Spring Seeds for Summer Harvest

Ready or not, Spring is almost upon us.  And here in our neck of the gardening world, we know all too well what a fleeting season it can be — barely out of its winter coat before the heat and mosquitoes arrive.  But for many, it’s the start of a favorite annual event:  the summer vegetable garden.

Winters are mild enough in North Florida that one can garden year-round, but Spring brings the promise of better things to come — green beans, basil, sweet potatoes, and, of course, the almighty tomato.

FRUIT OR VEGETABLE?

Tomatoes are perhaps the most versatile fruit in the world, and there’s nothing like the taste of a fresh-picked, home-grown one.  The plants can be finicky, though, leading many home gardeners to throw up their hands in defeat.  But with a little extra care you can improve your chances of success for this season.  First, tomatoes must have a sunny spot.  There are some plants that can skirt by with part sun, but tomatoes aren’t one of them.  Second, tomatoes like a rich but well-drained soil.  A lot of potting mixes are too heavy or high in nitrogen for tomatoes.  This leads to overgrowth of stalk and leaves, and not enough fruit or fruit that is soft and prone to rot.  

Tomatoes also like abundant soil phosphorous and calcium, so adding a bit of bone meal and pulverized egg shell at the time of planting helps give plants an edge up.  The nursery stocks a line of organic fertilizers by Espoma (including bone meal) that contain all the essential nutrients to help simplify gardening.  A couple of tomato varieties for container gardening are Homestead and Ciudad Victoria.  Because Homestead is a determinate-type tomato, it is a stockier, upright plant that doesn’t require staking or pruning.  Ciudad Victoria is an heirloom cherry-sized tomato that grows vigorously, trailing over the side of a pot if un-staked, and none the worse for it. It’s also an abundant producer, with clusters of one-bite tomatoes straight through the first frost. 

NO WAITING?

While you’re waiting for tomatoes and eggplant, now is the time to plant your coolweather starts like snap peas, spinach, lettuce (some already available at the nursery), and seed potatoes.

 

NO SPACE?

Just because you don’t have a lot of space doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the summer harvest.  Vegetable plants can easily be incorporated into your existing flower beds, and will benefit from the abundance of pollinators visiting your flowering ornamentals.

NO SUN?

If lack of sun is your trouble, a lettuce garden is still an option, as the tender leaves enjoy some shade in the heat of late spring and summer.  Even so, all of our lettuce varieties are slow to bolt and are tolerant of hotter conditions.

NEED CONTAINERS?

Salad gardens do wonderfully in containers.  A mix of lettuces, arugula, herbs, and nasturtiums not only makes a healthy salad combination but a beautiful arrangement.  You could even throw in some pansies or violas (their edible flowers brighten any salad) for a sureenough gourmet container garden.

CONTAINER HERBS?

Herbs are classic container plants, and we’ve got all the summer standards, from cilantro for your fresh salsa, to basil for pesto, to mint for refreshing iced tea.  You’re not the only one who likes tasty herbs.  Planting parsley and fennel provides healthy, established plants for those hungry butterfly larvae that come later in the year.

 

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Wormsmiths Earthworm Castings Organic Fertilizer

Wormsmiths Earthworm Castings Organic Fertilizer improves soil aeration and retention providing lasting benefits for all plant growth.  Our worms are fed a grain mixture, which contains a wide variety of minerals and trace elements making our castings higher in nitrogen than other leading brands.  Mix Worm Castings with shredded coir or peat moss to transform sandy soil into rich, fertile, water-retaining soil almost overnight.

• Non-toxic
• Naturally Odor Free
• Can be directly applied to plants
• Slow-release and non-burning
• Improves soil aeration and retention
• Castings are not composted, mixed or diluted
• Repels white flies, aphids, spider mites
• Environmentally safe for all plants, animals and humans.
• Water soluble

Wormsmiths, LLC is a family owned/operated business based out of Tallahassee Florida.  Established in 2005 by Evelyn and Vincent Smith, the  Wormsmiths are dedicated to quality products and personal service.  Visit our website coming soon at www.wormsmiths.com .

Wormsmiths LLC 850-519-7157 (phone)
Vincent and Evelyn Smith, Owners
Micah Bradley, Sales and Marketing

 

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SATURDAY GARDENING

Expand your knowledge of home gardening on a Saturday!  Whether you live in town or at the coast, our Saturday classes will provide you with all you need to nurture your own vegetable or herb garden.

SATURDAY CLASS SCHEDULE:  Class begins at 10am.  Call (850) 926-8335 to reserve a seat, or just come by on a Saturday morning.

Saturday, April 11th:  Warm Weather Containers

Landscape designer Ed Blissard will show you how to create beautiful and lasting container gardens for your porch, patio, and landscape.  Bring in pictures of your yard, containers to be planted, and of course, your imagination.

Saturday, April 25th:  Gardening At the Coast

Michelle Roberts, nursery manager and coastal resident, will share her tips for succeeding with a coastal garden.  Michelle will discuss what plants and
gardening methods work best in the hot sun and dry sand at the coast.  Bring your pictures and questions.

Saturday, May 2nd:  Get Your Children Ready for Mother ’s Day

Bring your children to the nursery at any time on Saturday to create a handmade gift for Mom!  Children will be able to choose from a terra cotta bird feeder, a natural gourd bird house, or a terra cotta pot that they will transform into a special gift for mom.  We will supply all the materials.  Once your children have created their masterpiece, our staff will let them dry and coat them with a protective lacquer.  Your one-of-a-kind Mother’s Day gift will be available for pick up the following Saturday, May 9th...  just in time to surprise Mom!  This activity costs $15 per child, which includes the gift item of their choice, all the materials needed to decorate the gift, and a protective coating.  RSVP by April 29th by calling 926-8335.

Those who participate in classes at Purple Martin are eligible for discounts on plant and accessory purchases on the day of class!   Click here to download coupons for class participant discounts at Purple Martin Nurseries!

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LOCAL FARMER'S MARKET

In conjunction with the Leon and Wakulla County Extension Offices and Florida A&M’s Small Farm Programs, Purple Martin Nurseries is excited to announce, coming soon, the new farmer’s market.  Every Tuesday afternoon, rain or shine at 3 p.m. 

The Tuesday farmer’s market will help foster a sense of community in the Wakulla and Leon County area.  It will support  local small-scale gardeners whose knowledge and presence has become all too rare.  The market will focus on sustainable, organic farming methods to encourage an attitude of land stewardship and offer the local community quality, healthy food.

Ideally, the Tuesday market will help complete a wider food network that joins existing markets, providing a consistent, substantial source of local and seasonal goods for consumers and a profitable marketplace for small growers.  The Farmer’s Market and Purple Martin strive to be a dedicated vehicle for improved health, commerce, and local cooperation – one that supports organic gardeners and pools the wider resources of our shared community. The first Farmers Market will be held on Tuesday, May 5th at 3pm at the Purple Martin Nurseries.

 

Interested growers (no resale, please) should contact FAMU’s Dr. Jennifer Taylor for more information (850-412-5260; This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it ). You may also contact Purple Martin Nurseries, located on Crawfordville Hwy in Crawfordville, for updated information on the market (850-926-8335).  

COME VISIT THE MARTIN

Visit the nursery to get a complete list of vegetable availability and gardening tips.  Happy gardening, and we’ll see you at the nursery.