Florida Fall Garden Planting: Easy Tips for Beginners

[@julieten2774]

I love how you make gardening look easy, and that there really isn't any mistakes because that is how we all learn.

[@WildFloridian]

Yes 🙌 I’m glad it looks easy 😅 It has been a lot of learning the hard way. Hopefully this helps you skip a few steps ☺️

[@libbysmithstudio]

Thank you for sharing your experiments. I'm a perfectionist, and it's kept me from putting anything in the ground. "What if it's in the wrong place?" "What if i get busy and forget about it?" "What if i planted it wrong?" "Is it over fertilized? Under fertilized?" Etc. etc. Thanks to you and a couple other amazing Florida gardeners, I'm planting my first garden this year. Sowing seeds in solo cups this weekend! All organized thanks to your garden planner. Feeling hopeful and ready to experiment & learn! Finally!❤

[@jenelle152]

I literally keep notes on your videos. I was just across the Gandy for 11 years (SOG). Beautiful garden but odd neighbors made things awkward. Now I have privacy and freshly tilled beds & trellises going in, and seed starts, etc, and I’m so excited! Thank you 🙏

[@WildFloridian]

Well howdy neighbor! I’m glad you found a better neighborhood! And you are too sweet!😄 wishing you the best on your new garden Jenelle!

[@katebond]

Thanks for all the info! I'm going to be a new-to-Florida beginner gardener and I'm so looking forward learning how to grow there. Your channel is going to be super useful...thank you!!

[@KarlKarsnark]

Welcome to the Swamp!

[@WildFloridian]

Welcome Katie! Super happy to help and happy you’re coming to our wonder state! Welcome to the Land of Flowers 🌺 🦩

[@kaythamilton6803]

Same Katie! I'm currently killing a seminole pumpkin plant and my dog dug up my bromeliads.

[@GrowinpeacewithBeedoh]

Yall ever wish she was your gardener at home... and did all the work at your home? 😆 You're such an inspiration! Ty!! 🌻👩‍🌾🌽🍅🍆🥕🌿

[@deidrecloud6000]

I wish you did yard consultations. We live in central FL also and are trying to make our whole yard edibles!

[@Eryalb]

Check out Pete Kanaris Green Dreams. He makes edible landscapes and also uses native flowers and such. He's in Central FL

[@WildFloridian]

Hi Diedre! I do virtual consultations. If you would like one, please email [e-mail]

[@Bittagrit]

I live in Central Florida, been here 30 + yrs. I only buy seeds from nurseries in FL. Had bad luck with Burpee and Ferry Morris. However, Johnny's and Southern Seed Exchange are good germination both are located in the southern US. I start tomatoes in starter trays, put outside now with a little shade, move to full sun later on. Ping Ting eggplant is good. Puerto Rican black beans grow up trees well. Finally best tip for corn, put some sardines in the bottom of the mound.

[@WildFloridian]

I’ll have to check out Johnny’s. I didn’t realize they are from the southern too! Thank you for all the tips!

[@susanpayne5592]

I get most of my seeds from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. Best varieties for south

[@danbates2760]

Ms-K, thank you for the seed sources! I'm a Polk City/County resident, will definitely look them up. For the Sardines, do you have a fish-monger around here, or do you use canned? If the latter, which brand of canned? I was thinking about using the heads from the local market. We used them up in CT with great success.

[@conniecrites5148]

I ordered strawberry starts and planted one bed full of them. They are doing awesome. Wish I could show a picture of them. They have sprouts/babies coming off them. Reading up on them it says not to let them flower for at least the first year. So we've been pinching the blossom off. We got about 30 starts and at least 27 lived. Very pleased. Wish you could come get some starts from me.

[@preparingforretirement]

I put the sugarcane near the hose outlet which sprays a bit every time the sprinklers are on so it will get LOTS of water. Also you could put it under the bananas since that tends to be wet and rich, or at least mine is. My White Beauty eggplant finally is fruiting and just taking off - I highly recommend that variety. It's delicious. Still waiting on Little Finger. Trying to talk the hubby into no grass in front. We already have no grass in back.

[@WildFloridian]

That is a super smart idea about the hose and the bananas.... Thank you! Maybe Next to the compost.... Thank you thank you! Yay for eggplant finally figuring life out! I hope those little finger eggplants get going. And I will tell you, I know so many neighbors because of my front yard garden.

[@fatpenguinchewsgum]

Peaches and Cream corn is my FAVORITE variety!

[@gidget8717]

I had a good laugh at the ginger incident. When we were younger and himself worked I didn't bother with labels now I label everything. My husband is a weed demon. If its not labeled he will kill it, then beat his chest because he has conquered the weeds. 😏 my hero. (The pineneedles on your roof drives him nuts if he's watching with me 🤣)

[@bedrooomeyes4u]

That weed you pulled was called Gail of the wind which is good for getting rid of kidney stones and helps detoxify liver as well. dry it and you can brew it as tea.

[@4-13PHIL]

Thank you for this video. I’m stressing as I’ve fallen so far behind in a short period of time and I was doing so good. OK I need to breathe🧘🏻

[@WildFloridian]

Appreciate that you did good! And you will do good again. You still have time 🥰

[@LoriHakaMyHeartCries]

1 more thing I wanted to tell you is that my Mama would take a rose from where my dad would buy her arrangements and she would trim the stem and just stick it in the sandy soil. It would actually grow Roots and then she would put it in a planter. I didn't get either green thumbs...🥺😂✌

[@sandrabeck8788]

Our “Pops” would walk past a rose bush, nick off a little stem, kick a little ridge in the soil and jam that stem in. Next visit, there would be a new bush there! I was delighted to heat tomatoes can do the same thing!

[@renebrown995]

I am probably the only person who had cucumbers growing in my living room. They started to sprout seedlings 🌱 the end of July, I kept them in after seeding for third time. I didn't dare put them out with the hot humid days here in Florida. I also started sweet potatoes inside in utility room. I started basil growing slowly in food carton. It has been quite a journey. Since I am facing west. Sun all day. I now know I have to plant in the fall if I am to have any kind of success growing anything. Thanks for posting this and helping us beginners.

[@4-13PHIL]

Great video... I’ve been stressing as I fell behind... Thank you for the pep talk.

[@margebrooks7853]

I put my cuttings in a cup of water and within a few days, they had nice roots and were ready the be planted.

[@WildFloridian]

Boom! 🌱 🍅 Love it Marge! I knew they are fast but had never done it in a way where I could see the roots. Thank you for sharing 😄

[@Coolguyallthetime2k]

I love hanging out here!

[@WildFloridian]

Yay! 😎

[@billymarkwell1105]

I was having trouble with birds and squirrels eating my corn seeds, my solution was to start my corn in small cups, about twice the size of a shot glass. after the corn seed germinated and was up about 2-inches I'd take them out of the cup and put them in my raised bed.

[@champagnegardening5182]

Keep that tomato cutting moist in the soil for the first week. I also covered it with shade until new growth was a nice size.

[@wonderly8542]

👒👑👒, Greetings from the netherlands and thanks for sharing your experience

[@PatriotFish-zy2uk]

I love your channel and definitely take notes. If your black beauties Don fair well, try Dancer', 'Dusky', 'Long', 'Ichiban', and 'Cloud Nine'. UF lists them as varieties that thrive here.

[@WildFloridian]

Thank you Patriot! 😄

[@TheRashaver]

Just started my transplant starts two days ago. Glad to see I'm ahead of you for once lol

[@WildFloridian]

🙌 Alright Robert!!! You are definitely ahead of most!

[@stevezelev7008]

we got another banana bunch that started about a month ago. Last year we got 300 bananas off of 1 bunch and they were delicious. We have 5 pineapples we're harvesting today. The wife cuts off the top of pineapples we get from Publix and just plants them! They are on the small side but absolutely delicious. Good luck to everybody and get busy.

[@WildFloridian]

AMAZING!!!!

[@CaraHillVoiceoverArtist]

Love your videos- So inspiring! Took your advice and planted several thing in my new garden. Just planted corn over the weekend and it is already coming up! So cute!! Keep up the awesome tutorials and motivation. You rock!

[@LoriHakaMyHeartCries]

I'm not sure exactly where you are, but my Daddy lived in white springs fla. He had a huge success with corn. Silver. Queen is what he grew. I'd love to grow successfully. I've planted squash, they got yellow flowers but never developed any fruit. I also planted okra and radishes, I've never gotten any flowers on my okra and my radishes only had tiny little red roots that never developed...😪😪😪 it really sux. I wish my dad was still alive so I could pick his head.... btw, I live in NE Florida., TFS, Lori

[@annalisasmith8066]

I am stuck on the east coast, I live in Lutz, with dad in the hospital for a month! He was released, I went home and planted my peppers and Everglades tomatoes as per your recommendation. Four days later he is back in the hospital. 😖 No one has watered my seed trays. So behind and chomping at the bit! Oh and one of my chickens laid her first egg, I def owe it to my neighbor who has been taking care of them.

[@WildFloridian]

I’m so sorry you’re going through that with your dad. And that is great that you have a supportive neighbor. My son was just hospitalized for seizures, and I was worried that all those seeds would fail on me. I just try to be in the season and if that means my seeds have to die so I can take care of my babies, then so be it. It’s frustrating to have a plan and have to let it fade. I hope your dad gets better and your seeds hang in there for you. Wishing you the best, Jacqueline

[@TW-gb6mh]

Hang in there!

[@arizonajo2791]

Grew up in corn country. You need to grow at least an 8x8 area in order for it to pollinate well enough

[@rowenadinsmore1]

That's funny, I garden like you. Kind of disorganized and I forget what I planted and when I planted them because they don't follow what the packet says anyways. I can't even do succession planting because sometimes they don't germinate at the right time.

[@thegreekcook]

Thank you so much for all your wisdom in gardening and sharing with us. I am a transplant from New York were I always had a green thumb. I have been in St Pete for 32yrs and not been able to grow anything except for herbs that I plant in pots.

[@daveschreiner413]

Thanks Jackie!

[@danbates2760]

I had a vivipary situation, have 11 tomato plants now! Yay Publix organic section!! Stuck with nasty grass that keeps coming in from neighbor's yard, started to braid it to make a wall. This weekend, going to go full bore on that, and line it with cardboard, making natural bordered sections in my garden.

[@WildFloridian]

You had a vivipary situation! Very cool! 😂 And you braided the grass 😂 Get that grass dan!

[@oreopaksun2512]

LOL 7:47 "I'm really good at killing plants when I want to..." Love it! I kill mine without wanting to Re Compost: If you are still using Black Soldier Fly Larvae in your compost bin, that may be why you get little compost. BSFL are voracious, and are too efficient; great for food waste reduction, not great for compost making. When I had my "soil factory" indoors, I added layers of native dirt with Bokashi (microorganisms plus veggie scraps); and the volume of compost was about the volume of dirt and Bokashi ferment. Now that my soil factory is outside, BSFL found it, I swear I don't even get the native soil back. What little is left is INCREDIBLE, and actually helps my plants resist insect damage, but the quantity is sad.

[@WildFloridian]

I agree. BSFL do a 90% reduction of organic mass and then my bananas suck it up. I honestly cannot get anything out of the bin. That’s why I’m switching strategies and going to use the stalks of the dwarf bananas as my fertilizer. I chopped them to the ground in January and they have 5 to 6 trunks and are trying to output bananas. I will just take the stalks and place them around my plants. 👍 Also the birds like BSFL.

[@ieeshamroczek6583]

Plant corn, green bean together the greenbean fertilize the corn with nitrogen. So no need to add amendments

[@WildFloridian]

Great idea Leesha! 😄

[@PatriotFish-zy2uk]

3 sisters - corn bean squash!

[@delphine88313]

I heard soak the kernels before planting also.

[@zaneymay]

Ginger likes shade. Not sure when you put your ginger in the ground but it should be much bigger by now. I usually start digging mine up December - January.

[@WildFloridian]

I think I threw it in June on a whim. Good to know about the size! I’ll find a better place for next year 😄

[@zaneymay]

@@WildFloridian When I dig mine up I replant right away.

[@oreopaksun2512]

@@WildFloridian If you can spare a little more of the ginger knob with the shoot start, the plant will have a little more energy to get going(unless your squirrel/bunny have taste for ginger). And ginger wants sun in cooler months, or early morning sun only in the summer. Try one of your larger containers, so you can plant and leave the rhizomes to grow in peace. Mine just get bigger and bigger each year, I harvest only as needed, covering with heavy mulch if a hard freeze forecasted.

[@stefanyz]

I soak my corn prior to planting in just a damp paper towel in a ziplock for about 20 hours before I plant, they tend to germinate better for me that way.

[@Jaynes-Path]

I am very envious of your garden, especially the sweet potatoes! I can't find Organic orange, just white and purple. I tried to grow the purple but the ants ate the spuds before the slips had any real size and they died. Now I can't even find the purple and we didn't like them as much as the orange. I tried to order some slips, a pack of 10. All but 2 were dead on arrival and the other 2 lasted 1 week and 3 weeks before they too decided to just give up and die as well. The only Farmers Market we had was closed due to Covid and has never reopened. I found a way around my hubby and his weed Wacker by planting in 5 gallon buckets or a 6 inch cinderblock wall (thankfully Tomato plants will regrow as you just said and Bell Peppers can regrow from the roots when wacked down to 6 inches tall). The greenstalk planter works great for smaller plants like strawberries, Basil, oregano, flowers etc but not those bigger ones or potatoes. I heard they opened a Aldi 2 towns over and I'll try to find some Organic sweet potatoes to sit on a shelf and pray they sprout before they Rot. I can cure my onions in the garage but the potatoes must be sprayed as they do nothing until they turn to a stinky, gushy lump. I'm south of you so either I have too much salt in the air or I'm doing something wrong if they fail again, lol

[@sonnyamoran7383]

My tomato cuttings only work if they have hairs on them.

[@WildFloridian]

Good to know Sonnya!

[@garza7691]

My first corn was a complete failure when I planted them in May - they were eaten by worms - so I will plant again and do the journey with you and see how they do this time - Did you ? encounter worms in your corn too

[@WildFloridian]

I didn’t have worms. I had grubs last year that are the roots. This year seemed to be going better but critters and the kids kept going through the one end of the bed… didn’t matter what I planted there.

[@juliannegill5486]

Great video and love your commentary. So real! BTW- Carrots do amazing a Greenstalk Planter. I cover my seeds with vermiculite and lightly spray with water. They always do well. And I don't thin them. Lol I let them grow and harvest the biggest carrots that are too close. Got that tip from Ripe Tomato channel.

[@WildFloridian]

Thanks for the tips Julianne! I've been thinking about a greenstalk for strawberries... I saw how Becky was using it on Acre Homestead and I thought that would be cool if we get lots of strawberries and freeze them for smoothies.

[@juliannegill5486]

@@WildFloridian we've been thinking the same thing! Lol waiting for their next sale.

[@sandrabeck8788]

I planted sugar cane in my hot bed, and regret it. The plants are huge (I knew they were tall) but lean over, in the way, have lots of dry leaves all the time, ND WHEN YOU GO IN THERE TO

[@lorisilva10784]

Tell me if I'm wrong but I have taken my tomato cuttings inside and putting them in water (in a vase) till they grow their roots. Then I transplant them outside and then they die!!! I'm thinking that obviously I'm doing something wrong but 🤷 !!! Now, where can I get my hands on to some sugarcane? I would love to find some!!! Oh and thanks for putting that Gloria Estefan song in my brain!!! That takes me back!! 🤪

[@WildFloridian]

Heck yeah! Miami Sound Machine! For your tomatoes, I'm thinking the light transition is too much. Maybe put them in little transplant pots and harden them before putting in ground.

[@sandrad682]

I have started my tomatoes by sticking them in the ground like that and it really works. I am going to join you and plant more corn because the one I planted just grew some and died or got eaten by bugs. You are too funny with the ginger,lol. It's been raining buckets since yesterday and I am not complaining but hope it won't kill my plants.

[@kellyruggles2829]

So excited my fall vegetable raised garden is germinating sprouting! I believe u posted a type of raised metal bed can you share that again if so.

[@rowenadinsmore1]

last year I was able to grown lots of peppers but this year only one variety germinated.

[@olgag5385]

Thank you for sharing with us, I wish my garden looked as good as yours, but it doest, the truth is the this is my second year gardening and this year nothing has done well. Your videos encourage me to keep going, so thank you, cause I really want to be successful. I have not been successful with corn, I get it to grow, they look beautiful and then the squarrels have a feast and destroy them. How do you keep them away? Thank you.

[@chrismatter6270]

The pepper plant your friends gave you doesn’t look like a cayenne, cayennes tend to grow facing down rather that pointing upwards, they also seem to be more curly. Those look closer to something like a thai chili or heaven facing pepper. This is only my first year trying to grow cayenne though so I’m still learning

[@WildFloridian]

Apparently it is a pepper Tabasco 🥵

[@sandrabeck8788]

I planted sugar cane among banana and papaya plants (full sun) and it grows very ungainly, sprawling all ove and in the way. There is hairy stuff on the leaves and stems that irritate the skin! Mold like to grow on the stems, even though it’s full sun. I want to take them out. I don’t have time to process sugar from them,

[@julieten2774]

Why don't you have more soil in your metal bed? Wouldn't it be easier if you filled it up almost to the top? Can't wait to see how everything grows. I can't plant my fall garden until the middle of Sept because I am going out of town. Hope that is not to late.

[@LauraLFord]

Your new pepper plant is not a cayenne. Cayenne are long thin peppers, I grow lots of them! They are best dried and ground into powder. What you have looks like a Tabasco pepper.

[@WildFloridian]

Oh no! Or oh yay 😅 Thank you ☺️ and now that you are saying that I see it. I didn’t think anything of it when the friends said it was cayenne. I was surprised they were giving me a plant. But I agree that is probably tobasco! Thank you ☺️

[@stevescuba1978]

Make a great fermented pepper sauce... Chop your peppers, cover in 3% salt water brine in a glass jar, set on counter (keep peppers submerged) for a week or so. Use your nose to tell you when it's done. It will smell awesome! I add peppercorns, allspice corns, and coriander or some other spices sometimes. Strain the solids into a blender, add a little brine, and run it till smooth. Add brine until you get the consistency you want. Add a pinch of xantham gum if you want it to "set", which I normally don't do. Keep it refrigerated, and burp it once in a while, it's living probiotic goodness!

[@chanellpinkney146]

Love your channel! Can you give me the correct spelling of the peppers you love so much and mention in this video…. “Ah-he-say”??? I keep googling them but can’t find anything because I’m not spelling it right. Lol.

[@WildFloridian]

Aww thank you Chanell 🥰 The peppers that I love are Ajise Peppers sometimes you'll see them as Ajise dulce peppers. My neighbor from Puerto Rico gave them to me. She said that you can find them in local hispanic/latin grocery stores too!

[@WildFloridian]

@@yolandago1052 I believe that is the same

[@sylviakirchel2519]

I planted corn last year and all grew really well. Did have to spray for the small worms. Got them under control, the ears were getting bigger, fuller than BAM...a raccoon (?) got to all of them.😒 When will you be harvesting the corn? I'm in 9b FL...might try corn now too. Thanks!

[@WildFloridian]

Rascally raccoons 🦝 😭 If mine produce, it should be early November.

[@stevezelev7008]

Sylvia, Sounds like you need to harvest some raccoon.

[@russellpasternak2811]

Hi Russ here from Ocala, when should I start my peanuts?

[@aliciachapman2707]

This is fantastic, thank you!!

[@WildFloridian]

You’re welcome Alicia! 😄

[@roxiekelley]

Hey I want a little red wagon today after watching your video I bought some frog fruit and a couple other plants but I would like for you can I divide the pot of Frog pull up into little pieces and plant them in the ground or do I need to divide it up into like fourths or halves and start them first and then put them in the ground because I’m trying to fill in some bare spots in my yard where Saint Augustine grass no longer wants to live please respond I’m desperate I’ve been northerner Living in Florida and I hate the grass

[@WildFloridian]

You may be able to divide it. Just tease it out and look. Otherwise take cuttings and add those to the other bare spots. But if I remember LRW does 1 gallon plants so there should be enough plant material

[@chrisspilker8889]

You mentioned strawberries at the end of fall. Where will you get the strawberry starts or can you start from seed? Thanks for this video...so valuable!

[@WildFloridian]

Great question…. Not sure. 😂 If my one strawberry from spring survives… I’ll try to propagate it. If not… order starts??? This isn’t a fully fleshed out plan 😅

[@chrisspilker8889]

@@WildFloridian I'll watch for your strawberry video😊

[@enlightenedbeing492]

Question for you, i am doing raised bed fabric pots 20 inches, with a permaculture on the bottom of the pots. I have the premium blend soil, and organic raised bed soil with worm casting and what composted i had on hand...i have 4 pots going so far with 4 plants in each brussell sprouts, 4 pepper plants, 4 green beans( lost one already) but planted some from seed. And 4 sweet pea plants. I planted lettuce, kale, spinich, but so far only seeing some lettuce sprout maybe kale not sure if spinich is a dud. My dog ate the cucumber starts and the green bean leaves on my spouted seedlings, do you think they will still grow?

[@katrinalynn6]

my everglades the start looks like lettuce line and im so stumped

[@WildFloridian]

That is weird Katrina… 🌱👩‍🌾 they look like tomatoes for mine… maybe seeds got mixed or a weed 🤔

[@katrinalynn6]

@@WildFloridian i hope they didnt but ill wait and see

[@megantiseo7439]

I am in 10a/9b and have corn on my plan this year too. I thought Oct was the planting date?

[@megantiseo7439]

When I discovered the UF IFAS month by month edibles to plant when, it was a game changer.

[@WildFloridian]

I’m trying earlier based on viewer advice from last year. They said they have had success multiple years and it was knee high by the august/September. It may vary year to year, variety, etc… so I figured I would test it and let y’all see what happens… good bad or ugly 😄

[@ChristopherJohnsonArtist]

Hi, do you have any tips on growing plumeria? I was thinking that one or two might be a good choice for the "focal point" in the middle of my raised bed area (I've been struggling to find good options on something ornamental that would only provide a little shade and take the Yucatán heat)

[@Dtp249]

What part of Florida are you in?

[@WildFloridian]

St. Petersburg, Central Florida, zone 10a 🦩👍😜

[@philomenajohnson2995]

What part of Florida do you live in?

[@WildFloridian]

St Pete 😄

[@LaRa-youknowit]

Why are you beds so low on soil?

[@dianepeterson3555]

What zone are you.

[@WildFloridian]

Zone 9/10

[@rowenadinsmore1]

I potted my sugarcane

[@gidget8717]

How in the heck did I miss this one? 🙄

[@nickl2426]

1st again!!!

[@WildFloridian]

Nick you are on a role! 🥳