Plants of the Month: Fall Color This time of year our thoughts turn to fall decorating and color for our homes! There are many ways to accomplish this. Mums Mums are the most popular potted plants during the Fall holidays because of their bright colors and easy care. Whether you add a bale of hay, […]
Lawn Care October is a key month for lawn care as many lawns are stressed from the summer. See the lawn care guide for this month below. Fall is a good time to sod or use plugs to fill in bare areas as well. In shaded areas that do not support good grass, consider using […]
Pruning: In early fall finish pruning and grooming trees and perennials. Pruning time for azaleas, camellias, bougainvillea, gardenias and poinsettias has past. Water Regulations: Cooler weather and Eastern Standard Time also bring changes in watering. Even though it is not as hot and plants don’t require as much water, watering is still needed- just more […]
What to Plant? “Trees are Planet Coolers” Recently a forum was held at the University of Florida Gainesville campus on trees and their impact on the urban area. Concrete or hard surfaces radiate a lot more heat than greenery, and trees are an important component in capturing carbon, which is linked to Global Warming. A […]
What’s Blooming? Look for hardy mums in October. These Hardy Garden Mums make fall decorating a breeze and after the holidays plant them out in the garden amongst other plants where they’ll bloom again in spring and fall. Winter Cassia is another favorite for the fall season with blooms from October through Christmas. Bright, golden […]
Citrus & Fruit You may also be experiencing fruit drop on citrus. This is common as citrus have three times per year when they may shed a few fruit early. Once, immediately after flowering in spring, June and again in fall. The tree will sometimes shed a few fruit if it has too many to […]
Gardening Tips: The first thing to do is evaluate, clean up and remedy any disease, pest or hurricane related problems on existing landscape. It was a long, hot summer and with an abundance of rain that may have created some fungus and disease problems Check your plants and treat if needed with Copper Fungicide or […]
What will be blooming in the fall? Pink Muhly Grass Muhly Grass is one of the BEST grasses to use in the landscape! It is very symmetrical with a fine texture that gently sways in the breeze. This tough Native will tolerate drought and flooding making it suited for wetland sites as well as beach […]
September Lawn Calendar St Augustine and Zoysia F-Stop A granular product that contains Eagle® fungicide that provides a systemic protectant and curative fungicide. During the warm, rainy months protects your lawn from: • Anthracnose • Red Thread • Septoria Leaf Spot • Brown Patch • Copper Spot • Dollar Spot • Fusarium Blight • Leaf […]
Citrus & Fruit Citrus can still be planted in September. There is still plenty of time for roots to get established before the winter cool. Mature fruit trees should be laden with fruit now. Some fruit trees may be laboring under the burden of the fruit. Prop up limbs or remove some of the fruit […]
Trees & Palms Fall is a great time to plant trees such as Oaks, Crape Myrtles, Elms, Magnolias and Hollies. The heat isn’t as bad and rain fall is normally good this month for rooting and establishment. Even though top growth may not occur during the fall and winter months, roots will grow and when […]
Problems with Turf With the rain and high humidity, we have seen so far this summer, we have seen lots of issues with fungal disease, not only on plants but also on grass. Here are some of the main problems we have seen with grass particularly. This summer has been our usual wet one and […]
Fall Blooming What are some of the prettiest plants for fall and winter blooms? *Native Muhly grass will begin blooming with pink plumes by the end of the month. Cassia begins blooming in October with bright yellow flowers that persist through to Christmas. Sasanqua Camellias are in full bud now and will bloom in October […]
Plant Profile: Container Planting Container plants are a great way to provide color in your garden or lanai, where planting plants are not an option. There are a host of great planters out there that come in all sizes, shapes and colors to complement your home or pool area. When planting containers always keep in […]
Tidbits: • Mow your grass weekly this time of year. Mowing guidelines for your type of grass are: St. Augustine and Bahia- 3.5 inches to 4 inches; Zoysia- 2 inches high. The higher grass height protects the grass roots from summer heat. • Summer rains bring summer mosquitoes. Be sure to keep water fountains flowing […]
Pet Owners: Many times we are asked about the toxicity of plants to pets. The ASPCA provides a fairly comprehensive list of plants that are known to cause anything from mild gastritis problems to severe poisoning to both cats and dogs. There is also a list for any customers who own horses. Here are some […]
Flowers: Fall arrives in September however; we all know it will still be hot! Some of the durable heat tolerant flowers include pentas, bush daisies, lantanas, salvias (perennial), angelonia and blue daze. Consider adding some plants for color in the shade such as hydrangeas, variegated ginger, stromanthe triostar, mona lavender, caladiums or ferns. Semi-Tropicals: Add some […]
Organic vs Inorganic Amendments There are many schools of thought that promote one type over the other, however, many manufacturers are now producing products that are great for plants in both categories. INORGANIC fertilizers are mined or synthesized whereas ORGANIC fertilizers are derived from living organisms. Many inorganic fertilizers contain nutrients that are immediately available […]
Problems in the Landscape There are many times that bad problems happen in the landscape and this is frequently true for newcomers to Florida. Here are some of the main reasons for problem landscapes: • Overwatering – significant numbers of problems are caused by overwatering. Irrigation should supplement rainfall, not the other way around. Run […]
Butterflies, Birds, Hummingbirds: When setting up a butterfly garden you should endeavor to have an assortment of plants and always include both Host plants and Nectar plants. Host plants (such as Milkweed) are where the eggs are laid and when the larvae/caterpillars hatch they feed on the host plant. Nectar plants are plants that adult […]
Semi-Tropicals Bougainvillea Bougainvillea adds the hot tropical punch of color that we all love. Bougainvillea needs at least 6 hours of hot sun to do well and in a well drained area. Do not plant on the north side- preferably the south or southwest. There are many varieties of bougainvillea- some are extremely large growing […]
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 […]
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 […]
Crape Myrtles 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 and falling off- you may have aphids. Spray your tree in the late evening with a horticultural oil or consider using a systemic […]
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 […]
Landscape Have you just moved into a new (or new to you) home? Is the landscape not all that it could be? Stop by the Garden Center and speak with one of our knowledgeable staff who can help facilitate whatever your goals for your garden may be. Weekly we see new lots cleared for another […]
Plants of the Month: Swaying in the Breeze Movement or plants that give the illusion of movement is a classic landscape design concept. Plants can be arranged to give the impression of movement along a curved path or plants that sway in the breeze also will catch your eye. Here are some suggestions for plants […]
Lawn Care St Augustine & Zoysia Lawns Hi Yield Turf & Ornamental Weed & Grass Stopper with Dimension • Prevents weed seeds from germinating • Do not use where garden seeds or flower seeds are sowed • Can also be used in landscape beds. Weed bed then apply to prevent weed seeds from germinating • […]
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