Planning the fall garden

During the summer time, many of the crops and spring plantings start to die off in Central Florida. Whereas much of the rest of the country is just planting and harvesting ripe tomatoes, lettuce and broccoli, we Floridians are confined to going outside before 8am or after 8pm, and growing only okra or peas. But alas, I sit back today, comfortable in my 80* house, clutching a cool glass of water, and harvesting big dreams of a fall crop. My good friend at Gradening Adventures introduced me to Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. They are the largest supplier of heirloom seeds in the country. I will write a review of them and other seed companies next.

So I sit here with my catalog, planning my fall crops. In Florida, our summers are like winters everywhere else. We simply cannot grow much. However, come September or October, the cool weather crops can grow, and many last through the whole winter season.

So, here is my list of crops to be planted late September/early October, and anything I know about growing each, in case you want to give them a shot:

Cauliflower- cauliflower can be planted anytime between September-January. It can take low temperatures, but needs shielding from frost. I am going to get the self-blanching "Snowball" type. It turns white all on it's own, and is virtually bug free. I hear they need lots of space for ventilation, so I think I will do two wide rows.

Broccoli- broccoli is another great winter crop for Florida. Since it doesn't like any heat, I may start seeds inside and transplant them in mid-October to my garden. I am excited that you can cut off some of the heads and it will continue to produce. Talk about the plant that keeps on giving!

Lettuce- I have always wanted to grow lettuce. I have seen some beautiful lettuce leaves that rival that of any ornamental bush or flower. I want to try staggered planting, and a few different kinds. For a typical leaf lettuce, I will plant the "tango" variety. It's a deep green and the leaves are crinkly. For a splash of color, I want to try the romaine "cimmaron" variety. It's an old variety (18th century) and a strikingly bright red color. They both are pretty hardy to frosts (not that we get a lot of frost down here, but where I am, we have been known to go below 32* about 8 times a season).

Peas- There are quite a few varieties of peas that can be grown in Florida. I am leaning towards "wando" and "oregon sugar pod II". Both are high yeilding, compact and heat resistant. I may plant them early September to maximize the growth time.

Garlic- This is the one that I do not have access to. I do not want to plant a bulb from the store, since I have no idea what kind of chemicals or other processes have been done to it. But I do not know who sells heirloom garlic bulbs. They need as much time in a cool ground as possible, so I was going to plant them in late October. They get mature when the ground warms up, so I would have garlic heads next May. Does anyone know where I can find heirloom garlic bulbs?

So, I will place my order with Baker Creek soon enough, and wait for the heat to wane as I prepare to put all the knowledge I have gained in my first year of gardening to good use  :)