How to Plant a Garden in Florida

Growing a garden in Florida and other sub-tropical and tropical locations can be difficult for a novice due to factors like sandy soil, the very dry winter months and a very wet rainy season. Florida gardens must also be able to withstand winds of tropical storms and hurricanes, and coastal gardens in Florida will need to withstand varying degrees of soil salinity. Therefore, it’s important to follow very specific gardening methods when planting a garden in Florida.

Preparations for Planting a Tropical Garden in Florida

The first step to planting a garden in Florida involves using ground marking spray paint to delineate the area where the garden will be created. Then, the area must be de-sodded and all weeds removed. De-sodding can be performed with a de-sodder (available for rental from stores like The Home Depot or Lowes). The garden area can also be de-sodded manually, using a pitchfork and rototiller.

Florida’s sandy soil and fill (common to new home lots) lacks nutrients and it is not ideal for gardening, particularly with non-native plants. Top soil is vital, as even native plants will struggle to thrive in sandy soil and fill on new home lots. The benefit to de-sodding by hand is that the fertile soil can be removed from the roots of the grass and recycled, meaning a bit less top soil will need to be purchased. The top soil can be purchased by the cubic yard at most Florida plant nurseries. The top soil should be integrated into the top few inches of soil using a rototiller.

Rocks or bark mulch will also need to be purchased, unless ground cover plants will be included in the garden. River rocks or a combination of coral rock and shell are two of the most common ground cover options in Florida, and while these may be more expensive than bark mulch, there is no need to replace the rocks on a yearly basis as is required with mulch. Bark mulch should be avoided for use with foundation plantings because the wood attracts termites, which are very problematic in some areas. Both bark mulch and rocks improve the overall appearance of the Florida garden, while also retaining soil moisture.

Preventing Weeds in a Florida Garden

Weeds can also be very problematic year-round in Florida gardens. Therefore, weed blocker fabric is essential for any Florida garden. Weed prevention fabric is a tightly woven tarp-like fabric sold by the roll.

Weed block fabric is rolled out in strips that must overlap slightly to prevent weeds from growing up between the strips. The fabric is then secured to the earth using small metal stakes. Once the gardener is ready to plant, a razor blade can be used to slice an “x” in the fabric.

The weed block fabric also prevents river rocks or shell/coral rock landscaping rocks from sinking into the soil. Without weed blocker fabric, the rocks will gradually sink into the soft, sandy Florida soil, requiring the addition of new rocks every couple years.

Selecting Native Plants in Florida and Planting the New Garden

The key to a successful Florida garden involves selecting native plants, as the garden will need to withstand intense daily rains in the summer and drought conditions during the winter. Tropical and native plants in Florida are also more able to withstand the strong winds of a tropical storm or hurricane.

Plant selection will vary by region; plants thatthrive in southern Florida may do poorly in Florida’s panhandle. Hearty tropical plants include the many species of palm trees like the queen palm, pygmy date, foxtail palm and ponytail palm. Florida is home to many native grasses like muhly grass, Florida gama grass, lovegrass and wiregrass. Some of the most common plants in Florida gardens also include bromeliads, crotons, a wide array of ferns, citrus trees, and flowers like jasmine, wisteria and trumpet flowers.

The FloridaYards.org plant finder tool provides an easy way to find native plants for northern, central or southern Florida. Gardeners can filter the results based on factors like sun requirements and salt tolerance. If non-native plants are selected for a Florida garden, it’s important to select plants that are drought-tolerant. Plants that require lots of water are apt to die during the dry season, as most communities impose strict watering restrictions (including for residents with well water.)

When selecting plants for a Florida garden, it’s important to research the planting methods for the various species. Some palm trees require wooden bracing for the first year due to the small root ball. Others, like the queen palm, will need to be have virtually all of the palms trimmed away to reduce stress.

To help compensate for poor soil quality, cow manure should be mixed into the soil when planting a new garden on a new home lot due to the use of fill. The best time to plant a garden in Florida is at the beginning of the rainy season, which usually extends from mid- to late-May through mid-October.

After the plants have been placed in the ground, they should be watered daily for one month. This allows the garden’s plants to become established. Florida gardens should be fertilized regularly in order to thrive.

Xeriscaping in Florida

Some areas, like Sanibel Island, encourage a practice known as xeriscaping in place of traditional lawns and gardens. What is xeriscaping? Xeriscaping involves planting drought-tolerant plants that eliminate the need of supplemental irrigation. Many Florida gardeners opt to xeriscape their entire property, replacing the grass lawn with rocks and drought-tolerant plants.

While xeriscaping is a drought-friendly gardening method, not all communities allow xeriscaping in place of a traditional grass lawn. For instance, Cape Coral, Florida is one community that requires residents to maintain a grass lawn. Gated communities, which are very common in Florida, may also have landscaping restrictions in place. So before xeriscaping large sections of property, it’s important to learn more about the landscaping regulations in a particular community, city or town.