Growing in Florida

AJ Drew

AJ Drew

Here in Kentucky, the game is getting things started extremely early so we can have enough pod production before that first frost. Some peppers are extremely long season.

Curious about Florida.  Other extremely different states too, but had a conversation not long ago about tomato that makes me wonder about Florida.  Someone said they never taste right due to the climate down there.  Not sure I agree because they were talking about commercial tomato from Florida.  Likely hot house container grown.

But did make me curious.  When is harvest for peppers down there?  I understand heat will prevent the setting of fruit.
 
Tomatoes in FL are mostly grown in sandy fields with a lot of fertilizer and pesticides. And picked when theyre hard and green by Mexican slaves.
 
Read Tomatoland.
 
Depends on the pepper. Heat has never proven a problem for me. In fact, it seems to help. Harvest can go from July/August all the way through November.
 
I have had a tough time with some tomatoes but FLBorn has helped me out with some shade cloth he picked up from Sicman. He helped me set up a frame to protect my garden so I am hoping this year will be the best year yet. Last year I had cayenne, orange habanero and jalapenos I was picking up until December. I was able to protect those pretty well through the winter so I still have those plants still in and are producing tons of flowers now so I will be able to have some of those soon.  
 
Shade cloth or in my case at least preventing the afternoon sun from roasting my tomato plants has proven essential. There are a few tomato varieties that are bred to withstand the blistering sun/heat/humidity down here, but I prefer many other tasty heirloom varieties. My first year growing them down here I did not know about sun protection. The plants got about 7 feet tall with 100+ flowers at a time in the summer, but not a single fruit set. Every single flower bloomed, then fell off. In the shade, all of a sudden boom! Hundreds of tomatoes :dance:
 
Regarding peppers, I have also seen better results shading them during the hottest part of the day. Often the plants will wilt in the sun/humidity, but perk up almost immediately when moved to the shade (container gardener here). Far and away my biggest problem is bugs, and specifically broad mites. By August each year my crop has been completely dominated. Luckily my pods start setting in June so I get a good harvest and a half or so before utter destruction. This year I will be trying preventative neem starting in May, and using Green Clean miticide if/when symptoms do start.
 
Yep I grow in Orlando and I just sprayed everything in my pool enclosure with neem oil, spinosad and some dawn, and I mixed it with coco wet but I probably didn't need it since I added soap. But those broad mites are everywhere but not like dominating anything, so far after I sorayed I haven't seen any, but in a few days I'm spraying again heavy. It's really annoying
 
able eye said:
Tomatoes in FL are mostly grown in sandy fields with a lot of fertilizer and pesticides. And picked when theyre hard and green by Mexican slaves.
 
Read Tomatoland.
Click to expand...
youre something else. I have to give you that.
 
Sicman and Able Eye, damn you two is there some sort of romance going on here?
 
Phil said:
Depends on the pepper. Heat has never proven a problem for me. In fact, it seems to help. Harvest can go from July/August all the way through November.
Click to expand...
There is at least one grower who is taking preorders for pod delivery in May.  Going to guess when you say July / August you are going with started from seed.  I am not in Florida, but thinking maybe you guys can winter over of sorts without moving indoors?  Maybe trim back and mulch the hell out the things?

I guess what I am really wondering is how cold your winters get?
 
There were only two nights I remember this winter that got into the upper 30s. Usually lows stay around 50-55, with several in the low 40s and several in the low to mid 60s. Further south you go the milder the winters. Unfortunately overwintering down here means battling bugs all year round.
 
Suchen, now I understand how orchids can afford those big open flame heaters.  They are used so rarely that it doesnt cost as much as one might think.  So now I am trying to figure out why Florida growers do not have pods all year round.  It sounds to me that with a very minimum of green house, one could keep them growing year round.  I wonder what tells them to start producing pods.
 
This past winter we had about 3 total days when the night temps got into the upper 40s. The wind chill was worse. I can pretty much grow all year round but I need to start using a shade cloth for the summer months. I get alot of blossom drop from the high humidity and direct sunlight here. I start them out inside then once they get about 6" tall I re-pot outside and that is where they stay. I will bring them on the porch or cover them with a sheet when I hear there will be temps under 50.
 
Just ordered enough 30% shade cloth that if I need to I can double it over for what I am assuming would be somewhere around 60% shadeitude, give or take. Interested to compare results to last year.
 
I got some 50% that I doubled up and its not anywhere near 100% shade. I think you should be good.

Here is the area
EpFCxjI.jpg



And here are theee specimens


FuJ7Sgd.jpg



g7VsfuU.jpg
 
The heat just makes the peppers hotter. I'm growing most of the plants in the greenhouse which stays hotter inside than outside, here in Lakeland. If you know what I mean by cycles, I'm getting 4 cycles of peppers each year. The big greenhouse is 60% shade, and the smaller greenhouse is 30%. I don't have a difficulty with aphids. I make sun tea out of used coffee grounds and there is a barrel full ready to go any time, sitting out by the greenhouses. The pumpkin bugs I do manually as needed.
 
cycadjungle said:
I make sun tea out of used coffee grounds and there is a barrel full ready to go any time, sitting out by the greenhouses.
Click to expand...
What is this sun tea you speak of? As a pesticide?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top