I want to grow vegetables. Where do I start?

Have you ever wanted to pick your own tomatoes in your backyard?  Homegrown tomatoes are so much tastier than grocery store tomatoes! Gardenly grows all the green beans for Thanksgiving and all the collard greens for New Year’s Day.  It is not as hard as you think.  Winter Park and Maitland can grow many different vegetables almost all year around.  Gardenly Landscape Designs has a few suggestions to help make your vegetable garden dreams come true.

Most vegetables need full sun which is 6+ hours of sun per day.  When you are planning your garden, be sure to choose a location that will be in full sun.

Next, Central Florida has mostly sandy soil so a raised bed with rich soil will give your vegetables a better chance of success.  Raised beds are easily made or can be purchased and are customizable for your specific landscape layout.

Now, you are going to need soil.  A quality raised bed soil from a garden store will give your vegetables their best chance.  Fill the beds with a minimum of 6 inches of soil.  More should be added for root vegetables like carrots.

Now the fun begins!  Look over the amazing Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide from the Orange County Extension Center and choose vegetables that will grow in Central Florida the approaching season and vegetables that you and your family like to eat.  (The table is at the end of the article.) Seeds are less expensive than transplants and should be started about 6 weeks prior to the start of the season.  Transplants can be purchased at garden centers throughout the growing season and are more expensive but save about six weeks of time and effort.  

Click here >>> Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide

Carefully follow the instructions in the Vegetable Gardening Guide and you will soon be enjoying your own vegetables! 

If you just don’t have the time to build and start a garden, Gardenly Landscape Designs would love to help.  Reach out and we will help you design your custom backyard kitchen garden and make sure it’s off to a great start. Fall is the perfect time!