole, or chopped, to any type of soup or stew. Unless the leaves are very large, or a bit tough, like kale and broccoli leaves, throw them into the soup whole.

Garden vegetable soup in mug
Garden Soup Recipe

Omelete Filling

Often I will sauté some greens and use them to fill an omelette.

Farmers Market vegetables and eggs

More Ways to Use Fresh Garden Greens

There are many ways to add your garden grown greens to food. Add to sandwiches, tacos, and any place traditional “lettuce” is used. Iceberg and Romaine can add crunch, but arugula and sorrel will add a flavor punch.

This page at Taste of Home has some nice suggestions for recipes that include all kinds of greens.

If you are not afraid of chopping, fresh greens of all types can be part of a Florida gardener’s meals year round.

New Vegetable Added to My Winter Growing List

Winter vegetables in my Florida backyard garden are mostly doing well. I’ve found that cabbage will be something to add to my planting list.

After gardening for only a few years, I’m still learning what grows best when. We can grow year round, but winter is a good time to grow the things that are normal. Carrots, onions, beets, broccoli and herbs do best in cooler weather. I’ve had success with all of these.

Cabbage

This year I planted a few cabbage seeds. I don’t have a lot of garden space, so I only grew a few. Now I am wishing I planted more! They took a long time to sprout. Once the cool air arrived, the big leaves began to show up. Now they are growing like mad. That is borage you may see amongst the cabbage leaves.

Next winter I will be adding more cabbage to my garden.

Cabbage and a few Borage leaves poking through

Although I had loads of Tatsoi and arugula last year, I’m struggling to grow it this year (photo below). I have been looking forward to having fresh greens, but I only have tiny little plants.

The Urban Harvest sells Tatsoi seeds and I didn’t get mine from them this year. I think they were sold out.

Small Tatsoi in grow box
Tatsoi greens

The Rest of It

Cherry Tomatoes

The Apricot cherry tomato plant is giving me a few tomatoes. I struggle to grow tomatoes so I’ll take what I can get. They are yellow, not red, but yummy.

Tomato plants may grow in summer here, but no tomatoes will form. This plant was begun in late summer from seed. It kept growing, in a fabric bag, and is now full of little tomatoes. I have one more cherry tomato plant I will put into the ground in February.

cherry tomatoes
Apricot cherry tomatoes

Squash and Zucchini

I am not fooled by this tiny squash and flower. Squash (of all kinds) and zucchini don’t amount to anything in my garden … ever. I won’t grow them any more. I threw some leftover seeds in just for fun. That little squash has since died.

flowering squash plant

Seminole Pumpkin Replaces Squash

In my sub-tropical garden, the Seminole pumpkin replaces squash. I love orange vegetables and need them to help my old eyes. The Seminole pumpkin tastes a lot like a butternut squash.

Alas, I had only one to eat this year. That doesn’t mean I will give up. The vines are long, and they trail all over the yard but I don’t get many squash. I will definitely try for more of these this summer.

Seminole pumpkin cut in half
Seminole pumpkin
Seminole pumpkin baking in the oven
Seminole pumpkin cooked
Yum

Loofah or Luffa

Loofah is a crop that is grown in summer here, I think. I planted seeds in summer and they did nothing. So, I took a chance and planted some seeds this Fall. One plant grew and I have one loofah on it. Supposedly, you can eat the young gourds as a replacement for zucchini. It doesn’t sound appealing.

The bees love the big, yellow flowers and it would be fun to have some dried loofah to use. See how to use homegrown loofah in this video. With any luck, I will have seeds from this one. I need a good trellis if I plant more.

Loofah gourd on the vine
Loofah

Healthy Beets, Even If I Only Get Greens

Beets grow very slowly but are worth the effort. They never get very big in my garden, or maybe I am too impatient. I love that I can use the greens as well as the root, so I will keep growing these. They are perfect for planting in a shallow grow box.

golden beets pulled up in garden
Golden beet

Looking Forward to Spring Planting

January has been a pretty cool, gloomy and windy month. We went camping for a few days in the beginning of the month and after that the weather went downhill.

We haven’t had any freezing temps yet, but it’s been dry. While the rest of the country is getting deep freezing temperatures and ice and snow, we are safe with temps in the 40’s for lows here. So far.

As most gardeners do, I am looking into the future and planning my Spring and summer planting. I have two Vegega metal raised beds to assemble. Then they need to be filled. I’ll have to get this done soon so I can plant seeds and seedlings. There is a lot of clean up and planting planning to do.

Florida backyard winter garden view
Winter garden & Skittle the Cat

Meanwhile the seeds I started a few months ago are growing – mostly. I’ll have a few things to put into the beds. First I need to harvest that broccoli.

green divider leaves long