What is Blooming right now?

If you drive around the area you will see there are many things blooming in the fall. Some of the plants are those that were tired of the heat of the summer and are now blooming again due to the cooler temperatures however there are a number that are fall bloomers.

Azalea

Some varieties of azaleas such as Fashion Azaleas, Vivid or Red Ruffle Azaleas will bloom in the fall and are now starting to put on a display.

Muhly Grass

Have you seen that beautiful pink grass that is blooming all over town? Muhly Grass, which is a Florida native performs beautifully in the hot sun with little care.

Camellia Sasanqua

Camellia Sasanqua is a smaller growing variety of camellia that is starting to bloom now. There are many colors and types of flowers to choose from. They bloom from about October to January when the Camellia Japonica will start blooming.

Vegetables, Herbs and Fruit:

Cool season vegetables include- beets, broccoli, cabbage, radish, lettuce, onions and collards. Herbs that do well in the cool season are parsley, thyme, sage, savory and rosemary.

Citrus trees will be heavy with fruit now. If branches are in peril of breaking, consider removing some of the fruit. Naval oranges, grapefruit and tangerines should all be turning color now and will be coming ripe toward the end of the month. Lemons and Limes have probably already produced some fruit. Citrus fruit does not ripen once removed from the tree. Harvest fruit as late as possible when sugars are at their peak. The best way to tell if your fruit is ripe is the “taste test”. Citrus should have had the last fertilizer for the year by now and should not be fertilized again until early spring.

Keep an eye on citrus trees for stress caused by heavy rain. This can lead to excessive fruit drop and defoliation. If your tree looks stressed, take off all the fruit and allow the foliage to flush back out. More foliage will help protect your tree from possible cold damage as well.