I’m sure I speak for all of my school mates and my professors as well when I say that being a college student in such unprecedented time can create a lot of stress. With the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a lot of added emotions that most of us are experiencing for the first time and also a lot of changes that were unforeseeable in the months that have passed. Certainly there is nothing comical about a virus that is claiming thousands of lives as the days passed by but I find it funny when I think about the little control that mankind have over what goes on with the earth.
We respond to the earth and its natural orders the earth does not respond to us and the orders that we create. When I think back to a few months ago everyone was sitting in class behind a desk listening to lectures and taking notes. with the flip of a switch we were forced to be at home either, unable to leave the house (unless necessary), behind the computer screen in order to complete our daily task that required us to be outside. Things are changing, wearing a mask is becoming the new norm. virtual learning is becoming the new norm. Virtual hangouts and family get togethers are becoming new norm.
While all of this is taking place and we’re being forced into certain lifestyles changes due to the pandemic COVID-19 the earth is emerging. The earth is taking back control, the waters are becoming a little bit more clear, the air smells cleaner, and the trees are breathing better. As I reflect in all of this I reflect on the experience that i had to win organic gardening at Saint Thomas University in Dr.Ferrero’s Ethics class. I have always been grateful for the experience and the knowledge that I’ve gained from organic gardening but now I see the benefits of it even more during this pandemic. In a time when outside exposure is limited, knowing how to provide your own food from the source of your backyard is a privilege that everyone should have and be grateful for.
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Last semester, I decided to enroll in Dr. Ferrero’s environmental ethics class and it was one of the best decisions that I have ever made during my higher learning career. Thankfully we were not phased by an unprecedented pandemic and we were able to finish that semester and our outdoor organic gardening sessions. This semester I decided to take another ethics course with Dr. Ferrero to further my knowledge and organic gardening but do too COVID-19,we were forced to abruptlytransition to virtual learning. Also due to social distance and guideline we were no longer able to continue our organic gardening sessions. The gift of nature, is the reason why I decided to participate in the organic gardening. I must admit, the organic gardening was the most enjoyable part of my ethics course. I looked forward to getting to class every thurdays. There is something so calming about being out in the Chickee Hut.
The process of organic farming was very intriguing. We first started by turning the soil in our plaque. We removed weeds and rocks that were too big from the soil. After that process we added organic fertilizer and mixed it into the soil. Pushing past live worms, snakes, and other living things, used our bare hand to plant the seeds into the soil. Once the seeds were planted we label them by names so that we would be aware what it growing and which flowers and vegetables were growing and the time they took to grow.
During one of organic gardening sessions we had a speaker, who was a Saint Thomas University alumni, name Simon. Simon owns and operates an organic form with his wife. Together the couple employe individuals to plant and care for organic fruits and vegetables. They also act as distributors for farmers market such as Wholes food. While Simon was a guest speaker he told us about his reasons for opting out of medical school to become a farmer. Simon stated that while he had no farming background he had a sudden change of heart after he learned about the benefits of organic farming and that large production companies were adding too the pollution of the earth. He decided to buy a small piece of land and he began farming. He said though it was hard work he enjoyed being a farmer in decided to make it a life long career.
Some might find it bemusing as to why a person would make the switch from a medical career to becoming a career farmer. On the other hand, there are others such as myself who find encouragement in Simon’s decision. certainly, I do not see myself committing to being a career farmer but Simon’s decision as encouraged a lot of lifestyle changes that I think are important in order to better the environment. There are some things that I feel everyone should learn about organic gardening. Like, the basics of planting a seed in order to grow your own food. You don’t have to be a career farmer to grow your own food and benefit from it. Organic gardening, also does not have to be a simple a hobby it can be something that you do because it is beneficial to you in the environment. There might come a time, such as the pandemic that we are experiencing today, where it is difficult to get to certain foods or food places and we will need alternatives. A great alternative for food sources is organic gardening.
While ground classes were still being conducted, we discussed visiting Simon’s farm during one of our organic gardening sessions. This was something that I was looking forward to doing. For many of my collegues from class it would have been their first time on a farm. It would have a been a wonderful learning experience for all of. For the ones that have not visited a farm before, I hope that they still do so after the class ends and the quarentine is lifted. Being on a farm and see the different fruits, vegetables, plants, and trees growing in their own way definitely a great thing to see. Sure, we see all of these things when we are driving or walking down the street but we never take the time to appreciate them. After visiting a farm I think that a person’s appreciate for nature raise to different level. At least for me that is what happened after I visited a farm for the first. I have a new level of appreciation for nature.
The most enjoyable part of organic gardening was having my bare hands in the soil. The feel of fresh soil, and its smell, creates such a calm. At first I was hesitant to touch the soil because I felt like it was an uncleansy thing to do, but then after planting the first seed and seeing it grow and it made me feel accomplished. Dr. Ferrero taught as the importance of talking to your plants and making them feel loved, cherished, and nurtured. This process helps them to grow healthier. It was a little silly the first time I tried whispering to a plant because I always viewed as an inanimate object. Plants are not inanimate objects is what I’ve came to realize and even as a seed they are babies waiting to grow and they have life.
The most common time to do planting in South Florida is between the months of August and March. The best type of vegetables to grow in South Florida are the ones that can survive in this type of climate. We can grow a large varity of vegetables here in south Florida. We can grow some tomatos but not all of them, there are some tomatos that only grow in the cooler region of the country. One particular type of tomato that grows in south Florida is the everglades tomato – also refered to as the “Wild Florida Everglades.” “An interesting fact about the Everglades tomato is that it is a different species than our normal garden variety types. While we normally grow Solanum lycopersicum, the Everglades tomato is Solanum pimpinellifolium, a wild type ancestor originating from Ecuador and Peru. More commonly called a currant tomato due to its small size, this species is very durable and indeterminate – it grows at least twelve feet long/tall” (Savary).
There are two types of beans that can be grown in south Florida, bush beans and pole beans. Bush beans will in the bushes and pole beans grow on a vine. Contender, pinto, red kidney, and blach bean are some types of bush beans. Blue lake, kentucky wonder, and mccaslan are some type of pole beans. “Beans are a nitrogen-fixing planting, meaning that they produce nitrogen and pump it back into the soil for themselves, and other plants to use. This also means that beans don’t benefit from a fertilizer that is nitrogen focused. We will talk more about fertilizing later in this post. Beans normally take about 45-70 days to mature to a harvestable size. Harvest beans before they get too large and tough. A good general rule of thumb is to harvest before they are thicker than a pencil” (Josh).
Peas are also a nitrogen fixer like beans, they pump the soil with nitrigon for themsleves and other plants to use. The variety of peas that can be grown in south Florida are california blackeye, no.5, pinkeye purple hull, and texas cream. Many farmers use peas as a cover crop during the season of the warmer months. Cover crop, is the process of chopping down the peas plants, before they peoduce food, and turning it into the soil when the leaves are still quite young and easy to break down.
Cabbages are one of the easiest vegetables to grow in south Florida. In order to grow properly cabbage needs to spaced 1.5 – 2 feet apart. The types of cabbages that grow best in florida are wakefield, copenhagen market, savoy, and red acre. A cabbage typically takes about 85-100 days to be fully mature and ready to harvest. Whenever the head of the cabbage seems big enough to you, it can be harvested.
Raddish are also very easy to grow and they are often grown with carrots. The raddish grows very fast and it provides shade to the baby carrot. Since they grow so fast they can be harvested before they interupt the grow of the carrots at all. The variety of raddishes that can be grown in south Florida are white icicle, champion, sparkler, daikon, and cherry belle. They take about 20-30 days to full grow. You can grow raddish in a container because they do not take up much space.
South Florida is in the hardiness zones of 10 and 11, this means that certain plants develop well in this region and can only be grown here. One of them is the dwarf cavendish banana. Dwarf cavendish banana can be harvested all year round in Florida. Banana trees are actually herb plants. A banana tree starts to bare 9 to 12 months after being planted. The best times to plant a banana tree is during the spring or the rainy month of june. “They need grow separately from other plants (at least 10 feet) because they need full sun and space. The plant needs about 5 inches of water a month – keep an eye on weather conditions and how much rain pours during the rainy months, otherwise water them with about an inch weekly. Banana trees are NOT flood resistant. They will die quickly and thus should not be planted in flood-prone areas. Harvest when the bananas are plump but not completely yellow – about a week or two before they would ripen on the while growing on the plant” (Menard).
Cherimoya is another fruit that can be grown in south Florida. Their harvest sesaon is winter through spring. They are also known as the custard apple. “The tree needs full sun, and from April to November, water every two weeks ensuring the soil stays moist. Pay attention to the weather as the Cherimoya tree cannot tolerate overwatering. Apply fertilizer four times a year – 1 pound the first year and one additional pound each year stopping at 5 pounds a year” (ibid). “Experts are still unsure what insect pollinates the flowers as bees are too large to reach the female flowers and other insects have not been observed collecting pollen. Thus, Growers must rely on the wind to pollinate the flowers or take direct intervention and hand-pollinate the flowers by hand with a small brush” (ibid).
The dragon fruit is also a south Florida friendly fruit. You can grow a dragon fruit tree directly form its seeds, but it can take many years. Although it is an easy fruit to grow, it require a lot of time and patience. The dragon fruit is apart of the cactus family, so like a cactus you need to water it carefully. You only need to water the cactus tree if the top of the soil is dry and only water it to get the soil moist. Do not flood your dragon fruit tree because this will cause it not grow. Your dragon fruit tree will be ready for harvesting when the flowers on the tree bloom.
Lychee is a member of the soap berry family; they are a south Florida friendly fruit. Growing a lychee tree from the seed can take between 10 to 25 years to grow. Lychee trees requires full sun light, but sun light can also overwhelm the tree if it is something that it is not used. “The subtropical environment of South Florida is ideal for its development – the young tree needs a warm, humid summer and a slight chill during the winter. Plant the Lychee tree on a mound to avoid destruction from flooding and water 2 to 3 times a week for the first few weeks and then water regularly when the soil is dry. If you live in the Western portion of South Florida, regular watering is vital to reduce the build-up of salt in the ground – the Lychee tree is not salt tolerant” (ibid).
“Mangos are an aromatic tropical fruit that blankets coastal areas with its sweet perfume. Used in drinks and treats and readily consumed on the beach, tropical paradise is all that comes to mind when picturing a Mango. Fortunately for you, Florida is the largest producer of Mangos in the United States and is home to 16 varieties seeking to take root in your backyard. Typically, they are grown along the Eastern and Southern coasts of South Florida, and the South shore of Lake Okeechobee. Due to the many different variants of Mango, they can be harvested year-round” (ibid). Like most of the fruit trees in south Florida, the mango requires full sun light. Mango trees can grow up to 130 feet tall. It may not reach that height exactly, but residential power lines are 12 to 15-feet high. A mango tree starts to produce fruits after first year. Its best to remove the fruits as they appear so that energy can travel to the roots of the tree to allow it to withstand hurricanes and tropical storms.
