Watering in the Winter Months Despite the fact that we have many nice, warm, sunny days in the winter months of Florida and frequently little rain, keep in mind that it is winter and your landscape is dormant.  For that reason, your grass and landscape requires less water.  The rule of thumb is 1” of water per week is all that is required and as we are governed by the various water authorities- we are only permitted to water one time per week during Eastern Standard time.  Make sure your irrigation system runs long enough to give your landscape the one inch by putting out contai ..read more

Lichens are flaky moss like organisms that grow on the bark and branches of our landscape trees or shrubs. They do not attack and kill. They are a very natural part of landscapes and wooded areas on every continent of the world. Lichen may look like moss, but it is actually an algae and a fungus living together mutualistically, an association which is advantageous to both organisms. The bulk of a lichen is comprised of fungal hyphae called rhizoids, Rhizoids serve to attach the lichen to things like rocks, bark, branches, etc. Rhizoids also obtain minera ..read more

Storm Cleanup  Hurricane Ian provided many of us with storm damage, either from wind or water, or both, to our trees, palms and plants.  If you were one of those unfortunate people, here are some things to keep in mind: Plants are slow growing this time of year and recovery will take some time.  Recovery will happen when there is new growth pushing out but nutrition comes from the older growth so don’t be too quick to prune severely. If you had salt water incursion, it will take some time for the salts to flush out from the soil.  This will happen with rai ..read more

Planting Information Many times we get questions and emails regarding problems that customers are having with their plants and frequently it can be traced back to incorrect planting or lack of water early in the planting.  Often customers would like to plant their own plants and to that end, see some information below that will assist with that. Firstly, dig a hole that is one and a half times wider than your root ball but very importantly, shallower than the root ball. Most people plant too deep and this will prevent plants from thriving.  The point where the stem of a pla ..read more

Flowers Purslane There are lots of heat tolerant flowers that will add a pop of color to your garden for the summer. Pentas, purslane, portulaca, salvias, gaillardia, vinca, angelonia and torenia to name a few. Lantanas love the heat and respond with glorious displays of many colors of flowers that the butterflies love! Add in some low maintenance Crown of Thorns, Sedum or Desert Rose for areas that are extremely dry. Are your containers looking a little peaked? Don’t totally redo them- just pull out the sad plants and add in a couple of bright flowering or tropical plants to give them some mo ..read more

Vegetables The first round of summer vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers and squash that were planted in March and April should all be winding down now. Some people clean up their beds or containers at this point and plant their next planting. Others try to continue to maintain their tomatoes and peppers etc. throughout the summer. Rather than trying to keep these plants producing- it is better to start over. Tomatoes especially will not flower in the hot days of Florida summers. Planting anew will result in better yields and quantity. Plan on rotating your garden when you do replant. New cro ..read more

Crape Myrtles Crape Myrtle – Tuscarora Crape Myrtles are busting out in bloom all over the place!  Monitor aphid problems on your trees.  If your trees have buds that don’t open or leaves that are yellowing/browning and falling off- you may have aphids.  Spray your tree in the late evening with a horticultural oil or Spinosad or consider using a systemic insecticide to help control. Prune old blooms from crape myrtles (if you can reach!) and it may promote another bloom.  Don’t allow too many seed heads to drop in your beds or they will create more weeds ..read more

Irrigation: We are in the heart of the rainy season so now is a great time to save water! Put your irrigation on manual and operate it only when needed. Invest in a rain gauge (or a tin can will do)! If it does not rain during the week- up to one inch- then turn on your system to water. If you don’t have a Rain Sensor, get one installed and have your system checked periodically to insure even coverage and no broken heads. Mature plants, palms, grass and shrubs only need ¾ of an inch to 1 inch of water per week. Overwatering causes big problems! Check your irrigation output to determine how muc ..read more

Maintenance • July is the last month to trim your azaleas.  Pruning after July may result in no or fewer spring flowers. • Plants are growing quickly right now.  Any that have become leggy can be cut back.  Trim and shape to promote fullness.  To create density, lightly trim your shrubs all around.  Only trimming the tops of plants will encourage “flushing” only on the top.  If plants have become thin on the top from trimming- simply trim them a foot lower and let them grow a foot of new growth for a fuller top. However, having said t ..read more

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