Garden Help: Get your spades out for veggie harvest

The recent chill may have knocked out some lingering warm season crops like tomatoes or peppers but otherwise was a welcome change for cool-season vegetables. Now is a busy time for gardeners as we are in the midst of growing vegetables adapted to cooler weather while preparing to plant a spring crop.

It’s tricky to know when to harvest certain crops. Refer to the seed packet or the Vegetable Gardening Guide at edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh021, which provides the number of days from planting to harvest. That can all change based on the weather: heat versus cold, sun or shade, and rain compared to drought. One variety may also take longer than another to mature.

Root crops are perhaps the trickiest since they are below ground. Allowing them to stay in the ground too long makes them tough. Beets are harvested when roots are 1½ to 2 inches in diameter and turnips should be 1 to 3 inches in diameter. Radishes are also pulled when they are small and tender for optimum flavor; check seed packet for days to harvest. Most radishes are harvested in 20 to 30 days, but there are some varieties that take up to 50 days.

Broccoli is another tricky one because you want to cut the head when it is tight and dark green. If left too long, the head will become loose and small yellow flowers open. Unlike cauliflower, broccoli will continue to reward you by producing side shoots. Cauliflower heads should be cut when the curds are full size, white and firm. Some varieties are not self-blanching and leaves should be tied up over the developing head when the curd is 2 to 3 inches wide. If you are growing brussels sprouts, remove the lowest leaves to increase sprout size and harvest the bottom sprouts first as they develop size and are firm.

Leafy greens like lettuce, collards, Swiss chard and kale are typically harvested by removing the lower or outer leaves. In the case of a bibb lettuce, cabbage or Chinese cabbage, harvest by cutting the plant off at the ground level.

Now is the time to plant Irish potatoes so get those seed potatoes in the ground by the end of February. Remember, this is a long-season crop that takes three months or more before harvest so this will overlap with spring planting.

Even though you are busy managing the fall/winter garden, it’s time to prepare for the spring garden. Gardeners try to get plants in the ground as soon as weather permits to beat the heat and pests. Now is the time to order seeds and to start transplants.

Determine which varieties you want to grow as transplants, because it’s time to get those started for March planting. Cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, squash and tomatoes are the most common warm-season vegetables grown as transplants. Crops like beans, peas and corn should be direct seeded. Cucumbers and squash can also be direct seeded, but growing transplants will give you an early advantage.

Seed can be purchased at local garden centers, through seed catalogues, or on the web. Make sure the varieties are adapted to Florida conditions by checking the Vegetable Gardening Guide referenced earlier.

To start your own transplants, you will need clean containers, a sterile media, seed and a sunny location. Seed germination trays, peat pots/pellets, or other containers will work well, and are available at garden centers or through catalogues. Seed trays commonly have a clear dome that fits on top to hold in the moisture. Select a media that is specific for germinating seedlings. Some contain fertilizers that release as the seedlings develop.

Start the transplants about six to eight weeks before you want to plant outside in the garden. Place the media in the container within ½ inch of the surface, press lightly and moisten. An old ketchup bottle works great for applying a trickle of water without washing away soil and seedlings. Then follow the directions for planting depth on the seed packet. If the seeds are new, place one seed per cell or container. Otherwise, double up on seeds and later remove one if they both germinate. Add a cover to make sure the media stays moist and remove as soon as the seedlings emerge.

Warm-season seeds prefer soil temperatures of 75 degrees and watermelon seeds should be at 80 degrees. An old electric blanket is sometimes helpful along with a thermometer to maintain these temperatures.

Most seeds do not require light to germinate, but lettuce is the exception. As soon as seedlings emerge, move plants to a light source. Place them in direct light like on the windowsill of a south-facing window and/or set up a two-tube fluorescent light fixture suspended by adjustable chains. Keep the lights 1 to 2 inches above seedlings and move up as the seedlings grow. Put lights on a timer to run for 16 hours. If plants are growing in a window, make sure to rotate the plants so they grow evenly. If a fertilizer is not included in the media, water weekly with a liquid fertilizer solution at half strength.

Before you can put plants in an outside environment, they must be hardened off. Five to 10 days before planting in the garden, start conditioning the transplants for their new environment. This can be accomplished by lowering the temperature by 10 degrees or by allowing plants to wilt slightly before watering. Placing the plants outside in a slightly shaded area, as long as temperatures are adequate, will also harden off plants. If it’s too cold at night, bring them back inside.

Transplants are fragile when first placed in the garden, so timing is important. Plant them in the garden late in the day or when it’s cloudy to avoid transplant shock. Avoid disturbing the root system, and plant seedlings at the same depth they were growing in the container. Create a small water ring around the new transplants to make it easier to water. Water the plants with a soluble fertilizer solution and baby them until the roots have established.

There is nothing more rewarding than producing and fixing meals with food you grow. If you have kids who are reluctant to eat their veggies, get them involved in helping and their interest will likely change for the good.

For more information on growing vegetables, go to bit.ly/1DBGikd.

Terry Brite DelValle is a horticulture extension agent with the Duval County Extension Service and the University of Florida/IFAS.