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Old 03-15-2016, 06:57 AM
 
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I will be moving to FL soon on a couple of acres. Is Fl soil good to grow ANYTHING on without adding tons of compost, etc. to the mix. Like tomatoes, okra, squash, etc. Or will I have to go to raised beds ? Thank you
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Old 03-15-2016, 08:04 AM
 
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Originally Posted by tarajane2013 View Post
I will be moving to FL soon on a couple of acres. Is Fl soil good to grow ANYTHING on without adding tons of compost, etc. to the mix. Like tomatoes, okra, squash, etc. Or will I have to go to raised beds ? Thank you
Moving to coastal counties or middle of the state? Moving to North, South, or Central Florida?
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Old 03-15-2016, 08:51 AM
 
Location: Gorgeous South Florida
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Check out this recent thread:

//www.city-data.com/forum/flori...g-florida.html
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Old 03-15-2016, 09:04 AM
 
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Default Gardening

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Originally Posted by Rabflmom View Post
Moving to coastal counties or middle of the state? Moving to North, South, or Central Florida?
Citrus County, sorry
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Old 03-15-2016, 10:19 AM
 
Location: West Florida
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tarajane2013 View Post
Citrus County, sorry
Quite frankly, the natural soil is pretty bad to the point that even growing regular grass naturally is a challenge. Do yourself a cost and time-saving favor and either get raised beds or keep your plants in pots.
The weather is very conducive to year-round gardening -- unfortunately, the soil isn't.
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Old 03-15-2016, 10:49 AM
 
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You need to look at your land specifically. There are strips of land across large areas that may be considered very alkaline and barren/dry, that are very rich and dark and get good moisture. That is basic farming - it depends if you are near a river, near pine trees or other plants which drop acid parts that you can use to balance the soil PH, in a microclimate where you get more rainfall or have altered rainfall or humidity, etc. None one online can tell you what your land is going to be like. And even if it were good, you could not take proper care of it and use up all the nutrients in it in a few years and it can change. Or we can have several years of drought it a row or extreme heat and the fertility could change, or as is common on Florida, a new foreign pest rolls in that spreads like wildfire and destroys every plant of a certain category that you're growing.

Have you looked at a map of Florida? Do you know how huge and varied this state is in terms of climate and plant/wildlife zones? You'll need to write to the forum of your specific county rather than the whole state, but even then, other people's experiences may be significantly different from your own even within the same county depending on the specific lot that you purchase. That's why back in the days of a mostly agricultural US, not all farms performed the same. One did very well and had amazing crops, and the neighbor just down the road had a bad harvest. Because land is not uniform, the geology and topography changes every 50-100 feet in many cases (not to mention the sunlight that reaches your particular yard) and so what you get will depend on your particular plot of land.

If you're moving to Citrus County, contact their Extension Office and ask them these questions. They are paid to exist for this very purpose.
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Old 03-15-2016, 11:24 AM
 
Location: Milwaukee Area of WI
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Thank you for posting that for this person my dear CTtoFl
You're awesome!
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Old 03-15-2016, 12:24 PM
 
Location: Milwaukee Area of WI
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How to Build a Vertical Garden from Soda Bottles

I am going to try this Garden using 2 liter soda bottles. I have an old dog kennel I am going to use to attach them to
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Old 04-13-2016, 09:35 PM
 
Location: Europe
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Look up Tips and Advice on Outdoor Gardening, Flower Gardens, Plants, & Seeds - Dave's Garden you can search by state. Lots of gardening information tips etc.
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Old 04-15-2016, 11:29 PM
 
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
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Lightbulb Local help!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by tarajane2013 View Post
I will be moving to FL soon on a couple of acres. Is Fl soil good to grow ANYTHING on without adding tons of compost, etc. to the mix. Like tomatoes, okra, squash, etc. Or will I have to go to raised beds ? Thank you
Some gardening basics:
Your Planting Zone (determines plants; planting calendars)
Find Your Planting Zones With The Official USDA Planting Zone Map

Your Soil

Pretty simple: you have floodplain "muck" that is awesome for plants -- or you have coral reef/lime rock/beach sand/sand highlands
To figure this out: dig a hole 2 ft deep in your planting area. Look at the soil you pulled out and the layers in the hole you dug out. The larger your field/planting area, the more sample holes you must dig!
NOTE: If your hole fills w/ water-- you have another issue and will need to determine: flooding, "root rot" and salt/mineral issues that will also effect the health of your garden.


Some local help/advice:
Florida Extension Service

Awesome gardening/growing resource for EVERY county in Florida!

Citrus County Extension Services - UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Florida Federation of Garden Clubs

FIND the Club for your area and get involved!

https://ffgc.wildapricot.org/Educational-Opportunities

Citrus County Fair
Will have contests for gardening plants, fruits, vegetables and resources to grow them
Citrus County Fair Association

Locally Grown Network
Citrus County Locally Grown — LocallyGrown.net



Good Luck!

Last edited by daytonadewd; 04-15-2016 at 11:39 PM..
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