Why is it SO HARD to Garden in North Florida? (And How To Make it Work)

Gardening in Florida isn't always the tropical paradise you might expect. Today I share answers for a homesteader trying to grow food in North Florida.
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[@davidthegood]

You can succeed in Florida sand, despite 100 degree temps in summer and hard freezes in winter. It just takes the right knowledge. Florida Survival Gardening: amzn.to/3NchEil Totally Crazy Easy Florida Gardening: amzn.to/3Nau2zm The Huge 2nd edition of Create your Own Florida Food Forest: amzn.to/3Rs08ZY The South Florida Gardening Survival Guide: amzn.to/3uNkZOE Subscribe to the newsletter: thesurvivalgardener.us3.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=d1c57e318ab24156698c41249&id=1f74a21dc8 Thank you for watching!

[@timprice7935]

I started a food forest at my house in sw florida I brought in dirt to replace my really my soil my yard was full of what they call suger sand down here been working on my food forest for 3 years now

[@davidwelty9763]

I live in the Ocala horse country. I bought 3.5 acres and it was all sand. I have a neighbor who has 16 horses dump all of his manure and stable shavings onto my property. I covered almost all of my property with a foot of this composted manure. I regularly re-apply yearly. 5 years later my property is a paradise. I can did down 3 feet and I have earthworms and grubs, the sand is pretty much gone. I have 20 fruit trees, Loquats, figs, peaches, avocados, and low chill apples, blueberries and blackberries and all of them are doing excellent. Also my neighbor does not have to pay to have his manure hauled to a landfill. I have never had a problem with herbicides in manure but I do not mix the manure into the soil, I only place it on top of the soil.

[@BatYAH2015]

I live in Costa Rica and my acre is mainly red clay. After 12 years most of it improved by planting young trees in big spaces of well composted soil. So they can root strongly before having to dig through the clay. I've managed to grow 40 different types of fruits and vegetables. Most people here told me its impossible. Many give up within 5 years. But i just kept on going and simply replanted whatever died. Don't give up. It's so rewarding to eat that first avocado after 10 years or drink that first cacao of cup of coffee grown by yourself.

[@Vixxiegurl]

Well its Costa Rica, I just had to plop a bean from the grocery store and it would be a tree in less than 5 years! Now living in Houston, TX I have no sympathy which is where NOTHING grows like he describes.

[@ContactsNfilters]

Thank you. I feel like I'm making such slow progress in West Texas with our calche filled red clay dirt, but it's good to hear your success story.

[@charlesdevier8203]

Many people could benefit from contacting their local university extension department. It's "free" information and advice. In addition, a soil test is necessary.

[@jamesdagmond]

The hardest part for me in central Florida was figuring out when to plant. Seed packets will say the craziest times to plant for Florida. They'll tell you to plant something in April that should be in the ground at the end of February.

[@davidthegood]

Totally

[@inchristalone25]

Wild Floridian has a planner that tells you what you can plant for each month in central and southern florida.

[@Rainoutreachtv]

Best thing I picked up from bigger farmers is multiple plantings maybe even some early if you have extra seeds to spare. And save seeds to grow. and grow them year after year

[@WinterSoldier7207]

For real, it's at the point where we just experiment at home. Chamomile and Carrots planted in November, doing good so far.

[@balfourwheatley6644]

Climate change

[@jaytoney3007]

I lived in Fort Walton Beach for 21 years. Gardening can be done, but it is going to take inginuity. The soil is crap, forget about trying to ammend it. You are going to need three things, decent soil, ventilation, and afternoon shade during the summer months. I suggest a high tunnel with sides that can be raised for ventilation. spring through fall. Fifty percent shade cloth is essential to shade the plantsl, and last is top soil, ammend it with peatmoss, compost, and fertilize. Use either containers, raised beds , or a mix of both. I have a similar situation where I live in Sylacauga, Al, but the soil is red clay, unworkable without a tractor, and alkaline. I do a mix of raised bed and container gardening with 14 raised beds, 3 GreenStalks, 18 growbags, and a 10 x 20 ft in ground herb garden. Like weeds, herbs will grow anywhere, and thrive.

[@priscillahudson3625]

Yep! Lifetime gardener in the panhandle. It’s tough. We just got changed from 8b to 9. Too hot, too buggy, add in hard cold snaps, soil that needs to be amended and it’s definitely work! Now through about March is as close to ideal as we get, with a lot of ups and downs. Summer? Find an indoor hobby! 🤷‍♀️🥵

[@k.p.1139]

Thanks, David. Today's buzz words in the YT gardening world is "chop and drop". My Pappy always said, i'm plowing it in! He grew lots of food, but, never had a compost bin. Scraps went right out in the garden. It's HOT, as you know..they got cooked off in the blistering dirt pretty fast. 🥵🥵 Plus, he watered from the lake, so that was probably his biggest garden boost! Either way, it is HARD to grow here, but doable.

[@GwenHarper498]

Been struggling for 3 yrs on our Panhandle homestead. I will continue to keep working at it! Will especially try all your tips. Thank you

[@edbradley6815]

I’ve been running a professional garden for seven years in New Orleans. Aside from feeding and pH all the other rules seem to be out the window. 😫😖🤪

[@tommyluck19]

Hey,Gwen! What part of the Panhandle You guys live? we are in Molino, close to the Alabama border

[@sweatt4237]

Try wicking beds.

[@tw5016]

@@tommyluck19 We live in Molino too! If you garden, what plants have done well for you? We grew cucumbers. They did well, until the stink bugs started infesting them.

[@PsychicIsaacs]

I garden in North Central Victoria, Australia. It's Zone 9B with clay/granite soils and I have struggled for years to garden here. 10 years later, I think I have the answer... Hardy Pioneer Species such as Prickly Pears, Chollas and Yuccas, and also Agave americana provide shade from the intense Summer heat. Digging trenches and making hugel pits out of that clay soil, bottom is wood chips and top is filled with horse manure which rots into compost and creates pockets of damp fertility. Runoff water is channeled into these pits and soaks in, creating a mound in a water table. Horse manure is from my own horse, and I have a good hay guy. When the used stable hay rots, it is full of fungus, which is a good indicator that it has been responsibly raised. BTW I grew up in the suburbs of Rotorua, New Zealand, Zone 8, rich, black volcanic soils, Summer temps are almost never above 26 C, although Winter lows can be below zero. Dad was a retired market gardener, but still had an amazing home vegetable garden. His market garden was in Geraldton, West Australia, which was Zone 10, but a semi-arid climate with 5 months of no rain, during every Summer of every year! He used to garden during the frost-free Winters and left the fields fallow during the Summers. When he moved to Rotorua, he thought it was great, not having to deal with extreme Summer heat, (40 C days, every day, for months on end), although as he aged, the frosty Winters affected his arthritis somewhat. When he was in Geraldton, he farmed on limestone, sandy soil on a flood plain. There were no drainage problems but there was the opposite problem of too much drainage, meaning, no water, and that's why he fallowed his farm during the Geraldton Summer. You also have hot winds blowing from the East, from the Australian Outback, from October to March or April every year, from about 2 AM in the morning until 2 PM in the afternoon, when it changes to a sea breeze called "The Doctor" (because it makes everyone recover!). This wind sucks the moisture out of everything and makes it impossible to garden unless you have a very sheltered lot. I lived in Geraldton for 8 years, 4 years on a 10-acre farm with that limestone sand soil that absolutely doesn't hold water (but my place was a former market garden...) and four years in the 'burbs of Geraldton on an 800 m2 lot surrounded by asbestos fence panels (these types of fence panels are everywhere in Geraldton, even to this day). I made quite a nice garden in the 'Burbs, even though it was still on that limestone sand, because the fence panels provided protection from the wind. I put a few ponds in to up the humidity (fed with rainwater from my roof), planted some canopy trees such as a Satsuma Plum and a Surinam Cherry and then began working on the understorey. Within four years, I had created a Jungle Oasis! I'd sit on my shed roof and look at my little green oasis and it was really beautiful, but then I sold that place and moved here. Zone 9B, Baking Hot Summers, Frosty Cold Winters, 10 years later, countless barrows of horse poop, hundreds of prickly pears and other cacti and succulents, planted just to provide shade, shelter the soil and break the wind, lots of thinking "what to plant where", and finally, the place is just beginning to pop with fertility! I fully agree, when you say "look what grows locally". For me, a key canopy species has been Solanum laciniatum, the Kangaroo apple. My original stock came from a self-sown tree growing in a nursery in Bendigo, about 50 miles from where I live. The nursery staff picked the fruit, extracted the seeds, germinated them and put them in the nursery, where I bought a quantity of them (about 30, I think). Most of them died, but a few of them lived and now I have kangaroo apples popping up everywhere! These have an edible berry (when fully ripe) similar to a small tamarillo, and a mature tree will produce thousands of them! Birds eat them and poop out the seeds and this is how they spread in Nature. Under their canopy and to the East of them (in their shade) is a refuge from the intense Aussie summer heat, and it is here that you can really, truly garden! I hope all of this is some help to someone out there, looking to garden in our types of harsh climates. I wish you All the Best, and God Bless your Gardens!

[@wolf4076]

Awesome job mate 👍

[@KarlKarsnark]

N. FL of Native. Gardening can be tricky due to the wacky weather, but it can be done quite well. The main aspect is to find the right species/varieties that will do well here. We actually have tons of citrus and many other fruit trees that only occasionally get zapped by the cold. Timing the Seasons is important, as well. Ignore what you read in most "regular gardening" books in terms of when to plant/harvest. We have 2 "growing seasons" from end of Feb. - June (take off the Summer) "Fall" from late Sept./Oct.-Dec.(take off Jan.-Feb.). As David said, adding "organic" matter is always good, but make sure it's "clean" and chemical free. Assuming you don't fight the weather here in FL, as you WILL ALWAYS lose, you can grow anything that doesn't actually require persistent cold, especially if you have a little greenhouse to store plants on cold nights.

[@billybass6419]

I'm in zone 9a. My soil is sand without organic matter. Plus, on top of everything else, we have root knot nematodes. However, by amending the soil with compost and leaves, I am able to grow tomatoes, squash (except the borers kill them right away), okra, potatoes, sweet potatoes, egg plant, green beans and cow peas in the summer. In the fall we can grow collards, kale, cabbage, carrots, turnips and mustards. Sugar snap peas in the fall, but not enough time before the heat in the spring. Cabbages too in the spring. Around June, though, it's a hundred in the shade and nothing but okra, cow peas and egg plant do well. We do good with blueberries, figs, scuppernongs, blackberries and mulberries here. We have to fertilize often, because it goes right through the sand. If your friend's problem isn't the PH, which it very well may be, it could be nematodes. They are ruthless. I'm trying a mustard cover crop tilled in to biofumigate them. I've heard good things about that process.

[@mariap.894]

I don't know about you, but here where I live in South Florida Eastside, North of Ft. Lauderdale, we have to add the stinking Iguanas that DTG talks about, and my garden has the Asian Jumping Worm now!!! I want to cry and give up!!!😢😭😭😭😭 Any ideas???

[@billybass6419]

I was about to give up, but Travis at Lazy Dog Farm said to plant a cover crop of mustard greens and till them in to kill them. I'm trying that now. I went to containers, but the nematodes got in them too.@@mariap.894

[@billybass6419]

We don't have iguanas, but the sqirrels keep my seedlings dug up.@@mariap.894

[@billybass6419]

I hear they taste like chicken.@@mariap.894

[@nancyprovost1878]

@billybass6419 I live in Escambia County,Florida. I have root knot nematodes as well as Asian Jumping Worms. In late August I did a cover crop of two types of mustard (one very hot), white turnips, vetch, and Sudan grass to fumigate my main garden. I tilled the biomass into the soil. After several weeks, I covered it with clear plastic for another few weeks. I started planting a a week or so ago. I had juvenile AJWs under some pots I had placed in the garden to cover with frost cloth. I don’t know if it 😮did any good for the nematodes, I guess I’ll see when it warms up. I plan to put out beneficial nematodes around March or April. Good luck in your garden.

[@elizabethmcgowan9743]

Tallahassee here!!! Thank you for this video! I’ve wanted to quit gardening due to the soil. I just purchased Florida gardening survival book. Thanks for all you do David

[@edbradley6815]

You have soil😂?

[@sweatt4237]

Look into wicking beds.

[@juliephelps7616]

I am in Tallahassee too. I grew Everglades tomatoes this year, in 5 gallon buckets and peppers in buckets. My "soil" is in need of amendment for upcoming season.

[@margaretturner3389]

Tallahassee here!

[@nadineb2726]

I live in Palm Coast Florida zone 9A and every single word you have said is completely accurate. I have tried everything from A to z and it is always troublesome whether it's the bugs or the heat it's always something.

[@tinad8561]

Pensacola’s the city of 5 flags for a reason-nobody was that interested in hanging onto the settlement unless there was money in it (bricks and lumber.) The amazing thing is the winters are too cold for tender plants, but never seem to freeze enough to kill the bugs. I’ve had good luck in the Panhandle with wax peppers, Japanese mustards, long beans and meiwa kumquats. Sweet potatoes, though, are killing me.

[@Sunshineandhydrangeas]

I have lived in the FL Panhandle my whole life. It didn’t used to be this hard. My great grandparents and grandparents were able to successfully farm here all the way up to the 90’s. They grew every vegetable you can think of. One grandfather had an amazing orchard and expansive grape vines. The weather has changed and made it almost impossible. I agree with your suggestion to use lime and compost. Also, don’t forget that further inland, the soil can also be heavy clay rather than sand. He should stop getting rid of the pine straw and use that as mulch instead. Nearly had a heart attack when I heard he was wasting that!

[@dg-vg9di]

I live in mobile. My soil is sand and clay. For the past three years I’ve been adding compost and chicken manure, rabbit manure, multched leaves to it. It’s getting to be good soil now. I also have raised beds and containers. I’ve learned to plant my potatoes in September, peas in October. My zucchini in September. This way I skip past the bugs because I’m growing outside their life cycle. I’m also growing in the cooler months. I use sun shades to cover my raised beds. I make my own calcium acetate and dilute it and I mist it onto my tomatoes and potatoes and such.

[@nancyprovost1878]

How do you make calcium acetate?

[@jeas4980]

I get so much from this channel because I live in a brackish water swamp region of VA. Bruce perfectly described my area and I've been gardening here for 22 years. I'm finally getting good at it. Getting a local gardener is the best tip. My neighbor Bob is the best! But I would add .. give up the recommended plant dates for your area because they're all wrong. The seed packet knows nothing of our extremes... the garden planners don't have a clue. You absolutely need to split the seasons because nothing grows in July and August unless it's native. Once I threw away the approved calendar and paid attention to the swings in weather using protection for my crops... that's when things survived long enough to eat. When I put my annuals in raised beds... that's when things got "easy." When I gave up on imported perennials'... that's when I started to thrive and stock shelves full. And God Bless David the Good for biochar, feted swamp water, and taking the rules out of composting except the ONE: look out for aminopyralids.

[@chessman483]

We are in a very hot climate with long dry periods. Sandy soil. Frosts in winter. But we have found grow a few things that do well. Bananas survive our frost and thrive generally. Passion fruit do well. Mangoes once established do well. But we learnt after 18 months to stick with these and slowly add. We mulch mulch and mulch more. Now in year 3 we are starting to get ahead. A lot failed in the first 18 months.

[@minutemenwood]

As David says in one of his books "grow what grows well in your area". I'm smack in the middle of the panhandle in Crestview. I tried to get exotic and fancy with my fruit and veg selection but it really is a pain and requires more time than I can donate. Cherry tomatoes, Okra, Beit Alpha variety of cucumbers, Jericho lettuce, sweet potatoes, Sorghum, blueberries, Elderberry, Muscadines (of course) are some of the items I've had success with and I'm a pretty lazy gardener. Going to try Amaranth and Kijari melons this year.

[@yumyumbear]

Im in Crestview as wel. I had to work my soil and basically let nature take its course while amending it wit compost that I will directly dig into the ground randomly. I have chopped and dropped in the past while practicing permaculture. I gave up on taking the weeds out. It's too time consuming. The best thing I did for my soil was adding mulch it drastically changed the color from sugar sand to brown soil quickly.

[@minutemenwood]

@@yumyumbear Haha I agree, I only do beds now and lay down Dewitt landscape fabric all around them which mostly keeps the weeds out of my garden area.

[@Deepwatermusic]

Nice to see the beard starting to make a comeback!

[@sue3702]

In Arizona zone 10, sand and rock for soil. Purchase soil to put in my raised beds.Water with salty city water. Annual rainfall is 3 inches. Yes the challenges are real. Only good thing is I can garden all year long but who wants to when summer is 120 degrees.

[@SandcastleDreams]

Grow Moringa and get some shade and cool things down a bit. Moringa is drought resistant. It provides plenty of leaves to harvest for compost. It provides good understory places to grow for plants that can't handle the intense sun and heat. There's a guy that lives in AZ that does that. Interesting video. Regreening is a real thing.

[@ladylrbnaturelife]

Peanuts, watermelons, ginger, turmeric. A few more that don’t seem to mind the North Central FL soil

[@maryjane-vx4dd]

I gardened in N Florida years ago. I'm now in Utah. Somethings did better in Florida (Jacksonville area), somethings do better here. I miss okra the most

[@mattpeacock5208]

Containers might be your best friend for growing in the Florida panhandle.

[@davidthegood]

Just hard to grow enough to feed anyone

[@midwestribeye7820]

God bless all you folks who want to live and garden in Florida. I visited once. Nice people, beautiful, but way too hot and too many creepy, crawly critters for me. I'll stay in Iowa and take my -25°, blowing wind and 5 months of freezing.

[@nancytharp8213]

Great tips! Living in central Florida, planting timing early and succession planting with heat tolerant crops was critical for me. Also benefits using shade clothe over raised beds. Thanks for sharing 🙏 😎 🏖 🏝

[@shanonallen5395]

50% shade cloth is a must!

[@CraftEccentricity]

Same here. I'm FL 9a and grow a wide range of fruit trees. I use fleece blankets when it dips, and shade cloth in the heat. Using an overhead sprinkler when its cold is also useful.

[@danielmusick211]

You were speaking directly to me! I am in the panhandle pretty close to where you guys are at now, I guess. I have some pines, magnolia, popcorn tree, camphor, wild blueberry and muscadine, some hardwoods and lots of Yaupon holly! The dirt is very sandy, but I have been adding in composts and lime and had some success in the area that I improved. The yams, cassava and even corn and winter squash are beginning to produce some food for the family now. Thanks, David. One of these days I will make it over to a plant sale. I'm about an hour and a half away.

[@ecocentrichomestead6783]

Everything has its challenges. If gardening was easy, everybody would be doing it!

[@dianapagan8991]

@econcentrichomestead, is not a challenge is difficult is almost dissapointing and almost impossible to garden in Florida...believe me I'm here trying for more than 3 years...😢😢😢

[@shannonalaminski2619]

I have kept a garden nearly all my life. I didn't have much luck since I moved to SWFL. A few years ago I started finding videos on growing this, not that. I stopped planting back home garden stuff. I started looking for tropical, equatorial stuff that might be suitable replacements for the things that I use to grow. It is working. The sand that we call soil here is still a hurdle, just a much shorter hurdle. Amending continues. The soil is slowly getting better. But choosing the right plants was the difference.

[@davidthegood]

Good work, Shannon.

[@musicteacher5757]

J. C. Penney started a farming community named Penney farms. He sold 10 acre plots to people from up nawth, AKA "Yankees". They couldn't make farming work in Florida, so it failed. The tiny town is still named Penney Farms, the last time I drove through, they didn't have even one traffic light. You have to know how, what to plant, and when. I've been reading gardening books since I was a child, and I used to think their advice was weird! But those books weren't written for Florida. Too hot, too cold (in North Florida), and too wet. And usually the soil is so poor that you can put fresh chicken manure down and the plants LOVE it. What does "burn the roots" mean? It must be a northern thing. But - there's a lot of things I'll never be able to grow here: cherries, cranberries, hazelnuts, etc.

[@akersquarteracre8002]

Priceless information as always David. Great video. Very thankful for your knowledge and experience, my gardening wouldn't be the same here in FL10A (formerly 9B) without your guidance and tips over the years. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[@BigBassTurd]

I did not realize parts of Florida were zone 8. Thanks David, learned something new today.

[@SandcastleDreams]

According to the old maps, North of State Road 40 is zone 8 and south is zone 9 on the west side of Marion County. We got down to 22°F last year. We've got hills and valleys. I stick to zone 8b planting just because it takes a long time for most fruit trees to grow and they are expensive. I've seen snow on the news up in our area before we moved here! So, not every year is that bad but it has it's cycles.

[@juanchocimarron9409]

Exactly !! Lime (calcium carbonate), compost and LAB's will do wonders

[@LaurieSudbrink]

Just moved to Suwanee County last year. I have 6 acres and this food forest looks very appealing! I will start with a small island. The people who lived here before have a garden spot I’m going to get the soil tested, but I threw potato slips in from some organic ones I bought at the store and they did really well. I’m sure it will be an adventure! I work full-time so I will have to take it a little slowly. Thank you for all the great info, love the new book!!

[@balfourwheatley6644]

Bought 5 acres out in Suwannee county, i put a home in the middle of the pine forest. Moved from Miami and been here for 9 months now near Charles spring. I’m out in the woods, where the aliens are. In the middle of my property there’s a 1/2 aces clearing for growing food. 50 chickens 1 rooster and 4 Belgian Malinois and I was also thinking the island garden myself. Planning on making a small(1/2 acre) fruit tree orchid. I know fruit trees will grow well from what I’ve been hearing.I have lots of chicken manure as fertilizer for soil were here from south Florida, finally have our new home put down(living in bell tent for 8 months) but I love it here. Found out about this place on accident 4 years ago. Just paid off my land last year and put the home on. Although, it feels like I’m in another state when in Comparison to south Florida, Live oak is MUUCH different then Fort Lauderdale. “I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore” Dorthy vibes out here.. but again to me, it’s hella nice where I am right now. Good luck on your garden! 👍🏾👌🏾

[@denadigiuseppe1634]

I am also in Live Oak. This year is a game changer after the hurricane. We lost 50% of the trees in our backyard so went from full tree canopy shade to having enough sun to attempt to grow. I am pretty new to gardening so even though I follow the farmers almanac but I’m still starting my seeds very late. This year I am growing in greenstalks. we also have 3 hydroponic grow closets to keep cherry tomatoes, herbs, and lettuce going all year round.

[@joebobjenkins7837]

Central Florida has amazing soil dang near everywhere. Good watermelon.

[@edbradley6815]

My first guest to the letter he read is PH. Anytime you’re around a whole bunch of pine trees. Your pH is way low. Plant a blueberry bush and watch it thrive I have 40 acres. In southern Alabama. A mile and a half from the coast loaded with pines youpon Hollys, etc. And wild blueberries are everywhere

[@aok2727]

Lived in Niceville. A giant sandbar, if you want to grow here, you have to add a boatload of humus.

[@northfloridagardener524]

Thank you for posting this. I’ve been saying it for years, it’s HARD to garden in North Florida. I stared a KZbin channel about it. I appreciate hearing this from someone else, especially an experienced gardener. It’s not me! It’s this place.

[@yumyumbear]

Yes!! I live in Crestview and Ive been gardening over 15 years. It can get frustrating how often things go awry. Gardening in NFL aint for the weak! lol

[@dennisperusse7120]

I'd recommend drying and trading/as elling yaupon tea since it grows there. (We need more local sustainable caffeine sources) Sunchokes would be a good crop. I'd also seed large areas with dikon radish and let them go to seed and decompose in the soil.

[@ursamajor1936]

Great tips for improving any soil. I've heard of some people adding bentonite or non clumping or scented kitty litter clay into their sandy soil to help with water retention. I like adding a little greensand and pulverized egg shells into mine.

[@BiLuOma]

Great advice, even though I'm not in Florida but the concept is the same. Amend the soil where needed with what might be needed (in my case compost) and grow more of what naturally wants to grow there.

[@bonniesgarden7869]

Yup. I'm in Lake City. I can barely grow anything. But my friend in Live Oak can grow everything.

[@showxating9885]

I'm in north Okaloosa County. Next door. DeFuniak or Mossy Head? Red clay, or sand. North Central Florida, specifically Hamilton, Madison, Jefferson, Leon, and Gadsden counties, are farmland. Much further west, and you run into acidic red clay or salinity in the dirt. I HATE bahaia grass, but it is an indication of a more balanced pH. Vermiculture and cultivating compost is a good option, but raised beds or container gardening while you are conditioning your soil is another option. For warmer crops in the few colder days we have, I'd recommend a solar earth/sand battery and covering them at night.

[@alaskansummertime]

Sounds like growing on Big Island. Hot and rocky. You also forgot to talk about pests. Pests LOVE the heat. I've found growing in Alaska is easier than Hawaii because we have months of cold to kill off the pests. When I did landscaping in Hawaii pests were a constant issue. I worked at a condo where they came through in moon suits spraying Malathion on everything. LOL. I wouldn't go near that stuff. All these richie rich's asking me if what they were spraying was 'safe'. Ha ha. Define 'safe'. "Did you notice them wearing moon suits?" As far as manure I'd never trust anyone with their manure. Ever. Had people lie straight to my face too many times.

[@davidthegood]

Yeah. The pests are an issue, but mixing up the species helps a lot, as does planting resistant varieties and species.

[@StoneyVistaFarm]

As an implant from the Northeast, I've been in Walton County for 20 years and own a small farm . 😂😂 the worst soil, lots of amending.

[@cdybft9050]

They changed zone 8B here to 9. This whole NW Florabama is weird so I’m keeping it 8B. I have a beautiful plum tree. In March it has amazing blooms. But April 15th we get that last freeze and the flowers fall Off . I’ve never gotten a plum, but I get great flowers..

[@Vixxiegurl]

cover the tree when the freeze comes. I live in NE Houston, TX where weather is always wacky. We have freezes with hot spells and it helps to cover plants when its 39 or below per your weather forecast.

[@laurasgarden0211]

Also live in NW Florida. I don't believe the new zone map at all. Sure, we get mild winters with just a little light frost. But we also get years with hard freezes down to the teens - just like we got last Christmas. Folks who believe the zone map and buy zone 9 plants will be replacing them when they freeze. It might not be this year or next year, but hard freezes will come again.

[@SandcastleDreams]

​@@laurasgarden0211😂 Yeppers! I remember a decade ago, they were getting snow up here near Ocala! Last winter we got a couple of nights down to 22°F. Everybody was complaining it killed their fruit trees! Well, Mulberries and Flying Dragon citrus, some tangerines and some grapefruit survive up here. Flying Dragon doesn't provide an edible orange but the fruits are covered in pectin! They also make good root stock for grafting.

[@nancyh2378]

I stick to the zone 8, too. We had too much cold weather this past winter to say it is zone 9.

[@Nauticamb]

One shouldn't forget to have the garden water tested for bicarbonate levels, or irrigation suitability. High bicarbonate levels can tie up mineral availability. There are some You-Tubes on the subject. Some related to growing citrus.

[@shaypenton8854]

You described south west Mississippi gardening just now

[@TheRugghead]

I often think David would be a pretty chill guy to have a beer with

[@davidthegood]

Or bourbon!

[@daxrollman5935]

i live in northern walton and its super easy to grow damn near anything banana, papaya,gauva, tumeric,ginger,galanga

[@davidthegood]

The frosts knock out papaya, bananas and guava very quickly.

[@Sandfarm]

Sand pit of death, sounds like my 7 acres in Georgia. Bugs, sand, more bugs, fire ants. Oh and sand

[@CK-solutions]

I've gardened in an equivalent climate extreme, in a different part of the world. The key to success is finding your pioneer tree species that cross over the two extremes of heat and frost. There are some. Might I suggest tree lucerne (Tagasate) which can double as a fodder tree for animals. It's so much more though, serving also as a wind break, shelter plant, mulch and compost accumulator too. Susceptible to frost when young, but once established, they can handle extremes. Also they can grow with moderate acidity in the soil. These are pioneer plants, as they go in first. Then you grow your desired edible trees in between. The problem with most gardens in heat extremes, is exposure to the elements. A pioneer, or nursery tree will protect the delicate edible from all extremes, and moderate the climate. As well as transpire at night to create dew. Then finally, look for edible trees that will grow in the desert. Like jujube apple, carob, kumquat, olives, pomegranate and vines like hardy kiwi. They need to be able to grow in heat and endure frost. You can mulch your trees with limestone if there's an acidity problem in the soil, then place your compost/mulch on top. I've successfully done this with kumquat.

[@prepper-coach-dad2510]

You hit the nail on the head!

[@ariesangst4356]

They just recently changed our zone from 8b to 9a, and I'm in High Springs, FL (north of Gainesville). Last winter we got as low as 15 degrees, and in the summer we are in the high 90's. Personally, I do not believe we are now zone 9a based on our readings. The bugs are awful, and we feel like we are gardening on the beach with all of our sugar sand (we are on a sand ridge). Our neighbor does well with her garden after years of building up her soil, but she also uses chemical fertilizers, which we don't want to do. As a result, we've had barely any success, with the exception of roselle and a pigeon pea variety I found from up north that takes only 120 days to produce peas and can tolerate the cold. Thanks for your tips. I'll definitely give them a try.

[@SouthFloridaSunshine]

Not believing them on my zone either we are more like 11a not 10b, we just are the tropics, I should just ignore the “sub”. I shall just call it the tropics and be done with it for my zone, I give up on their weird numbers with letters. 😂

[@SouthFloridaSunshine]

@Ni-dk7ni Yes, indeed. But for now we are the tropics. And somehow the Southern most point of New York, or Southern New York as I call it, just wish we had the soil my Grandfather farmed up in Yorktown Heights, before he had to parcel it out to retire.

[@johnliberty3647]

I honestly believe there is a climate propaganda agenda behind these growing zone revisions. Bureaucracies are run by propagandists.

[@benmckinney2941]

I need to check out those pigeon peas. I live in the same general area and would love to grow them.

[@benmckinney2941]

He should make some tea out of that yaupon.

[@karen-hillshomestead]

Thanks!

[@davidthegood]

Thank you very much, Karen.

[@Vixxiegurl]

Now I see why NE Houston 9A is a bust for me for many years :(

[@user-sc6zh3uk9b]

Get a farmers almanac and look at the moon signs then check and see what it tells you for above ground and root crop s.Take a sample from different spots make sure you list where you got it from. Take to the ag extension and have them run testing on it Then they will tell you what you need to do on it. That is the best place to start. For free I have been here all my life 5th generation native. And have been doing it most all my life. But also I think that it's always good to get all the advice you can. I still do 😊

[@davidthegood]

Good perspective

[@grandmatammy464]

"cursed, sandpit of death" - snort laugh!

[@ashb89]

I really appriciate this video. I'm moving to southern Alabama next year and have been anxious about dealing with the sandy dead soil. You're so close to 300K subscribers, thats awesome.

[@dgblac0]

Great video, I really enjoyed watching it.

[@trishferrer8209]

I'm 7 minutes into this video, and it sounds like you are describing the tough gardening we have here in west Tennessee, zone 8a. I never gardened in my life until almost age 60, and wow has it been a big challenge for me! I am loving it anyway - just hate our heat, humidity, and biting bugs, but we also have a few hard freezes. 😂 Our weather is kooky, but I adore gardening! Thank You for the great content. I just discovered your channel. 🌱

[@koicaine1230]

OMG! I call mine the Sandpit of Death and Despair LMAO 😂 Really though, sand can suck it..

[@teter129]

Sold advice, appreciate this video!

[@zmblion]

I'm digging the greenhouse vibes and it's filling up heck yaaaa!

[@chriskincaid6035]

Thank You ...

[@betty8173]

Great video! Know your area, know your soil, check with other good gardeners!! Well done

[@stevesolomon5094]

Excellent summary and synthesis

[@davidthegood]

Thank you

[@bpfsu]

I’m a North Florida native and got into gardening 10-15 years ago primarily in Earthboxes. I have great success, or at least I think I did. I don’t even bother with the native soil. The shoulder seasons are a blessing.

[@lauriesmith7517]

Doing the bean test on compost/manure can give you a clue. I grow in containers in Southern NM and love your videos.

[@noahg8328]

This was so helpful and encouraging! Gardening in Cullman/Bremen (Zone 8ba or 8b depending on source) is a challenge but this was such a gelp!

[@rafaelmorodevens4564]

I don't believe that put lime is such a revolution. One of the most basic things.

[@TheD510addict]

I feel blessed to live in the Northern Willamette Valley in Oregon after watching this. Our weather is quite mild in the winter, though some years we get pretty severe ice storms and our summers are hot and very dry.

[@wolf4076]

YAAY, the fountain is back!... ... and the beard... almost...

[@AaricHale]

Lots of great information ! I'm a Hoosier so my favorite thing to grow is corn and i'm always experimenting with it . This year I decided to plant corn in nothing but fill sand around the pool . I was able to get a harvest of small ears even though I never fertilized it other than it was a giant litter box for the cats and dogs . I knew the corn I have been breeding grew well with little inputs but it shocked me that I got a harvest in just sand. Thanks for sharing and have a great day !

[@monkeymommy778]

Lime Buggy, Lime Buggy, Lime Buggy🎵. So true DTG, people should definitely grow plants meant for their climate/conditions! We were waiting for Lime Buggy at the end of the video 🤣

[@terencechandler845]

We have lemontrees in tasmania that survive down to the minuses frosty lands

[@bettypowers5166]

THANK YOU, I live in Milton (right down the road from Ft. Walton). I've been having similar problems, with my sand not growing anything! I can't afford to buy potting soil every time I want plant something. I have alot of pines and oaks on my property (it's an inheritance). Last year I planted broccoli which did grow but not very big, my collards are still from last year but there not very big. I mixed potting soil into the sandy dirt. Over the summer, the bugs were terrible I used diamatous earth food grade, just to help keep the bugs off. With this new knowledge, I'm going to try this and see if I can do better. I'm also moving my garden to where it will get more sun, I was told that might be an issue.

[@TSis76]

Bruce the Bad has yaupon?!? So jealous!

[@qualqui]

Brassicas and tomatoes up here on the central plateau during the mild winter, squash and other hot weather crops in the summer, thank you David for sharing your sage advice and knowledge.

[@MistressOnyaCox]

Fabric pot come in 50 & 100 gallon works great for my Florida fruit trees and garden

[@dustyflats3832]

There seems to be problems to growing everywhere. In the north we can’t grow warm weather crops and vice versa. The Weather swinging is the worst! We had extremely hot weather this year from January on and the frost late spring killed plants because they were too advanced. Then add the severe drought and smoke in Z5a, it was a tuff year. Irrigation fixed the water problem and shade fabric helped with those heat domes where we had 103*F😮. Too hot, too Smokey to even go outside a few times and was almost like cabin fever-we stay indoors enough during the long winter. Even though we had rain last January you still can’t do anything and the winter sow projects can’t be in the sun with it so warm because the seeds either rot or sprout too soon and freeze. Then you think the seeds were duds, but they actually sprouted and froze. Yes, it’s a new game with this crazy weather. Good luck finding a successful farmer that grows organically to get straw, ect. We have crop farmers in the family and it’s a tuff business.

[@glorytogodhomestead3495]

Lime buggy!!!

[@antsquirly7654]

I'm down here in Collier County, been here for over 30 years, and I have yet to be able to grow tomatoes. Being a retired landscaper I've been able to grow and propagate all kinds of plants and trees, but tomatoes? Noooooo.

[@TheHivefl]

It’s interesting because some areas of north/north central FL have absolutely amazing soils. Here’s a very quick way to tell; lots of deciduous hardwoods = rich soils. Slightly more to it than that, but it’s an extremely good indicator of productive land. These soils are usually in the “Hawthorne” group. Usually loamy, lots of clay. Generally a diverse mixture of sieve sizes and reddish/gray in color. You will find large areas of this soil type in Hernando, Sumter, Alachua, Marion, Leon counties. It’s sporadically mixed in many other areas too. Upland hardwood forest= good soil

[@davidthegood]

Yes, very good advice. I visited a piece of property in Sumter county earlier this year on a consultation and was truly amazed by how rich the soil was. It was incredible. He had just throw down turnip seed and there were huge, happy plants everywhere.

[@laurasgarden0211]

That's excellent advice. I have a gardening friend shopping for land in north central Florida now and I told her the same thing: look for deciduous hardwoods because that area will probably have the best soil in the area. Avoid pine forests.

[@bigonorganics5753]

I was looking at soil in north florida as one of the best potential locations for biochar because of its extremely low ph. right now highly acidid 3-6 ft deep clay is my dream soil one that doesnt have calcarenite or limestone underneath.

[@jolus6678]

well I live in Saint Pete on the coast, and it's not easy at all to garden here either. All the rain seems to fall inland far away from us so we're nearly always in drought yet the crazy humidity allows fungal diseases to develop even during 8 months with barely a drop of rain. The native soil is basically 99% beach sand and holds no moisture if exposed at all to sunlight. Fungal diseases and billions of caterpillars essentially devour everything. The overnight temperature at night barely drops 8 degrees and only really reaches it's low point in the early morning hours for about 2 hours each day so nights are essentially very humid and hot most of the time which only encourages disease and pests.

[@gomertube]

I farm in typical low-fertility N FL "dirt", and I've found that rototilling inputs including lime, organic fertilizers, and high-quality composts, is essential. The mixing action of the blades increases contact between clays, organic matter, and nutrients, thereby improving nutrient-ion transfer from soil to roots. At least, that's what I believe is happening. Anyway, I'm always surprised by how few gardeners I see here using a rototiller.

[@oxennguyen3148]

I have a rough time gardening even in central Fl 😢😢

[@baneverything5580]

East Central Louisiana between zone 8a and 8b is a nightmare too. On top of the crazy temperature swings, severe storms, droughts, floods, monsoons, humidity, evil spirits, raccoons, deer, squirrels, crazed birds, hogs, possums, mosquitoes, snakes, wasps, UFOS, and terrifying mystery creatures, my soil on the beautiful secluded lot I moved to last summer is where a hill once was stood that was leveled to drill for oil, so it`s ancient red dirt mixed with gravel. So now I have to begin building soil here with no money or car with a disability. On very cold days when it`s somewhat safe to drag my garden wagon around in the jungle hunting better dirt to add my pain level is through the roof. So I`ve been buying those indoor hydro gardens. Okra did ok this summer but I had to plant 70 plants to get a daily harvest. I planted red ripper and purple hull peas to build soil. I managed to get one quart of shelled purple hull peas. The red rippers were a huge disappointment. They grew...just no harvest. I was able to eat some cucumbers but my "summer" varieties of pole beans were a joke...the amaranth too...and the "heat tolerant" Armenian cucumbers did absolutely nothing as well. I did manage to grow enough asparagus pole beans for seeds next year. The heat killed the pumpkins, watermelons, winter squash, and cantaloupe. Wind blew the corn down two weeks before harvest...80 mph wind. The mustard I planted nearly a year ago has finally made a huge harvest, so that`s one success.

[@Sencman1]

Greetings from Trinidad. Love your channel. You and your family lifestyle are the dream of so many of us bro. Ps. On the iguana topic , one has taken up residence in my backyard and is eating lemons. Yes for real , huge sour to my taste lemons with bites out of them. I have never seen any animal do that before. Great to learn everyday. Blessed.

[@mariap.894]

Oh wow! I grew up in the tropics and never knew Iguanas eat lemons

[@Sencman1]

The tree is not a true lemon , but a cross with an orange. You really can't be sure what exactly you will get when you plant a citrus tree here. Still this particular fruit cannot be eaten like an orange. We use it to make a mug of juice or for cooking. Not even birds bother this tree , they are after the mangos. So it was really a surprise to find the iguana and the fruits with chunks bitten out. Can you imagine biting through the skin of a lemon ? . 😂 I really can't.

[@JuliePascal]

Ages ago I lived within sight of the white sand beach in the panhandle. A/C on in February and that year it froze in March. Killed everything that should have easily been hardy because it had all started growing. St Augustine grass is gross. Just saying.

[@angelinaaleman6002]

Tell me about it, it’s so challenging

[@runningwarrior5468]

I will stay in WNY where the taxes are high, but the soil is beautiful!

[@D71219ONE]

Being born and raised in Indiana and now living in Illinois, I miss Indiana. The soil was the same, but the taxes were WAY lower. Outside of having solid soil, Illinois is a dumpster fire through and through.

[@D71219ONE]

@Ni-dk7niMy house in Illinois is worth half of what my mom’s house is worth in Indiana. I pay nearly 5x the property tax that she does. Illinois cares nothing for the Constitution nor the citizens it was written to protect.

[@johnliberty3647]

I grew up in Westen NY, Grey days from October to May with snow fall by the foot.. I can handle Florida sand. Unscented cat litter with biochar lead to better year round Gardens than I had for those 2 months of summer I got between Buffalo Rochester. I will admit those 2 months between June 15th and August 15th had that area the best place in the world to be. It’s those other 10 months that had me moving south.

[@lotus....]

This guy said he has goats..he can use his goat manure if not using grazon hay..most alfalfa hay doesnt have grazon. Goat manure is similar to rabbit manure, in that you can use it right away. You can also compost it. I am on a farm in the panhandle as well- zone 8b. I have lived & gardened in 3b to 11 so have a lot of experience making things fit what I want to grow lol. If you make a greenhouse or high tunnel & use a little camping propane heater, like the little buddy etc, you can extend your growing season and start earlier. When it gets too hot take off the plastic/open/windows/doors etc.. I use raised beds as well. We really are in a sweet spot for native fruit trees and stone fruits with low mid to low chill hours. I also grow tropical fruits like Longan, starfruit, dragonfruit, etc. and overwinter in the gh. Try Satsumas, kumquats, yuzu lemons, red lime. Make microclimates with cinder blocks etc. In winter you can put a corrugated plastic top over, wrap the tree and use christmas lights or pipe heater cables with a thermostat added..there are lots of tricks. You have to be creative here but it can work.

[@reneeberthelette2901]

You think it is hard in Florida, you should check out Saskatchewan Canada. April 3, and I still have 1 to 2 feet of snow on the ground 😅

[@mattpeacock5208]

Florida soil is sugar sand over karst substrate. Good luck! Raised beds is your best bet. Yall's soil blows! I mean it, good luck!!

[@davidthegood]

I once mounded pure construction sand over some non-contaminated cow manure and planted yams and cassava in it. They did great. You can also use liquid fertilizer teas and pretend the soil is just a hydroponic medium to hold the roots.

[@theweirdogardenerkid28]

Peaches, plums, cherries, and most of your stone fruits will grow in Northern Florida. They come from the same hot and humid climate of East Asia where they are found in nature.

[@davidthegood]

Some will - the chill hours are a problem with some. Disease and heat kill others.

[@theweirdogardenerkid28]

@@davidthegood Apples and maybe some plums are really only that the heat kills. Besides that, stone fruits should be adapted fine to zone 8 FL since their native climate and Florida's climate is so similar.

[@natebecerra9847]

My homestead is covered in pines and saw palmetto and sugar sand what is your best suggestion for me I’ve been bud hogging the palmetto and the smaller pines so it can be a mulch and the roots are everywhere I need some suggestions I’ve thought of hiring out a root raker what would you suggest for my situation? I appreciate your knowledge I’m in zone 10a

[@sunshinensprinkles9322]

So happy you made this video. I’m in north Bay co., also in the sandpit of hades. Two acres of terrible hard dirt. Things that grow well in my yard; Pine trees, live oaks and crape myrtles. I’ve noticed that this year the crape myrtles planted around the yard have a lot of lichen on them. Do you think a balanced fertilizer may take care of this problem? Also, after a couple trial and errors I’ve given up and grow my veggies in grow bags. They work great.

[@inchristalone25]

Lichen doesn't harm the tree.

[@sunshinensprinkles9322]

@@inchristalone25 doesn’t it mean they’re not healthy or something like that though?

[@davidthegood]

I haven't worried about the lichens. Not sure if they're indicating anything bad, though.

[@williammcguire9749]

Random question what would be your thoughts on using dehydrated banana peels for fertilizer or a soil amendment? I live in NE Florida if that makes any difference. Thank you for your input