When my daughter was younger, she wouldn’t eat any tomatoes we didn’t grow ourselves. She recognized how much better homegrown is compared to store-bought. There’s nothing tastier than food you grow yourself. Fall is the time to get started.

When to plant

South Florida plants when the rest of the country starts to get cold. The best time to plant your vegetable garden is in late October when nighttime temperatures begin to lower and the humidity begins to drop. Vegetable gardens here usually last until mid-March.

Where to plant

Your vegetable garden should be in full sun, located near a water source. Raised beds or containers are generally better than planting directly in our soils, which are mostly oolitic limestone and high in pH. Use a potting mix with plenty of perlite for good drainage. I stay away from potting mixes that have fertilizer or pesticides mixed into them. You can build a nice raised bed by purchasing three 2″ x 12″ x 8′ pieces of non-pressure-treated wood. Cut one of the eight-foot pieces of wood in half to make the ends, then screw the four pieces of wood together to form a rectangle that’s 4 feet wide by eight feet long. Lay this on the ground and fill with soil.

What to plant

Easy things to grow directly from seed are leaf lettuces, bush beans, carrots, radishes and broccoli. Things you might want to plant as starts (seedlings) are tomatoes and cucumbers.

What about pests?

Check your plants regularly so you know as soon as a pest arrives. Look for chewed-up leaves and droppings. Once you ID the pest, develop a plan to take care of it. I recommend a horticultural oil or soap for most pests, although hand picking and disposal works well for most caterpillars.