These broccoli plants are still producing florets. I have to admit that I’m getting a little sick of broccoli. These plants are prolific, too. I picked them clean a few days ago, and there are probably a quart’s worth of florets on these three plants alone. My cabbage patch broccoli is also still producing.
I have pulled the cauliflower plants, and have harvested two heads of cabbage, giving these remaining plants more room, better sun and better conditions to grow large crisp heads of cabbage. This cabbage was so sweet and tender!
My lettuce and carrot bed is also looking great. We’ve harvested 2 large bowls of lettuce already – this stuff grows like crazy.
Isn’t it pretty? Lettuce is one of my favorite things to grow. You can’t buy this kind of lettuce in the store, I guarantee. It’s so tender. Did you know that when you pick lettuce, the plants exude a milky white fluid similar to milk weed? This disappears after a few minutes.
If you grow lettuce in South Florida, you’ll need to provide some shade for the tender leaves once the weather starts warming up. There are a few ways to do this. I saw a garden where the owner put tomato cages around the lettuce bed, then laid wood lathe trellis on top of the cages and secured them to the cages. This provides partial sun, which in our Florida summers is a good thing. This is actually also a good idea for any tomato plants you plan on growing in the summer. Once the plants are pretty big and the fruit begins to set, put a trellis over the top of the upper cage to prevent the fruit from getting sun scorched. And remember, when the sun is hot, NEVER water during the intense sunlight hours. The water acts as little magnifiers and will burn the leaves. Either water early in the morning or at dusk.
Happy gardening!
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