Climate and Soils

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Climate and Soils

August 24 25
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What do plants need to grow?

• Water
• Nutrients
• Light
• CO2
• O2

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Climatic Environmental Factors

• Factors impact
• Yield
• Quality
• Climate
• Temperature
• Warm vs. cool season
• Chilling injury
• W.S. 50F
• C.S. 40-45F
• Heat stress
• W.S. 80-95F
• C.S. 75-85F

http//www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html
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Climatic Environmental Factors

• Temperature (continued)
• Length of growing season
• Cropping sequence
• Number of growing seasons
• Moisture
• Main component / turgidity
• Absorb nutrients in soil
• Cooling agent
• Too much water
• Disease spread / drowning
• Too little water
• Poor growth and fruit set

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Climatic Environmental Factors

• Environmental
• Light
• Energy for photosynthesis
• Long-day vs. short-day vs.
• day neutral plants
• Air movement
• Damaging at high levels
• Affects humidity
• Spread airborne pathogens
• Pollination of flowers
• Replenish CO2 levels for photoysnthesis
• Air pollutants

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Floridas Climate

• Sunny
• Hot
• Can be gt90F for 6 months
• Humid
• 50-70 RH on a 90 day
• Rainy
• Season lasts from May Nov.

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What does soil consist of?

• Plant physical support
• Air
• Water
• Organic matter (nutrients)
• Mineral portion
• Sand - 2.0 to 0.05 mm in diameter
• Silt - 0.05 to 0.002 mm
• Clay - less than 0.002 mm

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Selecting Suitable Soil

• Drainage
• Well-aerated, loose
• Slope
• Steep soil erosion
• Depressions wet
• Soil texture
• Mineral portion
• Light vs. heavy soils
• Soil structure

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Floridas Soils
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Florida Gardening

• Preferred seasons are spring, fall, and winter
• Fertilization is necessary
• Irrigation is usually necessary
• Disease must be prevented
• Insects must be managed

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Garden Planning

• Site selection
• Sun
• Competition
• Soil
• Plant (and variety) selection
• Layout a garden plan (Ch. 2 of text)
• Consider plant size and when they will mature
• Where certain plants were grown the previous year
• Assignment Design a plan for your garden
• Example garden plans
• Planting guides

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Plant Selection

• Tomato
• Tomatillo

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Plant Selection

• Cucumber
• Eggplant
• Bell Pepper

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Plant Selection

• Summer Squash
• Winter Squash

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Plant Selection

• Green Beans
• Lima Beans
• Soybean

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Plant Selection

• Lettuce

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Plant Selection

• Broccoli
• Collards
• Cauliflower

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Plant Selection

• Basil
• Cilantro
• Parsley

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Plant Selection

• Cosmos
• Marigold
• Sunflower

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Assignment

• Decide what you want to grow in your garden
• Lay out a garden plan in your notebooks
• Email Dario (darioch_at_ufl.edu) a list of what you
  want to grow by this Friday (August 28th)

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Presentation References

• Decoteau, D.R. 2004. Principles of Plant Science
  Environmental Factors and Technology in Growing
  Plants. Pearson Education by Prentice Hall
  Interstate Publishing Company, Upper Saddle
  River, NJ.
• Schroeder,C.B. Seagle, E.D.Felton, L.M. Ruter,
  J.M. Kelley, W.T. and G. Krewer. 2004.
  Olericulture-Vegetable Production, p.512-541. In
  Introduction to Horticulture. 4th ed. Pearson
  Education by Prentice Hall Interstate Publishing
  Company, Upper Saddle River, NJ.
• Swaider, J.M. and G.W. Ware. 2002. Producing
  Vegetable Crops. 5th ed. Interstate Publishers,
  Inc., Danville, IL.