Sally Scalera

Brevard County Horticulture Extension Agent
3695 Lake Drive -- Cocoa FL 32926 -- 321-633-1702

Summertime projects

June 10, 2006

Our summer weather is usually hot and steamy (and hopefully rainy) but, it is also a good time to grow some cover crops to build up the soil, treat a problem area using soil solarization to kill any pests or diseases in the soil or grow some warm season or tropical vegetables.

The growing of vegetables is very complicated here in Florida because there are certain months of the year when each crop can be planted. Therefore, I would never try to grow any vegetables without a copy of our Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide. When someone calls up with a problem concerning a vegetable plant the first thing I do, after asking them when they planted the crop, is to check the gardening guide to see if they planted it at the right time of the year.

Here in Florida, vegetables are divided into two groups: warm season and cool season. So, if you were interested in planting some vegetables this month your choices would be okra, eggplant, Southern peas or sweet potatoes. Now, the interesting thing about sweet potatoes is that they make a very attractive ornamental ground cover and can easily be used in the landscape. There are three cultivars to choose from, and they do produce edible tubers: ‘Blackie’ (a dark burgundy color), ‘Margarita’ (a bright lime green color), and ‘Tricolor’ (has an attractive variegated leaf with green, cream and pink in it.)

If you want to try growing a tropical vegetable you could plant Malabar spinach and/or Chayote. Malabar spinach (Basella rubra) is a red stemmed vine that can be trained to grow on a trellis or along a fence. The red stemmed variety is very ornamental and the leaves can be used like spinach. Here in Florida, Malabar spinach grows well in a variety of soils, seemingly without regard to fertility. Ample moisture is important and the plants make their best growth during warm, rainy periods. Malabar spinach can be grown from seeds or cuttings. The thick, fleshy leaves are cut off together with some length of stem to keep the plant nice and full. Stems that are too tough to eat can be put back in the soil to root. When cooked, Malabar spinach is not as slick in texture as many greens, like spinach. I found two sources on line; whttp://www.kitazawaseed.com. Their phone number is (510) 595-1188. Their hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Pacific Time. The other online source is http://www.evergreenseeds.com and their phone number is (714) 637-5769.

Chayote (Sechium edule) is a tender, perennial vine that produces light green, pear-shaped fruit that contains a single, flat edible seed. Some type of trellis or support for the climbing vine is required. The entire fruit is planted as a seed. You can simply leave the fruit on the counter until it begins to sprout and then either plant it directly outside in the ground or in a container with light-weight, fast-draining media to get it started. Plant the fruit on its side with the smaller stem end sloping upward. The stem end can be left slightly exposed. I looked on line for a source and couldn’t find anything so, I went to the grocery store and found it in the produce section!

Another project that you can do through the summer is to grow some cover crops to build up the soil. This can be done in a vegetable garden or where you are planning to add a new flower bed, shrub bed, etc. There are many benefits to growing cover crops such asincreasing organic matter content, increasing earthworm and beneficial microorganism activity, increasing the soil’s plant-available nitrogen, bringing deep rooted minerals to the surface for other plants, providing habitat, nectar and pollen for beneficial insects, increasing the water-holding capacity of the soil, choking out weeds and reducing populations of pest organisms. In Florida, the summertime cover crops are the two legumes, cowpeas (also called Southern peas!) and hairy indigo. Sow the seeds (for maximum nitrogen fixation legume seeds must be “inoculated” or coated with a specific root bacteria), let the plants grow and then turn them back into the soil so that all of their nutrients and organic matter go right back into the ground.

The last project I will mention for the summertime is soil solarization. This is needed when you are having a problem with nematodes or maybe a suspected soil borne disease problem. Prepare the area by tilling up all of the soil and then wet the area until it is moist. Next, cover the entire area with thick plastic and secure the edges to trap the heat. Leave the area undisturbed for at least six to eight weeks. After that time, remove the plastic and let the soil cool down. hen, add some new organic matter like compost or aged manures and then plant your next round of vegetables or your new shrubs, flowers, etc. If you aren’t ready to plant after the soil solariztion is done then just be sure to mulch the area to keep the weeds out.