Planting the Seeds of Wisdom - Heirloom Cherokee Purple Tomato

 Heirloom Cherokee Purple Tomato

Tomato Starts, Growth, Zone 9a, Harvest

For Florida Zone 9a, February marks the beginning of the seed starting season.  In 2021, the last freeze was March 13th.  Work your weeks back and we have the seed starting indoors around the 5th of February.  I started my Cherokee Purple seeds in my bedroom window on a metal bookshelf this week.  

Some of the plants that you can start right now are:

Sow:  

Carrots

Onions-Varieties Recommended: Sweet White Walla Walla, Red Creole, Yellow Spanish, Candy Hybrid

Seedling Starts:

Tomato- Varieties Recommended: Cherokee Purple and Everglade Brandywine,  Siberian, Roma, Heirloom Blend

Broccoli

Lettuce- Varieties Recommended:  Buttercrunch, Mesclun Mix, Black Seeded Simpson

Peppers- Varieties Recommended: California Wonder, Early Jalapeno, Sweet Banana, Super Chili

Herbs:

Italian Basil, Greek Oregano, French Thyme, Broadleaf Sage

Flowers:

Annuals: Zinnias, Marigolds, Geraniums

Perennials: Rudbeckias, Daisies, Poppies, Coneflowers

Marigolds are great to have in the garden because they serve a couple of purposes! Marigolds are great for bees and fauna, attracting ladybugs and paper wasps to the eco-system to help manage pests. Just don't go overboard because they can take over and get quite big and their stems get tall!

Marigolds are not only great for pollen creation, but also they naturally protect your plants. See this article for some great info on the pungency and toxicity of Marigolds!