Spring has Sprung: A Tour of My Florida Vegetable Garden

[@TW-gb6mh]

I grew okra last year just to have something grow during the summer. I figured at the very least i could add the plants to my sad compost pile. I had never cared for okra. Oh my goodness, I was surprised. Pick them when they are the size of your thumb. Cut them in half lengthwise, add montreal steak seasoning and olive oil in a skillet, and put them in cut side down. The first time i did this, they carmelized, and the family really liked them!

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Thank you so much! This is awesome. I will do that and let you know how it goes.

[@user-hz7kv6js6l]

My broccoli sprouts were as big as yours back in March, and they started bolting, so I ended up pulling them out. I think I need to get my cool weather plants in earlier next fall along with my squashes and cucumbers. They have just surcomed to the heat so earlier this year. I still have an amazing salad garden bed that I have been harvesting all my salad greens and tomatoes from since December. When all else fails, there is always salad, which I never get sick of eating. 😊 Thanks for the garden tour. I love all your fruit trees.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Thanks so much! Broccoli is a tough one. I usually just grow it during winter but thought I would give a heat tolerant variety a go.

[@Agribuzz]

You miss to show us your swimming pool ❤

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Haha. I missed that! It’s a crucial garden tool this time of year since it’s so hot 🥵

[@theresawhightsel7163]

Okra grows great all summer I'm in tarpon springs fla

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Howdy neighbor!

[@nauticalnads]

Those Lubber grasshoppers are invading my garden! They are swiftly eliminated with my flip flop 😂

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

🤣🤣🤣 My flip flop gets a work out this time of year.

[@121homestead9]

If any survive to adulthood, I catch them with a butterfly net….then my shoe…chickens refuse to eat them

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

@@121homestead9 stomp stomp!

[@Bloomingwiththegarden]

Love how the garden is looking 💚🌸💚🌼💚

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Thank you so much 💚

[@Plant_grow_propagate]

I’m growing okra here as well, and gurl it’s the best. I have one about every other day between the 4 I’m growing. I truly hope you enjoy it.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

It sounds like I will. Can’t wait!

[@sonnyamoran7383]

I have 45 or 50 okrie plants this year. Not producing yet, but hold on, summers is just around the corner. We love okrie!!

[@sonnyamoran7383]

And yep, it's okrie. True southern veggie.

[@sndymny3]

Okra is delicious pickled whole....😊

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

I’ll have to try that!

[@rosalynjohnson7414]

Crimson grows wonderful here in Florida!

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

It’s quickly becoming my favorite variety!

[@sandramorton5510]

You have a lot going, great to see for I have some of the same. Okra is one of my favs, hope you enjoy.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Me too! I hope I like them fresh

[@oreopaksun2512]

Garden looks fantastic! I can't wait to see your watermelon tasting video. That moon and stars? That is such a pretty plant, I will have to sneak it into my front yard, and see what my HOA spies make of it: "Oh, that? That's a moon and stars vine, pretty, isn't it?"😂Thanks for a wonderful visit to your garden. Get those jerk lubbers! They must die!

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

🤣🤣🤣 Love it! Trick those HOAs! And I did get the little jerks (lubbers) 😡 but they are getting hip to it and hiding from me now

[@KEENDARLING]

Oh wow I have one of those Waltham butternut in my beds I don't think I bought the seeds so maybe I got a seed mix I love it and they're still growing! Some have had the bloom rot but some or big I've been asking people what this was so thanks You answered my question!

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Very cool! Enjoy the harvest 💚

[@Fl-Mamabear]

I'm glad to see your tour because I'm still trying to figure out what all I can grow here in Orlando.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Check out my monthly video. It has everything to start each month for Florida. Let me know what you think 💚

[@floridaglitz]

Sitting by the pool with a cocktail...watching you ❤ i just love our gardens! Yay!

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

That sounds so relaxing! I love our gardens too 💚🪴👩‍🌾

[@JenicaFahey-we5ib]

Yay garden tour! Only can be truly appreciated by a fellow gardener. I loved it. Your garden has such a beautiful variety of plants. Okra is fun. Mine started producing about 2 wks ago. If you like texture, it’s the bomb. It’s SO crunchy and fun to eat. I try to hold off and eat mine with lunch. But usually it’s part of breakfast bcuz I can’t wait for that fresh crunch. Great video. Keep them coming!

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

I can’t wait to try it fresh. Hopefully they do well so I can give them a taste. 💚

[@lmphashby]

I'm growing 4 tomatillio this summer

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

I have 3 plants going!

[@CristalMermaid]

Your garden looks amazing! I am growing sugar baby melon because I don’t have a lot of space, I am also growing cantaloupe and two mysterious squashes that popped up in my yard. Wish me luck.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

I have a mystery squash too. Compost volunteer. Good luck 🍀

[@121homestead9]

Open spots suggestions…Jerusalem artichokes, sunflowers, Swiss chard, turmeric…all do amazing in 9A during the summer

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

The artichokes and ginger sound interesting. I’ll look into that

[@121homestead9]

@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a keep in mind that sunchokes will come back the following year if you didn’t pull all of them. But for me, I leave them in the ground until I am ready to use them and still plant brassicas on top as winter crops. When the soil gets warmed enough, they come back.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

@@121homestead9 that’s a great idea. Do they taste like regular artichokes?

[@121homestead9]

@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a it’s a tuber, flavor a little more delicate than artichoke hearts, great mashed, roasted, or my favorite as chips. Great health benefits plus I always have one bed that I don’t have to worry about in the summer. Plus it is part of the sunflower family thus helping soil health

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

That sounds right up my alley. Thank you!

[@oreopaksun2512]

Empty spot possibilities for hot weather: ginger or turmeric (long crops, but check on tropical look), seseme from the UH seed pack (tall), lemongrass, taro (again, tropical: the small variety, called eddo by some cultures, seem to go in 6 month cycles in my Tampa yard and only 12-18" tall, bigger roots will go way longer and can be taller than us).

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Great suggestions!

[@davidjslack]

Enjoyed the tour. Suggestion for your garden to table cooking episode: do cook off of fried green tomatoes and include a tomatillo as the dark horse.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Ooh I love that idea!

[@Jacq892]

Great tour, cool garden! I killed 2 lubers yesterday, I didn't know what they were called. I've bought my first cranberry hibiscus today. I had no luck with any blueberries. All died.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

I’m still holding out hope for my blueberries. I’m not usually into fussy plants but we really love blueberries so I’m hanging in there with them.

[@janicemoyer854]

Well i was gonna suggest Egyptian spinach for those bare spots 😂. I got seeds from elise and from my understanding they gonna be like 4ft tall?? At least thats what I thought she said. This old lady’s memory isn’t the best. I’m working on that with my lemon balm tea. 😅 Your mulberries look great! I wonder why mine are pea size. One tree produces the other not at all so i did what your wild Floridian friend suggests and stripped its leaves to see if that will do the trick. I’m jealous of those pickling cucumbers! Thank you for sharing. ❤

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

It’s going to be quite entertaining when my Egyptian spinach is taller than my greenstalk 🤣 I totally forgot about the size. I’ll have to prune it a lot. Have you fed your mulberry trees recently? Whenever my trees are getting close to fruiting, I feed them with a heavy hand.

[@janicemoyer854]

@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a they get their feedings and a lot of love cuz the granddaughters fight over what it does produce. 😄 They are so delicious!

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

@@janicemoyer854 they really are pretty amazing. Once their production increases, I might remove my blackberry bushes.

[@cheridefries4980]

Your garden looks so awesome! Is it too late to plant seeds for Waltham squash and star watermelon? I’d like to try them here in Orlando 9b. Thank you for your wonderful tour and tips! 🌱💕

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Unfortunately it is too late to start from seed but you might be able to get away with some big transplants from a nursery.

[@dnvsmith5760]

Seminole pumpkins for your open spot

[@dnvsmith5760]

I see you already have a seminole pumpkin, by your palm.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Yes, I’m trying that out to see if works out. Fingers crossed 🤞

[@samlc69]

Another great video, your garden looks amazing!! 💚🌱

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Thank you so much 💚

[@tammystoddard2830]

The best Sugar Baby melons I ever harvested was in October

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Interesting. When did you start them?

[@tammystoddard2830]

July

[@liamthompson9090]

Thanks for showing us how things are growing. I'm glad that the watermelon is working out for you. I've never had any trouble growing them Watermelon was one of the many crops my parents used to grow in their gardens every summer in Nebraska. I learned by helping them. They were very successful gardeners. One day, you may have excess produce. Check out the fruit and vegetable stands in your locale. You may wish to sell your excess. Happy gardening!

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

I’m really hoping I get them right this year. Fingers crossed 🤞.

[@lisafahrner8257]

I have the green sticks. My tomatoes are falling over🥲

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Yeah, mine are definitely leaning pretty good.

[@sonnyamoran7383]

Aren't you going to keep the peach yrees small? David the Good has a great video on pruning to keep fruit trees manageable.

[@liamthompson9090]

Yes, eventually, she will need to train all of her trees. The peach tree will need it soon.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

I did a heavy prune this year because I neglected to do it the years before so I focused on the leader and the old wood. I did do a little bit on top but not much. My plan is to do an additional prune after I harvest them, as long as there isn’t any rain in the forecast. But yes, peachy is about as big as I want her so she needs a haircut.

[@sonnyamoran7383]

It will definitely cut down on production, but what good is fruit if you can't get to it?

[@liamthompson9090]

I figured that you were waiting until you harvested the 🍑. That's what I would do, too. I know that you don't want to harm peach production, bc this is your first real opportunity to harvest them. Btw, I like my peach pie a la mode ...

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

@@sonnyamoran7383 exactly!

[@lisafahrner8257]

Can you share your recipe you make from your garden?

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Is there a specific recipe you are interested in?

[@Huy0035]

That barbados needs more room to grow. Mine grows like a weed.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Mine has been so slow growing. It’s strange because it seems so different than what others experience

[@Huy0035]

@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a Im zone 10a. It is in a 27inch container by the pool enclosure. so it gets slightly filtered light most of the time, but still all day sun. I have to give it a hard hair cut twice a year or it wants to take over. Very easy to grow though.

[@halloweenlady4073]

I could not get my watermelon to stop. I planted maybe 6 and they took over the whole side yard and up the fence! I also picked too soon or too late an they cracked in the sun. Melons are a pain.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Haha 😂 Yes, that has been my experience too but I’m determined

[@rosalynjohnson7414]

Also to much rain,will split a watermelon!

[@halloweenlady4073]

@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a I think we are the same zone. I am just south of Daytona Beach.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

@@halloweenlady4073 I’m in zone 9a on the other coast just north of Tampa

[@lisafahrner8257]

I’m in SW Florida. What part of Florida are you in?

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

I’m about an hour north of Tampa.

[@lisafahrner8257]

@@HomegrownFloridaZ9a awesome. I’m growing a lot of things I’ve never grown before.

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

@@lisafahrner8257 There are a lot of really cool and different things we can grow down here.

[@121homestead9]

Pick the okra young…

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

Will do!

[@lmphashby]

I planted 4 okra plants last summer and I didn't see a difference in taste. In my opinion they have ZERO taste. I gave them all away and pulled the plant. Never in my garden again!

[@HomegrownFloridaZ9a]

That’s what I’m afraid of