Growing Tampa Bay by Terralink

What Makes Tampa Bay Different!

We’re extremely lucky to live in an area where food-producing plants can grow nearly year round. We don’t have to plan around snow and the chance of frost each year is minimal.

The First Plant Type I’d Recommend to Almost Anyone: Herbs

Herbs are one of the easiest plants to grow if space is an issue.

• Basil – Probably the herb I’ve had the most success with. In the right conditions, it grows so quickly you’ll find yourself giving bunches away to friends. Make sure to remove the flowers when they grow, this helps to preserve the sweet flavor. I recommend harvesting before it gets too warm and drying for future use.
• Rosemary – Tough, drought tolerant, and great for Florida gardeners who occasionally forget to water.
• Sage – A beautiful plant that earns its place in both the garden and the kitchen.
• Parsley – One of the most useful herbs to have on hand and surprisingly productive once established. The only downside is that it struggles during summer. Best to harvest before it gets too warm.
• Lemon Balm – Easy to grow and one of my favorites for teas and summer drinks.

The Most Underrated Beginner Crop: Sweet Potatoes

Everyone knows that sweet potato is a great nutritious root vegetable, but did you know you can also eat the leaves in a similar style as spinach? They’re often overlooked but are rich in vitamin A, C, iron and antioxidants.

If you’re nervous about growing food for the first time, sweet potatoes are one of the most forgiving plants you can start with. They love our climate and don’t demand much attention once they’re established. You really don’t need much space to grow it either. I currently grow a thriving plant in a small raised planter in the full sun. To get started all you need is an organic sweet potato from the grocery store. You plant this in the soil and wait for leaves to sprout. Once the plant is shooting out many vines you can push these into the planter to get more sweet potato roots!

The Plant That Made Me Feel Like I Knew What I Was Doing: Jalapeños

Jalapeños are one of the easiest plants for me to grow in St Pete. The best part? These plants don’t easily die when we have droughts. These tough little plants are packed full of great benefits including vitamin C and capsaicin.

All you need to grow jalapeños in Tampa Bay is a 5 gallon bucket or medium sized pot. Instead of buying seeds you can purchase an organic jalapeño from your local grocery store and start it in your own kitchen! I like to remove my seeds from the fruit and start the seeds in a wet paper towel. Once they start sprouting you can plant these in the pot or bucket. I wait until the sprouts mature and have a couple of leaves to select the strongest plants to continue growing. Once the plants mature you can move them into the full sun. Soon you should have an abundance of fruit!

For People With a Little More Space: Bush Beans

Bush beans are one of my newer additions to my garden and so far I’m very impressed. These beans stay low to the ground and don’t require staking. I planted these in April as seeds and now have an abundance of beans. Plus, not to mention, they are packed with protein, fiber and vitamin K!

Space wise I do think you could grow these in a small container or raised bed. Mine currently grow directly in the ground and although these are a compact plant they do grow a lot of vines with large leaves. I would recommend planting these before the temperatures get too hot. Aim for spring or fall crops!

The Most Rewarding to Grow: Tomatoes

Tomato plants can be very abundant in St. Pete/Tampa. We’re lucky enough to get two seasons we can grow these in and occasionally mine continue producing into winter. Tomatoes are also packed with nutrients. Vitamins C, K1, A and folate can be found in this amazing food!

You can grow tomatoes in pots, raised beds or the ground. I currently rotate 3 plants each spring and fall. I choose to grow 2 larger tomato varieties and 1 bush tomato. At the start of each season the plants will explode with fruit. I like to freeze excess fruit for sauces in winter. During this growing period I make sure to also harvest the seeds from all 3 plants to grow in the next season.

Plants I Wouldn’t Start With

If you’re starting out, these are the food plants I wouldn’t recommend to a beginner to grow in St. Pete/Tampa. These plants aren’t impossible to grow, but I think they’re better saved for later. When you’re first starting out, it’s much more rewarding to grow crops that give quick wins and build confidence.

Onions: selecting the correct type of onion can be confusing, although they do grow here the time commitment and space can be disappointing.

Cauliflower: these are very heat sensitive and producing uniform heads can be tricky.

Asparagus: it takes many years to reach a stage where you can harvest. The plants also take up a lot of space.

Closing Thought

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from growing food in Tampa Bay, it’s that you don’t need a large yard, expensive equipment, or years of experience to be successful. Our climate gives us an incredible opportunity to grow food for much of the year, and starting small is often the best way to begin. Whether it’s a pot of basil on a patio, a jalapeño in a bucket, or a sweet potato in a raised bed, growing your own food is one of the most rewarding skills you can learn. Choose a few easy plants, enjoy the process, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.