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SW Florida’s hot, humid summers have a lot in common with rainforest conditions, minus the shade of tall trees and of course with less total rainfall and not quite as high humidity.  So it is not surprising that some of the standard vegetables in ECHO’s summer gardens originated in tropical rainforests and hot, humid lowlands.  Other important vegetables have originated in countries where there are perhaps six months without rain and six months that are like our summers. I have chosen vegetables for this document that I believe have a reasonably good chance of producing in the summer, but sometimes they still disappoint you.   ---- TN#59



  1. Key Resource 2009-01-01 Within a couple days after Bonnie and I arrived in Florida in June 1981 to assume my new role as founding CEO of ECHO, I began digging a garden. For an avid gardener used to the long winters “up north” this was an exciting adventure. I was going to grow flowers and vegetables year-round in the...
  2. 2014-10-20 The ECHO Florida Seed Bank offers a wide variety of useful crops, many of which naturally attract pollinators (Fig. 3). Encouraging beneficial insects in your garden is a key component in promoting biodiversity, controlling unwanted pests and increasing pollination of your crops. If you live in...
  3. 2007-03-01 This book features both common and hard-to-find fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices and bamboo for Southwest Florida. It includes fruiting trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, fruiting vines, brambles, tropical vegetables, herbs, spices, bamboo, tropical and subtropical fruit tree ripening chart,...
  4. 2014-11-19 The world relies on just five crops for more than 50 percent of their food intake.If anything happened to any one of these crops, millions would starve to death.In her presentation Penny will explain why it is important to select underutilized, nutritious crops, and learn everything you can about...
  5. If you cannot make it to the professional development classes at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, you can still download the materials to use in your classroom. Each course unitincludes handouts, resources, vocabulary lists, suggested homework activities, labs and other activities for the...
  6. Food diversity, nutritional food supply, and profitability are the priorities of agricultural and horticultural industries. To diversify vegetable products and increase the Florida vegetable industry’s competitiveness, several new vegetable crops are rapidly emerging in the state. For example,...
  7. 1997-01-01 Although Africa has fewer orchid species than the other tropical continents, some of the world's most spectacular, and increasingly popular, terrestrial orchids are found in Africa. This guide, covering sub-Saharan Africa, includes all plants available from nurseries and many that are being grown...
  8. 2017-10-01 Part deep-South, part subtropical, part Latin, part everywhere that its immigrants have come from, Florida is unique in its variety. And Florida's kitchens reflect this delicious diversity. In this collection you will find easy-to-follow recipes that range from the comforting to the fantastical....
  9. 1980-01-01 Though this book is intended for general use by persons without a technical background in the botanical sciences, every attempt has been made to keep it scienfigically accurate. Great reference book for the native plants of Florida.
  10. 1983-01-01 Lethal yellowing is a pandemic disease of coconut palm which has a high potential to become an international threat to palm trees. This publication looks at thesearch for a cause, where it has spread to, control and the biology.
  11. 1996-01-01 Offers advice for planning, planting, and caring for a vegetable garden, provides specific information for more than thirty of the most popular vegetables, and includes harvesting and storing tips.
  12. Vegetable gardening offers fresh air, sunshine, exercise, enjoyment, mental therapy, nutritious fresh vegetables, and economic savings, as well as many other benefits. Vegetables can be grown year-round in Florida if attention is paid to the appropriate planting dates. Planting dates and other...
  13. 1992-01-01 The vegetables listed in this publication can be divided into cool and warm season vegetables based on their optimum growing season and planting dates.
  14. The RARE FRUIT COUNCIL INTERNATIONAL, Inc. (RFCI), founded in 1955 with headquarters in Miami, Florida, is the premier organization dedicated to the education, introduction, & promotion of rare tropical fruits. Through close ties with botanical collections and horticultural research centers...
  15. A "Florida native plant" refers to a species occurring within the state boundaries prior to European contact, according to the best available scientific and historical documentation. Florida native plants include those species understood as indigenous, occurring in natural associations in...
  16. ECHO-North America Field Trip Resources Continue the ECHO learning experience in your classroom or home! Explore these enrichment activities that are designed to engage students and support your curriculum. Each document contains a complete set of student materials, teacher answer keys, and...
  17. Winter temperatures in Florida can get low enough to damage tropical, subtropical, and even sometimes temperate plants, especially if they're not acclimated to lower temperatures. Plants become acclimated by gradual decreases in temperature over a period of time. Sudden freezes after a period of...
  18. South Florida Landscape Plants are unique, so each one has its own featured page. You'll find a photo or two with a detailed description of... how big it grows -ORat what size you can keep it trimmed how fast it grows whether it likes sun or shade if and when it flowers basic care - watering,...
  19. University of Florida,Jonathan H. Crane and Carlos F. Balerdi, Revised 1998 Bananas are vigorously growing, monocotyledonous herbaceous plants. There are two species of banana, Musa acuminata and M. balbisiana, and most banana cultivars are hybrids of these species. Banana cultivars vary greatly...
  20. Campbell, Richard & El-Sawa, S. & Wasielewski, J. & Ledesma, Noris. (2004). Breeding and Selection of Jackfruit for South Florida. The jackfruit has been under investigation and development at Fairchild Tropical Garden since 1987. The program has focused on the conservation of genetic...
  21. In a "normal" winter most South Florida landscape plants, when placed correctly, do just fine. A few may lose some leaves, but flush out again in spring. But some winters are harsher than others. No matter how diligent you are about cold protection, you may lose some plants to winter weather. And...