May Garden Guide: The Ultimate Guide to Florida Gardening

[@lillianortiz6456]

Sweet potato leaves are edible. Sautéed with olive oil and garlic, they are delicious.

[@carynsommersdorf2453]

Incredible source of magnesium. I had a CVS pharmacist tell me that years ago.

[@royfulk3255]

Monsoon season didn't happen last year or the year before that . The heat is killing my Seminole pumpkins. I would suggest that everyone plant everything in the shade during the summer in Central Florida Florida this year.

[@dontbea7237]

LOL my kid loves fruit smoothies and Icies

[@lifeoutnumbered]

I'm going to plant sunflowers with my everglades tomatoes to see if they will trellis up the flowers. just as an experiment lol

[@frankbelt633]

I live in North Florida, Tallahassee. Watching and listening to your monthly What To Plant series in Florida is extremely helpful. You have really helped me to become a better Florida gardener. Thanks.

[@marysharpe9025]

Chipley, FL here. My question for you is: "Do you plant with Jacqui or a month behind?"

[@Freedom2025-x2b]

You’re reading my mind as I was beginning to think about and search for what to plant in our area for May.😂❤😊

[@WildFloridian]

Yay! I'm glad I had good timing for you Patricia! :D

[@dontbea7237]

The grow bags I use can be found on tmu for 2 .04$ currently there are 2 ft by 4 ft with eight pockets

[@usmsci]

You can still grow tomatoes in the summer here. Stick to cherry tomatoes like Florida Everglades tomato and any Florida bred F1 hybrid / heat master that are built to take on the heat. If you are still concerned you can buy 30% shade cloth

[@lashandrawest6333]

I absolutely love your videos, I've learned so much!! I'm in polk county, FL so it's so helpful 😊

[@JBurbage]

Polk county also.

[@heidicrist6439]

Would love to see a video about a guide on how you plan switching out crops for the seasons! When are you planning on dropping a 2025 planner?

[@conniecrites5148]

My first year of my loquat tree fruiting and the Squirrels ate every one of them😢😢 I grew it from a seed about 7 years ago.

[@shirlschen]

Hey neighbor, I'm so glad to have found your KZbin channel. Love the content and I have been using your advice on what to grow in Florida. I'm down in South Florida and found your content extremely helpful. Thanks to you, I've got Everglades tomatoes and peppers going wild in my front yard. Hoping to get some beans and other companion plants going. Thank you again for your informative videos. Keep up the good work!

[@shalomtoday]

Summer season cover crop plants to protect and build soil in your garden - sorghum, sorghum sudangrass, cowpeas, and bambara groundnuts.

[@nancytharp8213]

I love growing 🍍 plants. Thanks for sharing 🙏 😎 🏝 🏖

[@WildFloridian]

🙌 Me too Nancy!

[@magdap2868]

Good Morning 😊 Yesterday I visited Florida Native Plants Nursery on Myakka Rd in Sarasota, did not come back empty-handed 😂 That was my 3rd visit - love that place. I had a list of recommendations from your video few weeks ago. Thank you!💖

[@WildFloridian]

Yay! 😁 I’m so happy you are getting native plants

[@justmeinflorida33542]

Good Morning :)

[@WildFloridian]

👋 Good morning ☀️

[@savdutch1388]

Thank you, thank you. You’re a blessing

[@WildFloridian]

Thank you ☺️ You are too kind

[@SouthernLatitudesFL]

Great job Jacqui! Great guide.

[@WildFloridian]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@nancyn.226]

My garden is in semi shade most of the year. I'm I Zone 8 and embrace those pockets of shade! My herbs live in pots and can be moved according to the weather.

[@cheridefries4980]

Great information, as always, Jacqueline ! 🌱🌱 Thank you. On your recommendation, I grew roselle last year for the first time and was surprised how big they got! I tried large bamboo poles to hold them up, but they still bent over. This year using T posts! Love love love the jam they make, I’m so glad I tried them. I bought my seeds from Jerra’s Garden on Etsy. She also has a website. Jerra is a local Orlando gardener and I always have good luck with her seeds.

[@WildFloridian]

Thanks for sharing!

[@juliannegill5486]

Fruit trees - You can prune your fruit trees to keep them small. Any kind!

[@honeybee52000]

Important note: sweet potatoes grow by SLIPS! (The vine). Plant a potato, grow a vine. Plant a vine, grow the tuber roots - aka sweet potato! ♡

[@fanceeist]

So if I put a sweet potato in the ground, will I just get a bunch of vines? Or will I actually get more potatoes once it vines out? Thank you!

[@honeybee52000]

@fanceeist correct. Plant the potato to get the Vines. Snip the Vines and put in soil - - the Vines create roots (tubers), and those are delicious!

[@jcb3393]

​@@fanceeist Watch the Wild Floridian video about growing sweet potatoes.

[@whosthatgirl411]

​@@honeybee52000 😮😮😮😮😮 what!!!!

[@susandrew8977]

We let our mustard flower. Bees like crazy!!!

[@hellsbellspreparedness2722]

Just purchased the book/planner for 2024 and definitely getting a garden going this year. Thank you and love the channel.

[@WildFloridian]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@FrontLineDisciple]

This was a very informative video. Thank you.

[@sarahbhutta251]

As usual your video is packed with information!

[@elmen4809]

I’ve been watching your channel now since last summer. You have taught me so much to gardening in florida. I’m now a proud member of the FNPS=Wilcox discount. Your vine information has been amazing and can’t wait to watch them all grow. I’ve made my own pollinator pathway here in Clearwater!! Thank you and love that Ben. We all need a Ben!!

[@mdannyg]

I'm in Tampa and have a mulberry and have yet to ever actually see the berries turn red because they all get eaten by the squirrels and birds before then. I'm amazed that yours aren't all eaten.

[@debibrown5568]

New subscriber here! Really enjoyed your informative video! So excited I found someone who knows stuff in my zone! Do you have a video on how to prune large mulberry, loquat, starfruit, mango, and ginep trees? - watching from Lake Wales, Florida

[@WildFloridian]

Here's a good one for mulberries kzbin.info/www/bejne/emnYkHmhecSBerM

[@johngault8688]

I agree, herbs don't do good in Florida's summers; however, I'm impressed by the herb, Rue in handling Florida's sun/heat. I have a plant that is still kicking over two years, producing tons of flowers and the Swallowtail uses it as a host plant.

[@davidjslack]

I’ll have to look up Rue.

[@hunterscott2505]

It has a lemon pepper aroma

[@davidlatif7829]

I live in South Florida is the month of May too late to grow Everglade tomato seed.

[@SLK445]

I grow Everglades year round. I am in Stuart and they are heat tolerant. Go for it!

[@davidlatif7829]

@@SLK445 thank you. I live in Port St. Lucie

[@evelyn-y3b]

Looks like you conquered Bell peppers :) Well done !!! Have changed over to seminole pumkin,have some watermelon and trying Tatume squash for the first time.okra,cowpeas,long beans and cover crops :( We had a wonderful wacky cool spring on the spacecoast this year.Then the switch was flipped hot and dry.

[@hbfgoatsWhite-nm6ci]

Great video! Thank you! ❤

[@legauxmc]

So jealous I have tomatoes planted, but being in NW Florida, I waited till good Friday before putting in ground. So still waiting on growth and production

[@marysharpe9025]

NWFL here too! My question for you is: "Did you wait til Good Friday this year 2024 due to it being in March vs April?"

[@ak2fl]

Can you grow frog fruit over a septic drain field? I haven't been able to find how deep their roots grow.

[@WildFloridian]

Yes you can grow them. The roots are fine and shallow…. About 12 inches at most

[@Freedom2025-x2b]

When to plant soft neck garlic here in 9b?

[@ericw1641]

You can eat the sweet potato vine leaves. Treat it just like spinach.

[@grace2you598]

Random.. I just saw this video and wonder what flowers we can eat here?!

[@Jacq892]

Zone 9b, my bananas froze back to shoots. 😢 i probably didnt locate good. Morning oak shade afternoon sun. Next Preparing for seasonal change.

[@dontbea7237]

Hey so I live in Central Florida and I tried to copy David the goods market garden only I did mine in the felt grow bags that are eight pockets each bag is 2 ft x 4 ft and I made multiple rows will the walkway in between like a grid system minus the central of the walkways anyways I hooked up a timer on a drip system I currently have it set to run at 6:00 in the morning and at 6:00 at night for 45 minutes each time is this a good idea

[@JBurbage]

In Polk county, never had a garden, would like to start. Any tips where to start? I saw your planning book,. I did not see a link for it. Thank you for sharing your experience.

[@WildFloridian]

Howdy neighbor! First step is decide on your goals. Veggies, butterflies,etc? My guess is you are a veggie person, so I would use the summer to pick your space, start ordering seeds and materials to build for fall. You can grab the planner at www.wildfloridian.net/planner and I would recommend the bundle with my book which really gives the framework for all types of gardening in Florida. Wishing you the very best!

[@livhonestly]

What about figs, do they grow well in Florida? Thanks in advance ❤

[@foxsquirrelz]

I grow lots of figs in 9A.

[@legauxmc]

I grow fig trees in NW Florida 9A

[@chadsnyder33]

How do you make your mix for your beds?

[@hosoiarchives4858]

Can you grow watermelons and cantaloupes?

[@leahbrigman8068]

With Mothers Day approaching, I'd like to purchase an seasonal growing guide for zone 10 for my mom. Do you have one for sale?

[@WildFloridian]

The Seasonal Garden Guide www.wildfloridian.net/guide is Free. I printed mine at for a few dollars with nice papers. Hope your mom enjoys. Or you can get the full planner which has much more detail at www.wildfloridian.net/planner.

[@lisaturner6297]

Are you by chance near PSL Florida? Your zone explanation LOL sounds very much like my zone 10a - in S FL but not really… kinda zone 😂

[@WildFloridian]

I'm St. Pete, which is 10b and I grew up near Ft. Lauderdale.

[@hannahduh8371]

Sweet potato vines from our neighbor letting them go are choking out our trees and they suck so much..

[@susanamilhem6265]

Hi, I tried getting the planner with the code but there's no place to put it.

[@muriellockhoff9560]

I found a caterpillar in yard is it a good or bad one

[@tangocat4370]

Do you have barbados cherry? Ive had the plant for 3 years and no fruit. My guava grown from seed is finally fruiting though!!!!

[@SilverFoxTalks]

I have both of those planted since last fall. I'm excited to see it grow ❤

[@cheridefries4980]

I had fruit on my Barbados cherry the 2nd year. I just looked at it today and there are 2 fruits, so maybe yours will be coming soon.🤞The birds love them! 😁

[@tangocat4370]

@@cheridefries4980 ugh birds. They ate 90% of my pigeon peas a month ago!

[@TimE-sn1pu]

Just subscribed this is my first attempt at growing dwarf banana I just bought four pups and they are crapping out pretty fast I watered them and transplanted them into other pots and they are immediately drying out and wilting I'm afraid they will die before I can get them optimized into the permanent spot in the ground. Could you give me few pointers on saving them plz??

[@tammybinfl4755]

Hi Jacqueline! Question with Roselle i planted roselle actually month ago i have blooms i think they are getting too much shade but...the calys are small not large like yours. How do i know they are harvestable? They really should not be blooming the area i have some in full sun not blooming. Thank you so much for all your inspirational gardening!!!

[@kvisa82]

Just getting into gardening in swfl, Fort Myers area. Have a few raised beds tk set up. Should I just start with sweet potatoes and seminole pumpkins even though the harvest comes later? I was thinking of using one bed for strictly pollinator flowers.

[@Miwako_vklolita]

central florida here. im adding the cattle trellis :) it feels so weird to me because its so huge and its something i have never done before. its starting to look a bit more pro hahah i saw that you have a cargo cart. im considering since my back is always hurt with the classic wheelbarrow. i do wonder if it can pass tru small corners easily. i made my spacing 2-3 feet in most areas >_

[@DorotheeRobinson-jh9fi]

Hi im in fort myers and i have my gardenia for many years now. But never flower and the leaves are yellow all the time. What do I need to do please I meed help with it

[@JimmyFloridatube]

Dragon fruit looks really amazing, but I don't care for the taste. Make sure you like Dragon fruit before you bother to grow it. Star fruit is also not anything I would bother to grow. I love passion fruit and Guava. I love the Mulberry. I have two ever-bearing and two Red Mulberry.

[@ErikaaMartinez]

Really random question. I’m planning on planting native plants at my parents house this summer and I’ve noticed there are a lot more rabbits around bc of developments, are there any plants that might be helpful for them?

[@captainandrewcrabtree]

What does it mean when people say beans are nitrogen fixers? I grow alot of bush beans in containers and don't exactly know what that means... thank you!

[@timmcquerry6068]

Beans, legumes, peas,peanuts, draw nitrogen from the air&"fix it "in the soil.

[@BobbiInBrooklyn]

so i mostly do native plants but you have tempted me into veggies! i bought a Purple Cherokee today at a native nursery on the 50% off table. it's about 1' tall. i'm Zone 10B St Pete. i up-planted it to a 3G pot. Am i too late to the game for tomatoes this year? is that why it was on sale? thanks!

[@juliannegill5486]

If you can put in a partial shade area that doesn't get the afternoon sun, you can still grow it. It's all about your garden's microclimate. If you don't have that type of area, you can always create shade for it.

[@PennAHY]

My seminoles finally died off after re rooting and growing several times. I got one pumpkin 😢 and it didnt even make it to full growth. Everyone before that rotted and dropped off for some reason (does anyone know why?). The dogs probably kept stepping on the vines and the. The hubby finished it off with a weedwacker by accident. I dont know if i should even try again.

[@WildFloridian]

Sounds like there was a lot of traffic on that pumpkin. If you try again maybe try running it up a trellis or pick a spot with less feet. Those would be my thoughts. ☺️ Hope that helps

[@dolphikhan]

hi i planted 4 gardenias and they all died with kinda burnt leaves and dried. i live in tampa florida and i planted them in full sun. is there anything i am doing wrong or am i buying wrong gardenia variety. i tried all lowes gardenia and costco gardenia with zero luck

[@merryrobertson4854]

Just had a curiosity, do you follow planting by the moon? Me and my husband go round about this, but I do not not sure if it makes a difference. He swears by it just to get your thoughts.

[@heathermartin2878]

I did want to suggest getting a fruit from a friend or neighbor. The exotic fruit in the stores don't give a good representation of the fruit off the tree.

[@WildFloridian]

Great tip!

[@roserose45]

Gardening in jeans is bizarre to me. Are u in north Florida where it's colder?

[@WildFloridian]

Nope. I live in zone 10b, St. Petersburg and I grew up near Ft. Lauderdale. I worked about 15 years in a factory with no air conditioning. I'm used to working for 10+ hour days in heat with jeans on.

[@debibrown5568]

New subscriber here! Finally found someone in my Florida zone area! .Going to order the planner. Do you have videos on how to prune mulberry, Starfruit, mango, loquat, and ginep trees so I don’t mess up their fruiting? - watching from Lake Wales, Florida

[@debbiebaker93]

First time growing sweet potatoes and 2 of my plants have been eaten by something.What could that possibly be?

[@leahbarco6230]

Rabbits eat mine down to the ground if I don’t protect them

[@2021-j2d]

@@leahbarco6230how do you “protect” your sweet potatoes from the rabbits?

[@leahbarco6230]

Put some kind of protection around them till they can get big enough to handle some bunny nibbles. I have used chicken wire or rabbit cage wire zip tied into a tube and slightly buried in the ground to create a fence around them. I have seen people use mesh trash can. Whatever you can rig up.

[@memartin2188]

What kind of pumpkins are grown specifically for eating the seeds and can we grow them in Florida? I'm up in the Panhandle in zone 9a.

[@honeybee52000]

All! If you're trellising, be sure to sure VERY strong trellises!

[@donnaquillen3375]

Sweet potatoes are not that easy.