Garden Blog

by Amanda Rose Newton

Nothing says fall quite like a decorative gourd! These fruits (yes, fruits) are members of the Curcurbitaceae family, which also includes zucchini, cucumbers, and summer squash.

While most are used primarily for decorative purposes, we will also highlight a few edible varieties as well that have a good track record in Brevard.

The Best Gourds to grow in Florida

The number of species of gourds and pumpkins out there is staggering, so to help you narrow down your choices, we have compiled a list of gourds that do well in our area.

See what gourd seeds we have in stock here.

Growing Ornamental Gourds

Pear gourds: These pear-shaped gourds come in a wide range in color and markings. It is also not unusual for them to have bands, stripes, or bumps. You never quite know what you will get when you plant these!

Flat fancy gourds: These tiny pumpkin-shaped gourds are at most 3 inches in diameter and usually exhibit an orange hue.

Warty-skinned fancy gourds: Similar to the flat fancy, these have the added dimension of bumpy “warty” skin.

Club gourds: These long gourds resemble bowling pins and look great on display with smaller and round gourds.

Birdhouse gourds: These jug-shaped gourds are often made into birdhouses and need to be planted after the last possible frost.

Bottle gourds: Unique in appearance, these have a broad round base, and a bottle-like neck. These can be used as bottles with many being able to hold up to 2 gallons of liquid!

Growing Edible Gourds

Turk’s cap: Clocking in at up to 10 pounds, this squash is also edible. It has a round orange bottom with a protruding cream-colored “cap” on top. Due to this unique feature, it also makes it excellent for ornamental display.

Luffa gourds: If you are new to gourds, this is a great one to start with! Also, edible, Luffas are from 1 to 2 feet long, and are ready to eat when they reach 1 to 2 inches in diameter. When the interior pulp is dry, it is similar in consistency to the sponge it shares a name with. It also doubles as an interesting ornamental for displays and can also be used to scrub down floors after the holiday celebrations have concluded.

How to Plant Gourds

Gourd seeds can be planted directly into the soil as soon as the cold months of January and February are past us.

Gourd plants have a vining tendency and do best when offered a trellis to grow on. This also allows you to grow them no matter the size of your yard.

If using a trellis, gourd seeds should be spaced 1 to 2 feet apart from the trellis base. Those who wish to plant them in a garden bed should allow 4 feet between each in order to give the vines enough room to stretch out. Seeds, in either case, should be planted 1-2 inches deep and watered well.

Gourds are susceptible to the same pest and fungi issues as most squash, including powdery mildew and squash borers.

Be sure to walk through your garden regularly to observe any changes such as holes in leaves or spotting on stems. You can treat caterpillar pests with Bt (Thuricide) and garden-friendly fungicide is a safe choice for mildew and black spot. Starting with well-amended soil, planting in full sun, and practicing good sanitation in the garden are all ways to ensure success.

How to dry Gourds

If using gourds for ornamental purposes, you can let it mature and dry out right on the vine. Once you hear seeds rattling inside, you can remove the fruit – make sure to leave a few inches of the stem intact.

*It’s important not to twist the stem and separate them from the vine. Use a freshly sharpened pair of garden shears to get the look you want.

The gourds can be washed in soapy water and then set out to dry a bit longer, usually a month or two will do the job.

This “curing” process aids in ensuring the pulp has completely dried out and leaves your gourd less susceptible to rots. For colored gourds, be sure to keep them out of the sunlight during this curing process to avoid bleaching. If mold appears during the drying process, feel free to scrape it off once the outer rind is completely dry.

Finishing Touches

Once your gourd is past the curing process, the decoration can begin! Gourds can be sanded, kept as is, or painted to reflect the theme of your home.

In addition to making great birdhouses, gourds can also be styled and used as hanging baskets for plants, vases, bowls, pipes, and even toys!

Start a few gourd seeds this winter and by next holiday, you will have something for everyone on your holiday gift list.

By Amanda Rose Newton

The ban on fertilizer in Brevard county ends at the beginning of October. Now that the rainy season it is over (although, the recent weather has us all fooled), you may be wondering what plants, if any, need fertilizing in your yard.

Luckily, the answer is straightforward, you want to fertilize what is actively growing NOW.

Remember, it takes energy and additional stress for a plant to work to take up fertilizer and nutrients from the soil and plants are less likely to get the most out of a fertilizer addition when it is slowing down for the season. In order to make sure your money and time invested are well spent, be sure to apply fertilizer only to plants that will still be active throughout the cooler months to come.

October in Florida –What’s Growing?

The short answer is most plants! The sweltering heat of summer is backing down, allowing for many plants, like us, to be in a much more comfortable state.

However, December and January are just around the corner, when growth typically slows down. Keep that in mind when planning out your applications.

Herbs and Vegetables

Fall is the best time of the year for growing many small fruits, vegetables, and herbs. If you are starting with a raised bed or using compost, you may find that you do not need to fertilize at all.

If you do feel your seedlings could use a nutritional boost, consider using an organic solution such as Espoma Gardentone. Since organics take much longer to break down, you can apply this once and be good for 3 months, reducing your costs and time spent.

Have compost tea (see our post on vermicomposting for the how and why of this awesome nutritional powerhouse for plants)? Throw that on as an excellent fertilizing solution. Maxicrop Liquid Seaweed is a vegetable garden’s best friend, and with winter coming soon, you will be happy to hear that research suggests it can raise the cold tolerance of plants by several degrees, depending on crop type.

Fruit Trees

Many fruit trees are getting ready to head into prime time, including our beloved Florida citrus! Get your trees in great shape for the cooler months by adding Espoma Citrus-tone, in which one application will have you covered for several months.

We also recommend adding Maxicrop Citrus Micro nutritional spray, partnered with Genysis and Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew to your citrus care routine, to add in extra needed vitamins and minerals as well as keep the leaf miner citrus moth pests at bay.

What would a Florida yard be without a tropical fruit tree? If you are the proud owner of mango, avocado, starfruit, jackfruit, or banana, you can go ahead and use Espoma Citrus-tone on those as well. Just as above, you can expect to need to fertilize less by using an organic fertilizer.
Once again, Maxicrop liquid seaweed can be used on pretty much everything you grow with the added benefit of being safe and lagoon friendly.

Trees and Shrubs

Now I am going to let you in on a secret: pretty much every nonfruiting plant in your yard can be fertilized with Espoma Holly–tone.

Hollys, Gardenias, and Azaleas are famous for needing acidic soil in order to be at their best. Our soil here in Florida is jokingly referred to as sand with some soil in it, and that makes it more on the alkaline side than the acidic side.

Most plants like to be around 5-7 on the pH scale, which most of our soil is not hitting. Therefore, the majority of the plants in your landscape will not be upset by a little extra acid, particularly in a safe organic form and Holly-tone can help.

Lawns

Turfgrass is one of the biggest offenders for nonpoint pollution of excess nutrients in our waterways. For that reason, we have our important fertilizer ban in place through the rainy season, where much of the excess nutrients are leached into our lagoon.

During the drier portion of the year, turfgrass requires some inputs to get into neighbor envy shape.

Follow these tips to stay environmentally friendly while still achieving a healthy, green lawn:

• Have your soil tested. This will let you know right off the bat if you need to be fertilizing at all. If your turfgrass shows an adequate level of phosphorous, you do not need to add it. Choose an environmentally friendly option that has a “0” for the middle number on the front of the bag, like Epsoma Organic Lawn Food.

• Apply at the correct time. You only want to apply fertilizer when your grass is actively growing. Even here in Florida, grass will slow down (even go dormant) in the Winter months. You likely will not need to fertilize as often during that time. If rain is in the forecast, you also want to avoid fertilizing as the chances of it leaching off with the excess rainwater is much higher.

• Use the correct amount. Make sure you use the recommended amount on the package you buy. As a general rule, you do not want to apply more than 1 pound of Nitrogen per 1,000 square feet.

If doing the math makes you want to break into a cold sweat, play it safe and choose a slow-release fertilizer, which will take much longer to get to work, but will provide the same level of nutrition in a safer form.

• Watch out for weed and feeds. These can do more harm than good, especially if your landscape planting roots extend into your lawn. Liquid nitrogen fertilizers are also not recommended as the chance of burning your grass rises significantly with use.

• Watch the Water. Overwatering is just as common in the cooler months and it can be hard to get the irrigation right. For best results, apply at the early morning hours so the blades have time to dry during the day. You want to apply enough water to get to those roots, to encourage deeper development. In Winter, you will need to water less. This means perhaps every 10-14 days instead of every few days like in the prime of Summer.

Fertilizing properly helps keep your plants vigorous which in turn helps deter pests and disease while encouraging flower and fruit production. Visit our composting blog series (here and here) on how to create your own natural fertilizer and take care to use slow release, environmentally friendly options to keep your lawn green and your plants happy.

By Amanda Rose Newton

Vermicomposting, also known as worm composting, is an easy way to speed up the composting process we discussed last week. Even better, this is a technique that is adaptable for almost any living space, whether you occupy a house or a studio apartment!

Vermicomposting Basics

With regular composting, dry and moist materials come together and decompose over time, freeing up valuable nutrients happily taken up by plants. When you layer your compost components and add in worms to the mix, their feeding activity puts this process in the fast lane and greatly reduces compost time from start to finish. You might have seen worm castings for sale (and usually not for cheap, either) which is essentially worm manure. Like all manure, it is rich with nitrogen and other elements necessary for plant growth and resilience which serves as a natural way to increase vigor in your garden.

The Best Worms for The Job

Not all worms are created equal when it comes to composting efficiency. You want to make sure you purchase RED WIGGLERS, as these tend to be the most robust and have the best success rate in compost quality. There are several places locally you can find worms locally, including our friends Suzanne and Andrew at Funky Chicken Farm.

Setting Up Your Vermicompost Bin

You know those plastic totes they sell at just about every big box store? They happen to make the best affordable homes for housing worms. Just grab a drill (or a hammer with a few nails) to create several holes in the top lids and the bottom of the container.

How to create a vermicompost bin:

1. Set one of your pre-drilled containers on top of 2 bricks (or wooden blocks) with the lid of the container arranged underneath

2. Fill the container with:

• Moistened shredded newspaper
• Food scraps
• 1 lb. of worms!

3. Place a second container of the same size, predrilled, on top of the compost layers and top with lid.

This unique 2 bin system allows ease of separating compost from worms. When the bottom compost is ready, simply start adding scraps and newspaper to the top container, to encourage worms to travel upward through the pre-drilled holes into the new container. Then, you simply move the contents from the bottom to the soon to be happy plants in your garden beds.

Liquid Gold

Remember that bottom lid? That has been diligently collecting run-off from the bottom container, which is a nutritional powerhouse. Also known as compost tea, the liquid portion of your compost is just as valuable as its solid counterpart. It gets its name from its brown tea-like coloration and is a great natural nutrition boost when poured over your thirsty plants. When the tray is full, simply transfer to another container or apply directly to your garden beds.

Worm Bin Dos and Don’ts:

Do:

• Include food scraps, including seaweed, oyster shells, and eggshells
• Toss in natural fibers, such as old cotton t-shirts, socks, yarn, twine, and string
• Add in non-glossy paper products, like cardboard, old junk mail, envelopes
• Recycle coffee grounds, tea leaves, and tea bags (sans staple)
• If you have pets that shed a lot, feel free to add their hair or feathers to the mix
• The lint from your dryer is also compostable, so throw that in, too!
• Keep a top layer of cardboard or sawdust on your compost to cut down on odors

Don’t:

• Include citrus peels, juice, or oils!
• Garlic and onions are also a no go in compost. As a rule, if it makes you smell, it will make your bin smell, too!
• Add in any animal products! This includes bones, oil, butter, and grease.
• Plastic does not degrade well, nor does glossy paper like magazines or stickers.
• Despite intuitive thinking, bread and yeast containing products tend to not be ideal for compost bins, either.
• Throw in any treated wood, animal feces, or infested plants. All of these pose a threat both to your worms and your garden beds.

Tips for Success

1. Keep a ratio of roughly 70% browns to 30% greens for odor control and speed of decomposition (see Part 1 of this series for a definition of greens and browns)
2. Freeze your food scraps for 24 hours prior to adding to the bin. This trick will reduce the likelihood of fruit flies (who are smell oriented) from laying eggs in your compost.
3. Worms, like us, need air circulation. Make sure you aerate your compost by turning it in the bin once a week.
4. It is possible to overfeed the worms! If it seems like they are taking longer than usual to break down food, they might be overwhelmed. Cut back on your additions to the pile and you should start seeing the scrap pile going down.

By Amanda Rose Newton

Why Compost?

Most of us are at least vaguely familiar with composting and that it is generally deemed a good exercise to engage in. How and where to start is often not as clear.

To help you in your journey as we all try to make the move towards sustainability, part 1 of this 2-part blog series covers the basics of composting and how to start.

What is Composting?

Compost is defined as a mixture that mostly consists of organic matter that can be used to improve the condition of your soil.

In other words, it’s basically homemade plant food you help generate! This can include food scraps, parts of produce you do not eat, old newspaper, wood chips, leaves from the yard, straw, grass clippings, and even coffee grounds.

Not only does it cut down on your own trash, but the decomposing materials release valuable nutrients that reenergize the soil and bring life to your plants. A win-win for gardeners everywhere!

How to Start Composting

One of the biggest misconceptions about the compost world is that one needs a lot of space to get started. Even city dwellers can create compost if the proper reciprocal and approaches are used. Identifying which will work best for your situation is the first step.

• If you have a backyard- You have options! You have space to use just about any method you desire, whether that is to simply start a pile in an underutilized corner of the yard or if you want to build a wooden bin to keep it more contained, you can do it.

Ideally, compost needs warm temperatures, but you want to avoid placing in a direct sun environment. As most Floridians know- there is such a thing as too hot!

Placing the pile far from your home is ideal if odors are a concern.

• No backyard- Apartment and townhome dwellers, do not despair! You can get crafty and come up with some innovative bins. My most successful venture with composting was using a bin designed for urban spaces, which they sell at various specialty shops online.

If you are more of a D.I.Y. kind of person, you can get creative with recyclable materials (think old butter tubs, coffee cans, etc) to create an ideal place for food scraps.

You can choose to store this under the sink in a cabinet or out on a porch/balcony where it will stay at an ideal temperature.

Choosing a Compost Container

You can use just about anything you want as a compost container! The overall idea is that by placing compostable materials in an enclosed system, you will be able to control the air flow, water, and temperature of the pile.

Here is a short list of the many common items that can be transformed as composting stations:

OUTDOOR:
• Old trashcans with holes punched in lids and bottoms
• Cardboard boxes (twofer- it will naturally break down)
• Plastic totes (10-gallon size or larger)
• Purchased Composting tumblers
*For outdoor piles, you can always just keep it uncontained and go container-free.

INDOOR:
• Coffee cans with holes in the lid
• Butter tubs with holes in the lid
• Old pots with lids
• Small indoor trashcans
• Purchased “urban” composter

What do you need to make compost happen?

Now that you have your container picked out, you can get to the fun part! All compost needs the following to be successful

Decomposers:

These guys are what does a lot of the breaking down of larger particles. Worms, fungi, insects, and bacteria all fall into this category.

Food for the Decomposers: in the form of Browns and Greens

Browns and Greens?!

While most plant material is compostable, the right mix can speed up your time from scraps to compost and cut down on odor potential.

To keep it simple, materials are either grouped in the “brown” or “green” category.

Browns Include high carbon-containing materials and as the term suggests, tend to be earthy in color.

Greens are rich in nitrogen, which aids in plant growth and tend to be material we associate with life and vibrancy (green).

Browns decay at a slower rate, which can help balance the fast-moving greens. By mixing your browns and greens, you are helping to control the temperature, air flow, and breakdown rate of the compost.

Here is a quick list of common items that fall into the two categories:

Browns: Mulch, Sawdust, Straw, Animal Bedding, Leaves, paper

Greens: vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, grass clippings, eggshells

What Can’t You Compost?

Fortunately, the list of what you CAN compost is longer than the list of those you cannot. Here is a handy quick list of materials to avoid in your bin, whether it is indoors or out.

Items NOT to Compost

• Oils, fats, animal products (including dairy)- These simply do not break down well
• Unwashed eggshells-Make sure you wash all eggshells before composting, as unwashed can harbor harmful bacteria
• Weeds- If you are putting your compost directly into plant beds or raised gardens, you run the risk of reintroducing weeds in the form of seeds if included in the mix.
• Cat or Dog waste- Although many kinds of manure are considered okay to compost, pet manure breaks down differently and tends to attract pests to the pile.
• Diseased plant material- Even if it’s a dead plant, the fungal spores or bacterial pathogens can still be present and make their way into the pile to wreak havoc again in your garden.

When is compost ready?

After you have been adding to your pile for a few weeks, you will start to notice larger pieces becoming less visible and major shrinkage in volume.

Once the color becomes a dark, rich color that naturally clumps in your hands, you have something that plants will flourish in!

Here are two simple tests you can do to ensure your compost is indeed, garden-ready:

1. The Bag Test
This is as simple as it sounds. Place some of your compost into a sealed plastic bag for a day. After the 24 hours have passed, open it up and take a whiff! Completed compost should smell earthy, not stinky! If it smells like food waste, sour, or anything but soil-like, it needs more time.

2. The Germination Test
As mentioned, compost is literally food for your plants. This should make a happy environment for any young seedling to flourish in, and that is what the germination test is all about. If it has the adequate nutrient supply from breaking down a variety of decomposing organic matter, it should be able to support the life of a plant. To test, sow seeds into compost alone and see if anything sprouts. If it grows, it’s good to go!

Troubleshooting Odors
Odors are the biggest complaint I hear about those new to the world of composting. Since you are now an expert on the relationship between browns and greens, you can use that knowledge to quickly put an end to stinky situations.

Rotten Odors. Too little airflow is usually behind those putrid egg smells wafting from the compost bin. Luckily, this can be easily resolved by good old fashioned, compost flipping! Turning your compost over and exposing new areas to the surface help break it up and get the air flowing.

They even sell crank-operated compost bins where all you need to do is turn the lever ever so often to get the air moving. Another solution is to add more browns to help slow those fast-acting greens down!

The balance of carbon and nitrogen will help absorb some of the access moisture which might also be a culprit.

Ammonia Odors. If your pile is taking on a strong ammonia scent, likely too many nitrogen’s filled greens are to blame.

Make sure you add in extra browns and try to keep an even balance to reduce the excess nitrogen present in your bin. Turning the pile will also help with releasing gases and reducing moisture.

Now that you know the basics of creating, storing, and troubleshooting compost, you can confidently start wasting less produce, spending less on fertilizers, and adopting more sustainable landscape practices that will reward you with beautiful plants and biodiversity.

Next week we will take our compost game up a notch and explore vermicomposting and compost tea to continue down the path towards a more sustainable home garden.

By Amanda Rose Newton

Monarch butterflies will be making their final pass for the season through Central Florida in the next few weeks as they continue southward to their destination in Mexico.

While still on the endangered list, monarchs are slowly rebuilding their population thanks to the rise in interest in the beautiful butterfly countrywide.

Milkweed once merely thought of as a plant suited to roadside ditches has become the best-selling plant at many nurseries, including ours.

For Florida residents, this is not the first instance of the state coming together to support a declining species. By reducing light pollution and carefully preserving beachside habitat, sea turtle numbers have recovered drastically, thanks to community-level support.

Endangered species, such as the Monarch butterfly, (still on the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s Federally Endangered List as of this posting), need our support to continue to make their amazing trek across the continent. If you are crazy about monarchs read on for information on what you can do to help our winged visitors.

Plant the Right Milkweed

Most butterfly enthusiasts know that all monarch caterpillars need milkweed, and a lot of it, to make it to adulthood. By planting more milkweed, gardeners are helping to support populations by supplying the necessary ingredients for life.

Season after season, you are likely to see greater traffic from visiting monarchs, as well as a host of unanticipated life! For more on the fascinating world of milkweed ecology, and how to ensure a nursery is not using pesticides, read our blog here!

However, research in the last decade indicates that the type of milkweed planted could have huge implications for monarch success. Given our location in sunny warm Florida, what we plant could directly play into migratory behavior.

Native Plants Matter

If you have the option, plant native species of milkweed!

Though harder to locate, our native species are equally as enticing and exotic to the monarchs and follow our seasons (what little we have of them) in Florida.

This means that come winter, it will die back to the ground, as they are meant to do. Monarchs travel to Mexico to breed and know to leave the area when the food reserves are low.

By planting natives, you are continuing the tradition and going with the flow of nature, as intended.

What About Tropical Milkweed?

Tropical milkweed has been a controversial topic in the nursery world recently. A decade’s worth of research from the University of Georgia and University of Minnesota reports on the likelihood that planting the species can do more harm in good, especially in warm climates like Florida.

Having a food source available year-round is like having a box of donuts left open on the break room counter…you know you are going back for another!

This has led to many Monarchs overwintering, and in times when we do get a cold snap here in the central part of the state, they will not survive.

As a result, Rockledge Gardens has decided to do our part and not carry milkweed during the winter months and will have it ready for you to purchase next spring.

I know many of us currently already have this planted in our yards and don’t worry! It’s okay! Just cut it back in October and it will be back next year, in time for the natural cyclic rotation of monarchs.

Protozoan OE

One of the reasons tropical milkweed is so concerning is the potential role it plays in the spread of this harmful pathogen (Satterfiled et al. 2015).

When monarchs do not migrate, they end up laying their eggs on the same plants repeatedly throughout the season. This can lead to a build-up of spores deposited by infected monarchs which can increase the prevalence of diseased butterflies seen, and that is what we have been observing in recent years, especially in overwintering sites in South Florida.

Migratory populations show fewer infection rates as a whole, supporting this idea (Batalden & Oberhauser, 2015). Instead of helping with the rise, we are contributing to the fall of populations by giving harboring sites for disease.

What Else Can You Do to Support Monarchs?

Consider Replanting Tropical Milkweed with Native Milkweed- As natives are becoming more available statewide and with helpful tools like the plant locator available from the Florida Native Plant Association website (www.fann.org) it is easier than ever to go native.

Replacing your tropical species little by little can end up having a large impact on monarch longevity.

Educate! – We all want to do right by the monarchs, and education is the first step towards success. Spread the word to fellow gardeners and promote growers producing natives. Have a good plant source? We want to know, too!

Become a Citizen Scientist- Become a monarch advocate by participating in monarch tagging and OE testing in your community. Monarch watch can supply you or your group with official monarch tags to help assess the numbers of butterflies completing their journey (www.monarchwatch.org). If you are interested in contributing to the data available on OE infection, we have a limited number of test kits available that can be used next spring when the monarchs are back in town. Kits are also available through the monarch parasite website (www.monarchparasites.org).

Make Your Yard a Monarch Station- Bring attention to both the monarchs and your beautiful yard by applying to be a monarch waystation. In order to be approved, you must have a healthy supply of both nectar and host plants as well as a commitment to using natives when possible. Signs and information are available at www.monarchwatch.org

References and Resources
Oberhauser, K., Nail, K., & Altizer, S. (Eds.). (2015). Monarchs in a Changing World: Biology and Conservation of an Iconic Butterfly. Ithaca; London: Cornell University Press.
Satterfield, D. A., Maerz, J. C., & Altizer, S. (2015). Loss of migratory behavior increases infection risk for a butterfly host. Proceedings. Biological Sciences, 282(1801), 20141734. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.1734
Malcolm SB, Cockrell B, Brower L. 1993. Spring recolonization of eastern North America by the monarch butterfly: successive brood or single sweep migration? In Biology and conservation of the monarch butterfly (eds SB Malcolm, MP Zalucki), pp. 253–267. Los Angeles, CA: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles

https://monarchjointventure.org/

https://flawildflowers.org/monarch-milkweed/
www.monarchwatch.org
www.monarchparastites.com

By Amanda Rose Newton

Here in Florida, Fall is the time to get back into the garden. It marks the return of many of our favorite flowers, edibles, and pollinators.

We are all familiar with Apis mellifera, our domestic honeybee but what about the other 200 species likely to come through Brevard County? You read that right: 200 species!

Many of them are incredibly tiny, they all make significant contributions to our native fruit, vegetable, and ornamental crops and as gardeners, this is something we can get excited about.

Unlike our honeybee, most of the bees you will meet below are not truly “social” bees meaning they do not show the same caste system and hive comradery we have come accustomed to associating with bees. Most prefer to stay out of the way and generally specialize in one plant, making it essential to encourage their presence if growing any of the plants they favor.

Here is a brief scope of some of the more common bees you may get (or want to entice) in your yard this year:

Southeastern Blueberry Bee: (Habropoda laboriosa) Get its name from, you guessed it, pollinating blueberries! These pale blue-grey bees are only active a few short weeks during blueberry season. The female blueberry bee will vibrate her flight muscles to loosen the pollen from the interior flower. This also is a messy process, and she ends up easily transmitting pollen from one flower to the next allowing for incredibly efficient pollination.

Mason Bees: (Megachilidae) These bees truly are the “builders” of the native bee group. They utilize mud and leaves to create nests in holes in rotting wood or logs. It has become popular for local growers to carry mason bee nests which can help promote these bees to one’s yard. They pollinate a variety of crops from orchard fruits to orchids and are quite coveted among farmers. They are easily identified by their iridescent sheen and streaks of pollen on their underside. Unlike most bees, they do not carry pollen on their back legs, but rather tucked under their bellies!

Squash Bees: (Peponapsis. sp) Are responsible for pollinating the flowers of squash, pumpkins, melons, and cucumbers and should be a welcome visitor to your garden. They are roughly the size of a honey bee but are easily distinguished by their long antennae and distinct behaviors. They tend to get up at the crack of dawn, when the squash flowers open, to start harvesting pollen. Honeybees tend to stroll in much later in the day, during the warm part of the afternoon. They are so into their crop of choice that they make their nests directly underneath the ground below the flowering portion of the plant.

Sweat Bees: (Hatictidae) You have likely seen these metallic critters nearby after a hard day’s work in the garden. They are attracted to the mineral component of your sweat, hence the name, and tend to get a “little friendly”. They are solitary bees that choose nesting sites in rotting logs and prefer alkaline soil. They are particularly good at pollinating crops that favor these soil types, Alfalfa being the main one. Farmers will even go out of their way to develop alkaline soil to attract them!

Miner Bees: (Andrenidae) These shy ground nesting bees are a dark black or reddish brown and smaller than the average honeybee. Miners are some of the first bees you will see as spring starts ramping up. They are solely responsible for the pollination of Azaleas, which honeybees do not tend to visit. Azaleas keep their pollen tucked away and like the squash blooms, must be shaken out to be accessed.

Attracting Natives to Your Yard

Now that you are more familiar with a small sampling of the vast number of bees present in the county, you may be interested in using their special abilities to your benefit. In addition to the plants mentioned above, many of the other flowering plants commonly admired by honeybees serve as powerful attractants as well. As a general rule in choosing native plants that bees may enjoy is whether it smells good to you. Bees, like us humans, have a bit of a sweet tooth and tend to gravitate to the flowers that smell sweet and are high nectar producing. Plants to consider:

• Goldenrod
• Coreopsis

• Indigo
• Purple Coneflower
• False Rosemary
• Asters

Another route is to create your own home for native bees. As mentioned, most natives are solitary and certain species, particularly mason bees, create nesting sites within wood. You can create a replica of this model inexpensively in a day using two common methods.

Create a home for Native Florida Bees

• Tying hollow bamboo poles or hollow sticks together makes an ideal easy to access nest site for bees. It is self-explanatory and can be displayed horizontally anywhere in the garden.
• Drilling holes into a woodblock at a certain distance apart and depth. There are detailed plans for this all over the internet that can easily be completed in a day.

Those who work with youth should also keep in mind this is an excellent project to get young people involved in.

Interested in learning more? Be sure to tune in to our pollinator webinar series all month long! Next Sunday, we cover all things native pollinating insects!

Remember to think of the native bees when beginning to plan your spring and summer gardens!

By Amanda Rose Newton

If I had to choose, September would be my vote for the best month to garden in Brevard County. Not only are the temperatures cooling off, but now that hectic beginning of the school year schedules are calming down, there is time to get back outdoors and in the garden.

If you are wondering what you can and cannot plant this month, you have an overwhelming number of options! To help steer you in the right direction, we will share our favorite seeds to start this month, as well as a sampling of vegetables, herbs, and fruits ready to go in the ground now.

Get your trowels ready!

Seeds

With seeds, you have a couple of choices. You can start them indoors in a sunny window or you can sow them directly into the ground or raised bed. The list included here allows flexibility with both options.

If starting indoors, make sure to choose a soil-less germination mix, as that will be nice and light, which is ideal for new seedlings. Once the first leaves have sprung and the stem is a few centimeters in diameter, you can transplant to the outdoors. Be sure to read the instructions on the seed package for specifics on when to expect seedlings to be transplant-ready!

Vegetable Seeds

• Garbanzos, Bush Lake Blue, Roma, and Cherokee Wax Beans
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Chinese Cabbage
• Collards
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Endive
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Mustard Greens
• Onions, bunching
• Peppers (sweet and hot)
• Radish
• Spinach
• Summer Squash
• Swiss Chard
• Tomatoes
• Turnips

Shop our Seeds here

Herb Seeds to Plant

• Anise
• Basil
• Borage
• Chervil
• Coriander
• Dill Fennel
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Parsley
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Thyme

Shop our Herbs here

Fruit Seeds

• Strawberries

Seedlings

If you are more on team instant gratification, there are plenty of more mature plants you can plant sooner than later. Our picks:
• Arugula
• Beets
• Brussels sprouts
• Broccoli
• Collards
• Eggplant
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Peppers
• Strawberry
• Tomatoes
• Basil
• Coriander
• Parsley
• Dill
• Fennel

If you are looking for something different:

Longevity Spinach

African Blue Basil

Black-eyed Pea

Jack-O-Lanterns

Planting Success

If you are lucky enough to have containers or a raised bed, creating an ideal environment for your herbs, veggies, and small fruits is a breeze.
Use a good quality mix designed for raised beds, like our garden soil mix, which contains healthy amendments like compost while still being lightweight.

Speaking of compost, if you have it, use it! Garden veggies LOVE compost and it might be the only fertilization you need. If you want to give your new plants an extra boost, consider using liquid Seaweed, which is a safe, easy to use fertilizer that gives a dose of minerals and vitamins. And as always, chop n’ drop your old plant material.

Pests and Diseases

Bugs and Fungi love vegetables as much as we do. In order to keep control of your garden, be sure to diligently keep an eye out for pests, and only use chemical controls (make sure safe to use on edibles) as a last resort.

For more information on managing pests, check out our blog on home garden integrated pest management.

If you have been dreaming of a bounty of fresh produce, the time is now! Get the most out of the harvest season by planting your seeds and seedlings this month.

By Amanda Rose Newton

With every season change, we see a change in the variety of plants present in our landscape. One plant’s expiration date is another plant’s beginning.

Those deceased plants can still offer a wealth of service in your garden, as, through the magic of decomposition, the available nutrients are slowly leached into the soil, ready to be taken up by hungry new plants.

This garden practice is well known in the Agriculture and Permaculture world as, “chop n’ drop”.

What is Chop N’ Drop?

This is certainly one of those instances where the name says it all! You “chop” (or cut) the old plant material and “drop” it on the ground. This is mimicking what plants would do if undisturbed in nature. When plants die (or dieback), old material falls to the ground, decomposes, and contributes food for the soil organisms (fungi, bacteria, and animals) while resulting in that beautiful compost-like humic layer. This method also keeps the roots in the soil, where they aid in keeping everything held together as well as keep those needed air pockets for other plants to access.

WHEN is the right time to chop n’ drop?

While the concept might make sense and seem simple, with anything, there are times when it is appropriate to use this method and times when it is not. Follow the tips below to get a feel for when you should remove dead material or leave it to aid in garden health and vitality.

Best Plants for Chopping and Dropping

Plants that tend to have deep tap root systems, produce a lot of leafy material, and fix nitrogen are the IDEAL choices for this practice.

Deep Root Plants-Those deep-reaching roots can surpass some of the smaller, more fibrous roots of your garden veggies. By leaving them in the ground as is, you are giving other plants access to the accumulation of nutrients that have accumulated.

Nitrogen Fixers- Perennial legumes are known to fix nitrogen in such a way that it is easy for any plant to easily access. They often store excess nitrogen in their root nodules, when a plant is pruned, it sends those nutrients to the top of the plant and keeps accumulating more at the lower level, making other plants happy as well.

Herbs and Grasses- Low-lying plants like herbs, are also common to see in chop n’ drop practice. They act as a “green mulch” which serves the same purpose of the traditional mulches purchased. Not only are the new plants benefiting from protection from erosion and weather, but the herbs will also break down to provide extra nutrition over time.

Top 5 Plants for Chop N Drop
Here is our shortlist for plants to start you on your plant recycling journey.

1. Pigeon Pea– This quick-growing legume is the chop n’ drop classic. Many grow it just for this purpose, as it produces a lot of biomass (leafy material) in a short amount of time. It also happens to be a legume; whose roots are hard at work accumulating nitrogen that will live on after they are gone.

2. Moringa– It is everywhere these days, with good reason! Not only does it have numerous health benefits, it grows quickly leaving an abundance of leafy material for you to harvest and have enough remaining for a beautiful green mulch.

3. Nasturtiums– Speaking of green mulch, nasturtiums make for an especially attractive one. When planted with taller plants, they act as a natural barrier as is, even when alive, and when they die out during the hot months, provide excellent biomass.

4. Lupine- another legume, this one is an especially attractive addition to the garden that brings in the pollinators as well. Like the pigeon pea, it fixes nitrogen at the root level, which will be accessible even after the plant dies back.

5. Lemon Grass– Maybe not the first plant that comes to mind, but the biomass from one plant is substantial! This makes lemongrass a great groundcover/green mulch option.

While those are some examples of plants that can be used for chop n’ drop, just about ANY plant you prune, and drop will be beneficial.

Do be sure that none of the material is showing signs of fungus or bugs, as these can be transmitted to other areas of the garden unintentionally.

For more information on the practice of sanitation, hop on over to the Fall Prep blog that covers when and how to keep your garden healthy.

So the next time you are removing dead plants or pruning back overgrown limbs, save yourself some work, and simply chop n’ drop it! Your plants may be happier as a result!

By Amanda Rose Newton

Now that it is September in zone 9b Florida, the intense heat of the summer will soon be behind us.

For us gardeners, this means we can get back outside and start planning our edible gardens. Before you do so, consider doing a little cleaning around the landscape. Doing a little bit of work now can save you hours once your garden is in full swing.

If cleaning happens to not be, your favorite chore (and really, who loves it?) just remember it is the equivalent of studying over time rather than cramming the night before the exam. You will be glad you started early!

Fall Garden Cleaning Tips

With temperatures reaching the mid-90s in August, you may have let your garden be a bit more overgrown than usual. Now is the time to survey the landscape and remove any debris such as fallen leaves, excess weeds, and trim back unruly shrubs and trees. Not only will it make your garden more aesthetically pleasing, but it will also help eliminate places where disease and pests can persist season to season.

Putting down a fresh layer of mulch will also help maintain soil moisture and temperature with the added benefit of reducing weeds.

Garden Bed Care

Just as in the scenario above, plants with dead material should be removed in order to reduce hiding places for pests and diseases. Plants that are diseased should also be taken out, bagged, and thrown out. While dead plant material is a great addition to the compost bin, be sure to not include those with diseases as the spores can persist throughout the season.

Compost piles do not put out enough heat to sufficiently kill most pathogens such as fungi, bacteria, and viruses that may be the cause of disease. Fruit and berries (even frond seed pods) can attract pests to breed. Many flies, in particular, like to lay their eggs in fallen, rotting fruit, which keeps the pest cycle going month after month.

Crop Rotation

Rotating the vegetables and fruit you plant in your edible beds is a great way to reduce and break the disease cycle. Though commonly used in large-scale agriculture, it can easily be replicated by the home gardener. An example rotation would include starting with a heavy feeder, such as tomatoes, and moving to a light feeder such as lettuce. Once the lettuce has been harvested, a legume (bean of any kind) can be planted to fix nitrogen and reinvigorate the soil with needed nutrients taken up by the tomato and lettuce. Not only does it help reduce the amount of fertilization you must do, switching out your plant families helps prevent diseases from constantly plaguing certain plants.

Sample Crop Rotation:

Ornamental Plant Care

Removing weak sections of hedges also does wonders to reduce bringing pests and diseases to the yard. Most diseases are opportunistic and tend to favor easy targets, like your hedges with dead sections.
If your lawn is in pristine condition, consider saving your clippings to act as a green mulch. When mixed with chopped up leaves, this creates a green mulch that can be added to your garden beds. Not only will it add nutrients, but it will also serve a similar role to wood chip mulch and become a weed block. When you find yourself in the mood to weed, have at it! Removing weeds helps improve the appearance of the garden and more importantly, prevents serving yet another harboring place for plant disease and pests to persist. In addition, they are known to raise humidity if left planted, which invites fungi to grow. Remove all weeds showing signs of disease immediately and destroyed in the same manner as plant material.

Sanitize It!

Sanitation, a term we are all too familiar with during the current state of our world, also plays a role in maintaining a happy, healthy garden.

Your garden equipment can end up being an unintentional disease spreader. Be sure to disinfect tools such as pruners, trowels, and loopers between plants. A simple bleach water solution (1 part bleach to 3 parts water) will kill any bacteria or fungi present on the tool.

Practicing these simple steps year-round will not only improve the way your garden looks, but it will reduce your chore load from season to season.

By Amanda Rose Newton

We have all been there.

Just when you think everything is under control, fungi or pests decide to invade your garden!

The good news is there is a way to get ahead of the bugs and diseases BEFORE they start as well as manage those that are already making themselves at home.

Integrated pest management (IPM)

IPM is by no means a new tactic, as it has been integral in agriculture and urban pest control for decades, and it is certainly something home gardeners can benefit from as well.
IPM works by utilizing many different types of controls, from simply removing pests and weeds by hand to crop rotation.

This allows chemical controls to be used as a last resort, ensuring the productivity and diversity of your landscape that also happens to be inhospitable to pests.

IPM In Six Easy Steps

When you think about it, a pest is merely an organism you do not want.

For most of us in the garden, this means plant-feeding bugs, weeds, and disease-causing fungi and bacteria. All of us have different tolerances when it comes to pests and a few bugs on a shrub might not cause alarm to one but might not be an ideal curbside appeal for another. IPM allows you to design your own control program based on your unique needs in 6 easy steps.

1. Know Your Enemy

Proper ID is key! Knowing who or what you are dealing with allows you to select the right controls and tactics to help manage the problem. If you are unsure what is causing the damage, bring it into Rockledge Gardens! Our Information Specialists are always happy to have the challenge of diagnosing a potential plant problem. You can also visit our blog post looking at common plant problems in Brevard County.

2. Monitoring

This is as easy as just getting out and taking a stroll through your garden each evening. A simple walk around consistently allows for you to get to know your space, and be more likely to notice when things are not right.

Doing this practice BEFORE there is an issue, and continuing AFTER is recommended for best results. I highly recommend from experience, writing numbers of pests seen and on what plants to determine trends season to season. Armed with this knowledge, you will be able to make confident control selections.

3. Establish Thresholds

How much damage is too much? When the survival of the plant is severely jeopardized by the presence of a pest, it is time to take action. Different plants have different thresholds, and knowing your plants and pests aids in making the best judgement.

4. Preventing Problems

Simple acts like practicing good sanitation (clean up those dropped starfruit and toss those old plumeria leaves), using resistant cultivars, and creating habitat for natural enemies (that eat pests) all go a long way in creating a landscape that is not desirable to pests and pathogens.

A few Quick Tips:
o Always sterilize your tools between plants
o Make sure your compost/soil, etc. is free of weed seeds
o Purchase plants from a trusted nursery

5. Control

If you find yourself at the point of need to take action, you are not limited to purchasing an expensive chemical insecticide, herbicide, or fungicide. If you are concerned about maintaining the biodiversity, environmental integrity, and health of your yard, the following options offer a sustainable alternative.

Predators in the garden:

Believe it or not your yard likely already has predators of many of the undesirable insects in your garden. Ladybugs, Green Lacewings, Hoverflies, and Assassin bugs all feed voraciously on many soft-bodied pests such as mealybugs, whiteflies, scale, and thrips.

NOTE: Learning what bugs are “good” bugs as part of your IPM plan will help ensure you do not accidentally take out your own personal aphid eating machines.

Parasitoids: Wasps (and a few flies and beetles) have made a comfortable niche out of laying their eggs directly into a ready food source, caterpillars being the most common choice. Differing from parasites in that they kill their host eventually, proof they have been at work can be seen in mummified aphids or caterpillars with pupae on their backs.

Pathogens: Often referred to as biorational pesticides, these are generally beneficial pathogens or fungi that specifically target certain pests. Bacillus thurigiensis is a bacterium commonly used against the larval stage of insects such as caterpillars, grubs, or mosquito larva. It only harms that developmental stage and is relatively safe for pets, people, and the environment. It is commonly sold under the tradename “Bt” or “Thuricide”.

Chemical Controls: If you do find you must employ chemicals as a last resort, IPM programs suggest choosing the most specific, least toxic possible.

Botanically Based- This class relies on plant extracts that happen to work as natural pesticides and includes familiar products like Neem oil (from neem seeds), and Pyrethrin (from Chrysanthemums). Keep in mind these are NOT specific, and will harm a broad range of pests, including predators and parasitoids!

Preventatives- You are probably noticing that IPM programs LOVE stopping problems before they start. There are several fungicides, such as Copper, that can be applied to certain plants at the beginning of the growing season. Often, this slows down the ability for fungi to make their move.

6. Evaluate

This understated last step is the single most important. Integrated Pest Management does not stop when your problems are eliminated, it becomes an integral part of how you view your garden and influences the actions you take.

Create a garden journal (digital is fine, too) and record what you see season to season and year to year. You will be amazed at how useful a tool this is in determining what you plant, where you plant, and what steps to take to best solve all your garden problems. Seeing what did or didn’t work last year will help shape your ever-evolving management plan to support your growing efforts for continued success in the long haul.