The vegetable gardens in Lake Nona are in full bloom for the spring. If you planted your spring vegetable garden back in March, then your seeds have all sprouted and matured, and your starter plants have started to produce. Now is a time for fertilizing, pruning, and dealing with any insect issues in the garden.

When the season started, most gardeners amended the soil with some compost and organic material to give the plants a strong start for the season. Compost is typically highest in nitrogen and will continue to provide nitrogen to the soil for the next three months. If you add compost to your soil, be sure to use a fertilizer that is lower in nitrogen for those first three months. Nitrogen will help the new plants and seeds grow taller.

When using organic fertilizer, the typical recommended application is every four to six weeks. Be sure to always read the instructions carefully. A steady supply of nutrients is crucial to the garden’s vegetable production for the season. Different vegetable plants will thrive with different amounts of nutrients. Tomato plants require more fertilizer, where peppers, squash, zucchini and cucumbers like to have smaller side dressings of fertilizer throughout the season. If you’re not sure how much to fertilize each plant, do a quick search on the University of Florida website for a particular plant to determine its fertilizing needs.

Pruning is important to the many gardeners using elevated or raised garden beds. Weekly pruning will ensure that each vegetable plant is maintained within its allocated space, so it does not shade or compete for nutrients with its neighboring plants. Once a plant has matured, pruning the new growth, or “suckers,” is the best way to keep a plant in check while causing minimal impact to the overall plant growth and production.

It is a widely shared philosophy that healthy plants do not have bugs. When a plant is under stress, it is susceptible to attack from non-beneficial insects. If you have an issue with bugs in the garden, get to the root of the issue. Start by addressing the basic needs of the plant, which are six hours minimum of direct sunlight, regular watering, and proper nutrients. Once the root issue is resolved, treat the pests by removing the visible bugs and eggs. Typically, neem oil spray is a good all-purpose treatment for pest issues.

Here are some local examples of the rapid growth and production that you can experience in just a matter of weeks out in the spring vegetable garden.

These pictures were taken two weeks apart in April at the garden of the Maysonet family, owners of Kerinver Chiropractic in Lake Nona. This is a perfect example of when the conditions are just right and the plants are thriving in the spring weather.

These pictures are courtesy of Lisa McGee, a Lake Nona resident and avid gardener. Lisa’s garden was planted in the beginning of March and then fast forward to the end of April when the tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers are all in full bloom.

Spotlight on Longevity Spinach: Spinach is a versatile green, as we can use it in salads, soups, smoothies and many dishes. Growing spinach in a Florida garden is more of a challenge. Spinach only grows in the cool months, so we rely on spinach substitutes like longevity and Malabar spinach. These substitutes can be used any way that spinach would, as well as in tea. Longevity spinach offers its own set of medicinal benefits as it is said to help reduce glucose and cholesterol levels in the blood. The best part is that it will grow all summer long in Florida.

Amber Harmon is the Owner of My Nona’s Garden, where they sell and service low-maintenance, elevated, organic vegetable gardens. Our mission is to bring health, promote growth, and provide vegetable gardening education to local communities, one garden at a time.

Visit www.MyNonasGarden.com for more information.

“We make organic vegetable gardening Easy!”