FL summer gardening ideas - best tasting & productive vegetables/herbs

[Coconut Cream]

The most vigorous and productive summer crop I ever planted here was Mavuno Cow Pea from Cody Cove Farm. Those things grew so much they took over the world, and they even did a little bit of climbing, despite their reputation as a ground-only vine. They produced a ton of beans and didn't care at all about the sandy soil. The problem I had was the constant need to trim the growth and ultimately I pulled them out. I was hoping to enrich the soil with the "green mulch" concept and nitrogen-fixing properties but I didn't notice much of an improvement in the areas I planted it versus just adding composted manure.

Has anyone had luck with growing taro? What conditions have given you good results?

[Galatians522]

Has anyone had luck with growing taro? What conditions have given you good results?

I have only grown upland Taro. I think that is mostly what is available here. It likes as much organic matter as is feasibly possible and lots of water and fertilizer. Build swales 4' appart. The depth does not make that much difference just as long as it gathers the water to the low point (I think mine are 8"-10" deep). Fertilize and lime the bottom of the swale where the taro will get planted just like for any typical garden crop (1/2 cup of balanced fertilizer like 6-6-6 for every 10' of row). Plant the huli (taro planting pieces) 3' appart in the bottom of the swale. I like long huli (about 12"). Set them about 10" deep so just the top 1-2" sticks out above the ground. Mulch everything with 6" of oak leaves or other lose mulch and keep well watered. Harvest as needed when the main corm starts dying back. Plant in a new location the following year to prevent nematodes from building up. You can go back to the original bed in the 3rd year. This is what has worked for me. You may need to make some adjustments at your specific site or based on your growing preferences.

[DavidBYE]

I plant taro with the bananas. They love some shade, lots of food and water. Some are five feet high. They also pup really well.

[Coconut Cream]

I have only grown upland Taro. I think that is mostly what is available here.

Wow, thank you for the detailed response. That's why I haven't really done well with it. I can see how having a wet trench area would really make them happy and productive, but I don't think I can make that happen in my yard, especially rotating locations. As far as sun requirement, is full sun ok or do they prefer more dappled light?

I would love to plant them in the understory of my banana patch, that would look so tropical. Maybe I'll give that a shot since it's probably the wettest plantable area that I have.

[Galatians522]

David is 100% right. Taro likes the same conditions as banana. It would probably do well for you there. Like I said, you may need to adjust my recipee some for your conditions and style and that is fine. It can be grown in full sun if you give it lots of water (may need to water multiple times per day). However, shade is fine and probably better for most people. Taro and Malanga are the only root crops that I know of that can be grown under the shade of an oak tree and still produce a meaningful crop.

[DavidBYE]

Best thing I have done for the banana, taro guild is ash. Either from charcoal or wood. It makes them go from average to giant in about a month. I have piled mulch, kitchen scraps, chop & drop, compost, chicken mature, 10 10 10, miracle grow and any other source of food I can throw at them but never had results like ash. It is like turning on the growth switch. Always lots of water, they love water.
During our wet season, Taro grows in the ditches here.

[CrowdedTown]

The only vegetable I grow during the summer is chaya AKA tree spinach. We have been  trying different things to make with it. Everything from adding it to eggs to a pretty decent swiss chard substitute. Nice thing is once the plants mature you get a lot of leaves. Its fairly pest resistant, the  Sri Lankan weevils, aphids,squirrels and rabbits so far have not touched any of the plants. Maybe due to the sap and the need to boil the leaves before they are safe to eat.

I tried growing longevity spinach. It grows well here but is a slug and snail magnet. Plus the leaves are a bit slimy when cooked. I can't eat it raw .

[BajaJohn]

Just harvested sweet potatoes grown over the summer in a subtropical arid climate. I plant them around June mostly for ground cover and compost greens but they've been very productive this year. This is from about 3 square meters.

[mcoambassador]

The only vegetable I grow during the summer is chaya AKA tree spinach. We have been  trying different things to make with it. Everything from adding it to eggs to a pretty decent swiss chard substitute. Nice thing is once the plants mature you get a lot of leaves. Its fairly pest resistant, the  Sri Lankan weevils, aphids,squirrels and rabbits so far have not touched any of the plants. Maybe due to the sap and the need to boil the leaves before they are safe to eat.

I tried growing longevity spinach. It grows well here but is a slug and snail magnet. Plus the leaves are a bit slimy when cooked. I can't eat it raw .

I grew Lagos spinach this summer as a greens option, and it grew great, and was a pretty looking plant too. It grows such tall stalks it’s like a vertical garden for spinach.

[Galatians522]

So, two years ago I crossed a Trombonchino squash with a bell shaped Seminole Pumpkin. These summer squash are the result. I am calling it Seminole Wind as a nod to the native genetics and the John Anderson song. They are not as productive as the Trombonchino, but seem to have inherited the heat and bug tolerance from the Seminole. The vines are still going strong (especially in partial shade) and are giving me tasty summer squash during the Florida summer! As a bonus, the mature squash is a decent winter squash and is shaped almost exactly like the heirloom variety Canada Crookneck. This is the first generation hybrid (F1). So, vigor was crazy high (I think some of the vines are close to 60' long). We will see if I can keep selecting for the positive traits while limiting the negative ones over the next few generations.



Mature Seminole Wind (crook neck) with standard Seminole Pumpkin.

[DavidBYE]

Galatians! That is AWESOME! Good work my friend.

[Galatians522]

Galatians! That is AWESOME! Good work my friend.

Thanks! I am super happy so far. I have sprayed zero fungicide, pesticide, or any other nasty-icides to keep these growing. I did lose a few fruits to pickle worms but nothing serious. Way different than when I tried growing anything in the zucchini family.

[DavidBYE]

Has anyone tried Sikil squash (Cody Cove)? I grow them a couple of years in a row. They are a very aggressive, much like a Seminole pumpkin and the squash get as large as the pumpkin as well. They are best when harvested somewhere between softball and volleyball sized. A great zucchini substitute. The heat and bugs eventually get the best of them but it is well into summer.

[Coconut Cream]

Has anyone tried Sikil squash (Cody Cove)? I grow them a couple of years in a row. They are a very aggressive, much like a Seminole pumpkin and the squash get as large as the pumpkin as well. They are best when harvested somewhere between softball and volleyball sized. A great zucchini substitute. The heat and bugs eventually get the best of them but it is well into summer.

I planted Sikil seeds and initially it grew well. Right about the time I started getting my hopes up, the vines were attacked by some kind of leaf eater and the squash that had formed rotted before it could grow. I ate a couple of the blossoms in a salad but ultimately failed at growing Sikil. It actually did better than my Seminole Pumpkin attempts. I have never had much luck growing vegetables or vining ground crops.

Nice work on that Seminole Wind squash, Sam!

[Altrexy]

Katuk is one of my all time favorite greens. Every time I step out into my patio I get a solid dose of vitamin K from my tree, highly recommend.

[Galatians522]

My Sikil squash seeds did not perform as well as I had hoped. The first round rotten in the ground because it was too cold. And the second round petered out before it fruited. I should have given it a better spot, but over estimated it hardiness in comparison to the Seminole Pumpkin. I actually got it hoping that it was truly Curcubita lundelliana. I am thinking that it is actually a form of Curcubita agryosperma at this point. I may come back to it at a later date (I think it has huge potential for its edible seeds), but for now I am going to focus on the Seminole Wind cross which I has potential to be tasty as both a summer and winter squash.

[DavidBYE]

I put about a gallon of chick mature in a hole, then plant squash and pumpkins on it. They take off like rockets. Have had six Seminole pumpkins plants cover an acre in knee to waist height leaves. Sikil squash perform equally as well. Another tip for the squash family, male flowers come first and then females. Stagger your sewing, plant a set each week for one month and you should see higher production.