Peppers grow
well in the spring.
Vegetables grow year round in Southwest Florida but spring planting offers advantages. The temperatures are moderate and humidity is mild. The summer heat stifles most vegetables except tropical varieties. Vegetables planted "out of season" are very susceptible to many pests. To help control pests, plant flowers in the vegetable garden. The blooms attract favorable insects with their nectar and pollen.
Cantaloupe
Plant cantaloupe in your spring garden.
Plant cantaloupe February through March. Recommended varieties include Athena, ambrosia and Galia. Bees are needed for pollination. Plant flowers, such as salvia, which attract bees.
Sweet Corn
Corn grows well.
Plant corn through March. Easy varieties include silver queen, how sweet it is, sweet ice, sweet riser and early sunglow. If planting other types of corn, keep them separate in the garden to avoid cross-pollination.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers as a spring treat.
Plant cucumbers through March. If cucumbers are intended for slicing in salads or recipes, consider the varieties sweet success, Poinsett, straight eight or space master. For pickling cucumbers, choose eureka or Boston pickling. Bees are required for pollination.
Peppers
Chile peppers like spring weather.
Peppers grow abundantly in the spring. Choose from sweet bells including California wonder, red knight or big Bertha. Jalapeno varieties include early jalapeno and jalapeno m. Specialty hot peppers include cherry bomb, Anaheim chile and long cayenne. Mulching is very helpful with peppers. They will continue to produce into the summer.
Radish
Grow radishes.
Radishes will flourish when planted through March. Varieties to choose from include cherry belle, white icicle, sparkler, champion and Daikon. To save space in the garden, plant fast-growing radishes with slow-growing vegetables.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Plant sweet potatoes through June. Consider the centennial, Beauregard or Vardaman varieties. Vardaman does well in small spaces. Weevils are a problem with sweet potatoes. Make sure the plants are certified-free transplants.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are bountiful.
A University of Florida research study on heirloom tomatoes found four varieties that grew well. According to the study, "Eva Purple Ball stored extremely well (14 days), was thick walled, presented good color and produced few culls under spring conditions in Florida. Clear Early Pink appeared to produce the greatest volume of unblemished fruit. Arkansas Traveler, the largest fruit in the trial, also produced a large percentage of unblemished fruit, as did Pink Ping Pong."
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