Perhaps the best way to have a healthy, vegetarian diet is to grow as much of your own food as possible. This ensures that you know that no insecticides have been used on the plants. You are also able to grow particular favorites which are not available in the local market. Vegetarians in the tropics or almost-tropics are presented with both a tremendous opportunity for a bonanza of healthy crops as well as a challenge.
Anyone who is accustomed to having glorious vegetable gardens in northern regions will initially find that warm-climate gardening can be challenging. Many transplanted gardeners give up in frustration after a few failed attempts. However, your southern garden can surpass the one you left behind, but it requires rethinking how and when you plant. You need to know when, how and what to plant.
Instead of one crop a year, two are now possible. You can have both a spring and fall/winter harvest. The key is timing. You can check with your local County Extension Service or local Garden Club for advice. You can also notice when the commercial growers plant their fields. Chatting with growers selling produce at a local farmer's market can also be helpful. A local garden supply store may also be a good source of information.
In regions such as central and southern Florida, summer is the hardest time to grow vegetables. It's too hot and humid, stressing plants and increasing disease and insect problems. Many commercial growers leave their fields fallow during summer months. Your best chance at success is to follow the same planting schedule as the growers who do it for a living.
Next take a hard look at your soil. If it is very sandy, with few plant nutrients. You will need to add organics to the soil (composted manure). The sandy nature of the soil causes the organics dissipate, so add more as needed. A good organic vegetable fertilizer will also be very helpful. Nematodes may also be a problem. They are parasitic, microscopic roundworms which attack the roots of plants. While they do not normally kill the plants, they do cause stunted growth and decreased yields. The most effective treatment is simply leaving the ground fallow (unplanted) between crops. Without a food source, the number of nematodes in the soil decreases dramatically.
Knowing what to plant is also critical to growing a flourishing garden. Seeds for seed crops (radishes, carrots, lettuce etc.) can be obtained either locally or from online suppliers. Generally, the online seed suppliers will have a greater variety. It's important to look for varieties designed for your region. You will find lettuces that will tolerate more heat without bolting, root crops more nematode-resistant and tomatoes, peppers and eggplants more resistant to various diseases. A sturdy plant adapted to the region will be able to provide a bountiful crop and be less bothered by insect pests.
Getting the plants that you set out (tomatoes, peppers and eggplants especially) can be more challenging. Local garden suppliers are more likely to have them available for planting at the right time for your local region. They are also more likely to have varieties adapted for the local area. Chain suppliers are less likely to be a good source for varieties adapted to the local climate and may not have them available at the best time to plant. Growing your own plants from seed is a good choice.
You can have the most fabulous garden you have ever had, with the most luscious tomatoes, abundant peppers, glossy eggplants, large leafy greens and herbs and flowers blooming almost all year. You can have those specialty crops that you never see in the market for the most delicious vegetarian meals you have ever enjoyed.
