Cucumbers!

So exited that it looks like we are finally going to get some cucumbers this season! Our fingers are crossed because we have not had luck with them in the past. Unfortunately, they need warm weather to do well and warm weather in Florida means mildew. Cucumbers are even more susceptible to mildew than zucchini are. Covering the leaves in neem oil has kept it at bay for the zucchini but has  never been enough for the cucumbers. This spring the timing finally seems right. Since the plants have needed a lot of water, we've been using kelp fertilizer at every watering. We're seeing blossoms and will hopefully be able to post about the first cuke soon! It would be great to get enough to use them for my homemade pickles. 

Nematodes - Know Thy Enemy

One of the biggest threats that plants in the Florida garden face is the root knot nematode (often abbreviated rkn). Nematodes are tiny and live in the soil. Some benefit the soil ecosystem and the plants growing in it. Root knot nematodes, however, do nothing but harm. They feed on the roots and cause blockages. This means that the roots cannot take up water or nutrients, no matter how much you water or feed them. Leaves turn yellow, and whole sections of the plant eventually go limp and die. After first learning about nematodes, I checked a dead tomato plant when I pulled it out to confirm. Sure enough, the roots were very blocky, short, and covered with little modules. Uggggh!!! This news frustrated me because I had read that nematodes are pretty much impossible to eradicate. There are definitely remedies that keep them somewhat at bay (post coming up), but no cure-all. If you're gardening in Florida, chances are you too will deal with nematodes because they LOVE sandy soil and heat (nematode damage is worse in the summer).

Dragonfruit - New Growth

Finally! New Growth!

I'm excited to try my newest experiment in Florida gardening - Dragonfruit! I've always found the bright fushia fruit with it's black and white interior intriguingly delicious. Because there are a limited number of fruits and veggies that can provide during the sweltering, humid, buggy Florida summers, the tropical dragonfruit seems like it might be a good bet. Supposedly, one plant can produce 300lbs of fruit! They need to be grown up sturdy posts and then encouraged to branch out and blossum. I bought a 3 foot plant about 4 weeks ago. I put it in rotted pine fines and compost with some soybean meal mixed in for nitrogen. I let it work on getting its new, little roots established for about 2 weeks and then started giving it some water soluable fertilizer. It slowly became less yellow and more green. Finally, I was so happy to see the first new growth today!