February in Southwest Florida
Having had the warmest December in our history and the wettest January, what does February hold for us weather-wise? El Nino is not going away and we’ve been warned to keep our rain gear handy. Having lived here for over 30 years, I know that February is also our coldest season. Cold and wet plants have a tendency to mold and rot. Evaporation just isn’t happening when it’s cold. Knowing what has happened in years past, doesn’t seem to be helping now. I checked on our weather temperatures for February and found it will be mostly in the 70s for the days and no freezes expected at the nights. We may see-saw warm and cold, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared for the worst, hope for the best and we’ll take what comes.
This is the year of the vegetable, so proclaims the Food Industry. Plants are heralded as the new meat. NPR is highlighting restaurants such as Al’s Place in San Francisco where vegetables are the main dish of over half your plate, and meats are the side dishes. I even bought a veggie spiralizer to turn squashes into spaghetti strips. Technically, tomatoes and okra are fruits – but okra and Brussels sprouts are now among the top produce trends of the year.
If you’re are looking for top healthy produce, try purple peppers, purple carrots (their original color), blue potatoes, blueberries, figs, plums (prunes), purple onions, purple cabbage, eggplant, blackberries, black currants and concord grapes. What makes them the tops is the antioxidant content in blue vegetables that neutralizes the agents of aging and disease, keeping you looking younger longer. The darker the fruit or vegetable, the more antioxidants it has. A natural purple pigment contains flavonoids, including reservatrol, which keeps blood pressure in control and boosts immunity from certain cancers. Cranberries’ purple pigment is seen to benefit those suffering from infections of the urinary tract.
They will soon be found in yogurt, teas and ice cream. Internationally, the United Nations has named 2016 the International Year of Pulses (legumes like chick peas, beans and lentils) making this a serious statement. If a New Year’s resolution was starting a diet, you have lots of help available. A plant-based diet is proposed by Michael Pollan, best selling food author, whose PBS program, “In Defense of Food,” has been popping up on PBS since December. I enjoyed all two hours of it.
I have a dear friend who has turned his front yard into a spoke-patterned vegetable garden. We have fresh lettuce salads with their radishes, cherry tomatoes and carrots, when I go there to eat. So, it is now time to start your second winter garden. IFAS recommends transplanting with beets, collards, eggplant, kohlrabi, peppers, sweet potatoes and tomatoes. Transplant with care, carrots, mustards, onions, (bunching, shallots) and sowing seeds – beans (bush, pole, lima) cantelopes, cucumbers, bunching onions and shallots, peas (English, Southern), pumpkin, radish, squash (summer and winter), turnips, water melon. My friend has had a slow germination of his seeds due to cool weather. Bulbs, corns and rhizomes can be replanted now, along with mild winter bedding plans.
With such a mild winter, the Farmer’s Almanac says to wait to prune until after the full moon in February, being Feb. 15.
Prune roses this month to remove old damaged canes, fertilize lawns and mulch any fertilized shrubs and palms. Apply a pre-emergent weed killer (not weed and feed) to lawns late this month to prevent germination of warm-season weeds. Do not apply a copper fungicide to mangoes and avocados until they have lost 2/3 of their blooms. Citrus need to be fertilized depending on the age of the tree. Follow directions on package.
We just celebrated on Jan. 15, Florida’s Arbor Day. National Arbor Day will come the last Friday in April, April 29. I am, of course, attracted to the many articles published about living near trees as being good for our physical health. Researchers have found that trees on the street have a positive effect on neighbor’s health. They found having 10 or more trees in a city block improves ones perception of their own good health. Trees are known to improve urban air quality by pulling out pollutants, protecting us, and giving off oxygen. Also, the stress reduction from being around trees gives a mental effect of well being that seems to encourage us to exercise. A psychological factor, maybe, but it adds to our perception of good health. They found that street trees seem to have a more beneficial effect than private or backyard trees. They feel good about saying to municipalities, “increase your number of trees to at least 10 per block.”
I enjoy living off of Country Club Boulevard and the peacefulness I feel in traveling up and down it fills me with such happiness and peace while driving it. (Almost as much as when driving over the bridges and seeing nothing but water below.) A Nature Connection Pyramid by Nature Kids applies to me, too. The big base, Outdoor Nature Play, says to play outdoors daily, make time every day for unstructured outdoor play. Run on the grass, climb trees (problematic with me, but I use to be able), get your hands dirty next layer is weekly Nature Exploring with nature walks, gardening, bird watching, rock collecting, identifying plants, exploring tidal pools – then comes, support your parks, go on a monthly outing to a regional, state or national park. The tip of the triangle is – Go Wild, find a wilderness, visit a place that is far from buildings, pavements and city sounds – a place free of human influence. So necessary to free our children from their electronics. Connecting to my inner child gets harder every year, as my body reminds me.
Punxsutawney Phil says spring will come early; only in America do we accept weather predictions from a rodent but deny climate change from scientists (both ridiculous).
Remember the trees, thank them for oh so many things.
Joyce Comingore is a Master Gardener, hibiscus enthusiast and member of the Garden Club of Cape Coral.