March is a great time to start your Perennial vegetable garden in Southwest Florida. The first thing that needs to be done is to buy a beautiful home in Naples. Once you have your home, its time to look for a sunny spot in the yard (or lanai where I have mine). The garden I built is called a "box garden" and consists of four posts and several 1x8 strips of lumber. Start by laying a plastic or tarp foundation to keep unwanted weeds taking advantage of your rich soil. Drive the four posts in the ground making the parameter small enough to access all the plants within the garden without having to step into the garden itself. Once you have the box constructed it is time to build your soil. My recipe consists of three parts; 1/3 Coarse Vermiculite/Perlite, 1/3 Peat (Canadian Spaghnum) is highly recommended, and 1/3 Compost made up of five parts A) Black Kow B) Mushroom compost C) Horse manure D) Chicken Manure E) Organic compost from your disposed food and yard waste. I also add Bat Guano depending on what I am growing. Add these to your box and mix thoroughly then water the soil down to get rid of air pocked before planting your seeds (or) starters. You should plant in rows leaving small trenches in between your rows. Be aware of what gets planted next to what as some herbs and vegetables will compliment each other as they grow. I have had amazing success growing a wide variety of vegetables and herbs including tomatoes, kale, peas, squash, rosemary, thyme, and much more. Currently I have a plant called Moringa growing and I love it. It grows rapidly in tropical climates only and is a superfood to say the least.
Pests are a huge problem in Southwest Florida and sometimes it takes daily care to keep them at bay. I recommend staying organic and chemical free by treating the problem with some type of pepper spray. Being that I plant my garden under my screened lanai I don't have to worry about anything larger than a bug but if you do have to worry chicken wire or a similar barrier usually works.
I will list a few links below that will be a huge help as well as recommending Florida Gardening by Tom MacCubbila.
If you don't yet have a home yet in sunny Naples my services are available and I can be reached at [email protected] or 239.641.3876 ask for Adam Carriero.
Please contact Adam Carriero at [email protected] or 239.641.3876. I am available for consultation on the Naples, Florida, market.