Panhandle Plantings-A new column by Master Gardener Val Ford
"April showers, bring May flowers." Historically, this area receives about 65+ inches of rain annually, mostly between June and September. Anyone interested in keeping track of year-to-date rainfall can visit the Florida Division of Forestry’s Web site at http://flame.fl-dof.com/fire_weather/lr_outlook/ytd_rainfall.html for bar-charts updated monthly to show normal versus actual precipitation rates. Another interesting bit of rainfall trivia -- 23 to 30 pounds of nitrogen (N) per acre annually comes from the ionization of atmospheric nitrogen during thunderstorms.
With the exception of collards, turnips and mustard, the cool-season vegetables are behind us. April is also the last chance for seed-starting of several warm-season vegetables -- bush and pole beans, cantaloupes, and sweet corn, to name a few. The real heat-loving vegetables and flowers can be started now and will thrive through the summer months. These include eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, southern peas, squash and watermelon, as well as cosmos, cypress-vine, rudbeckia (cone flowers), sunflowers, marigolds and zinnias.
As the heat and humidity build, we’ll begin seeing more insect pests. Before initiating nuclear warfare, keep in mind that less than half of 1 percent of all insects are really pests. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an alternative that controls pests while trying not to disrupt natural controls, such as beneficial organisms. The goal of IPM is to keep the numbers of pests below levels at which they cause too much damage.
There are six basic strategies of IPM: (1) Choose plant materials that resist pests, support natural controls or promote ecosystem diversity; (2) modify the habitat to discourage pests and encourage natural predators or competitors; (3) change personal gardening habits and attitudes; (4) use biological controls; (5) physically control small pest populations through handpicking, traps, water sprays, etc.; and (6) if you must use chemical controls, emphasize those of an organic origin.
Garden wisdom: If you want to live and thrive, let the spider run alive (American Quaker saying)
Val Ford is a Holmes County Master Gardener. She is a three-time recipient of the Florida MG Award for Written Mass Communications for the weekly DeFuniak Springs Herald "Gardeners’ Dirt" column. If you have gardening questions or problems, contact your local County Extension Office, or Val at Flsnowflake7592@aol.com.
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