BY DELL deCHANT
Believe it or not, it is not too late to start a summer garden. Yes, it is abnormally hot, and vegetable gardening might be challenging, offering some rather slim pickings compared to what you can grow in the lusher winter months.
But it’s not impossible.
Even with climate change bringing ever hotter summers, many local growers are finding ways to continue producing nutritious food, often by sowing different varieties of seeds that are conducive to growing here.
First things first – safety.
It can be dangerously hot and humid, so if you plan to start a garden now, be sure to take precautions. Try to schedule garden work for the cooler morning or evening hours if possible. Drink plenty of water. Take frequent breaks in cool places. Wear a good shade hat and apply sunscreen.
How to prepare:
For your garden plot, start out small, (always small) with 5′ x 5′ for 10′ x 10′ of dedicated space. Large planters will work as well. In fact, there are a number of local gardeners in New Port Richey who grow all of their vegetables solely in planters. Purchase a few bags of good garden soil and compost, if possible, to amend the soil. I recommend locally-owned Swartzel’s ACE Hardware on Grand Blvd. Clear the bed, till the soil and add the bags of garden soil/compost. If you are using planters, simply fill them with the garden soil.
Now, for the good part.
One of the new Florida gardener’s earliest questions is, ‘What can you grow in the summer?’
The answer is, not much of what you used to grow in the north.
Even so there are some late July options that include okra, black-eyed peas, peanuts, and sweet potatoes. Eggplant, peppers, and small tomatoes (Everglades or Mexico Minis), are an option, but for best success start with the tried and true okra, sweet potatoes, and black-eyed peas.
A great local source for seeds can be found at the New Port Richey Public Library, where patrons can check out packets of seeds that are conducive to growing in the Florida climate. Rose’s Bistro Off Main on Grand Boulevard also carries a rack of organic and heirloom seeds. Seedlings can also be purchased through the Farmnet Facebook page.
Sweet potatoes are planted as “starts” which can come from clipping from an existing garden vine, or can be started from the eyes of sweet potatoes.
As the sweet potato vines spread, the potatoes will grow beneath the soil. It will take at least three months before they can be harvested, right around Thanksgiving. In the meantime, you can enjoy the leaves (yes, they are edible and filled with minerals and nutrients!) in salads and soups.
Black eyed peas will develop pods in a couple of months, maybe less. The okra will have pods even sooner.
So, if you get planting now, (late July), and have good fortune, you’ll have sweet potato leaves in late August, okra by early September, and black-eyed peas by the end of September.
By that time, you’ll be preparing for your fall and winter garden – which is when production goes into full-swing.
ABOUT URBAN GARDENING IN NEW PORT RICHEY
Through the city’s Urban Agriculture Ordinance and supporting programs, residents are using their property to grow their own food and are sharing the adventure with others. This is good news for gardeners and the entire community.
Food-producing gardens, large and small, are sprinkled through the city of New Port Richey, which recently established a complementary ordinance, that also allows property owners to keep chickens (hens only).
This means we now have the basis for genuine urban farms in New Port Richey and folks can design their own self-sufficient food systems – from backyard garden to table. Surplus food can also become a source of income, with opportunities to grow at local farmers markets such as the New Port Richey Library’s Tasty Tuesdays Market, or the Second Sunday market held at Wrights Natural Market and Cafe in downtown New Port Richey.
Beyond individual food production, the city’s agriculture policy also creates a platform for greater community self-sufficiency – or what is referred to as food sovereignty.
There are various resources for those looking to produce their own food and become part of a larger network of local growers, food producers, markets, and restaurants committed to developing a genuine local food system.
To learn more, go to the New Port Richey FarmNet Facebook page or the New Port Richey FarmNet website for information about local food and culture.
Your Voice/Your View guest writer Dell deChant is Associate Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of South Florida
and Chair of the City of New Port Richey’s Environmental Committee
Resources
- For free mulch: City of New Port Richey Yard Debris and Mulch Program
- For information on Tasty Tuesday Market, check out the New Port Richey Public Library website at nprlibrary.org or join the Tasty Tuesday Market group on Facebook
- Pasco County UF/IFAS Extention services and information – website or Facebook (NOTE: Pasco Extension is now offering expert lawn and garden advice online five days a week through its Virtual Plant Clinic.)
- Community Gardens, Florida Division of Library and Information Services
- Pasco County Community Gardens, Pasco County Florida
- Habitat for Humanity Community Garden
Related
New Port Richey joins global food sustainability initiative, Suncoast News
