Seeding the Garden

A garden bed with string marking rows for even planting. Credit: T. Jones, UF/IFAS

Growing your own Florida vegetable garden can be a rewarding experience with a little planning. This 5-page publication of the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department presents an overview of proper seed selection and planting. It also provides best management practices, as well as relevant terms and methods, for seeding vegetables in home and community gardens. Written by Danielle Treadwell, David Outerbridge, Tabitha Petri, and James M. Stephens.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh026

Soil Preparation And Liming for Vegetable Gardens

Driving A Shovel Into The Garden SoilProbably the most physical part of vegetable gardening is preparing the soil for planting. In large gardens, mechanical equipment, such as rototillers or tractor-drawn plows, often is necessary, and it may be practical to rent such equipment or hire someone. However, in smaller gardens, the task can be accomplished with a spade, spading fork, or shovel. Much depends on the type of roots and vegetation that must be removed.This 2-page fact sheet was written by James M. Stephens and Guodong Liu, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, June 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh024

Organic Vegetable Gardening in Florida

Healthy Lifestyle: Mother Helping Daughter Little Girl Pick Homegrown VegetablesThis 16-page fact sheet is meant to be a companion to the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide. It is intended for the home gardener who prefers to use natural and organic materials as well as methods that are compatible with the philosophy of organic gardening. was written by Danielle D. Treadwell, Sydney Park Brown, James Stephens, and Susan Webb, and published by the UF Department of Horticultural Sciences, June 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1215

SP103/VH021 Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide

Revised! SP-103, a 12-page fact sheet by J.M. Stephens, Sydney Park Brown, Danielle Treadwell, Susan Webb, Amanda Gevens, R.A. Dunn, G. Kidder, D. Short, and G.W. Simone, provides research-based recommendations appropriate for home gardens. It covers planning, soil preparation, compost and fertilizing, irrigation and drainage, and pest management with and without pesticides. Includes tables with fertilizer and insectic control recommendations, a planting guide with planting dates and spacing information, and a table of varieties recommended for Florida gardens. Published by the UF Horticultural Sciences Department, February 2009.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VH021