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 […]
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 fruits early. Once, immediately after flowering in spring, June and again in fall. The tree will sometimes shed a few fruits if it has too many to […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 My Mind. Consider adding some plants for color in the shade such as hydrangeas, variegated ginger, stromanthe triostar, mona lavender, caladiums or ferns. Semi-Tropicals: Add […]
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 […]
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 […]
Adding grasses to your landscape not only provides some texture, interest and movement, but also can add some color as well. Here are some of our favorites. Muhly Grass Beautiful lavender pink plumes adorn this easy care grass in the early fall through to late fall, at which point they become a beige color, until […]
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 […]
VerdeGo is seeking a landscape Installer to be a part of a dynamic team for the Garden Center. Requirements: – Possess the communication skills necessary to effectively manage a crew, crew members, and have direct communication with existing and potential customers as necessary. – The ability to perform leadership functions such as keeping logs of […]
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 […]
Semi-Tropicals October is the last month to plant tropicals like Allamanda, Ti plants, Crotons, Bougainvillea, and Helichonia. Planted by the end of the month, they have adequate time to establish a good root system to re-emerge from, if they receive freeze damage this coming winter. Fertilize your flowering tropicals with Nurserymen SureGro Bloomer 6-8-10 to […]
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 […]
Fall Blooming Now that we are at the end of summer our summer blooming perennials and annuals are starting to look worn out. 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 […]
Plants of the Month: Hollies Burfordi Holly: Burfordi Holly plants have lustrous, dark green shiny foliage against the red berries in fall and winter. They have all the makings for a beautiful plant! During spring the plant becomes covered in tiny, white clustered flowers. After the flowers fall tiny, green berries continue to grow until […]
Pests: While pests will become fewer with the approaching cooler weather, scale and particularly mites are active. Mites enjoy the dry weather so be vigilant for damage from them- especially on junipers or cypress. Continue to “scout” your garden for problems and stop by the Garden Center for advice on any issues that may arise. […]
Citrus We recommend that you wait until spring now to plant any citrus. However, you can keep it in the container until spring to make it easier to protect. Even though Citrus are much cold hardier than a hibiscus, a hard freeze (when temperatures fall below 32 degrees for more than 6 hours) may cause […]
Living Christmas Trees Would you like to enjoy a beautiful Christmas tree that you then can plant and enjoy for years to come? Stop by the Garden Center to see some. Here are some good choices: Carolina Sapphire Cypress is a great option. It is a silvery green color and has the “Christmas tree” shape […]
Lawn Care For St. Augustine, Zoysia and Bahia Lawns: Fertilome Winterizer • Apply Fertilome Winterizer this month to promote strong root growth through the winter months along with keeping great green color retention. • A 10-0-14 product plus trace elements for winter hardiness & disease resistance For St. Augustine and Zoysia Lawns: Hi-Yield Bug Blaster […]
Plants of the Month: Camellias Camellia Japonica ‘Pink Perfection’ Camellia Sasanqua ‘Yuletide’ Known for their elegance, Camellia’s are truly magnificent when planted in the right location. There are basically two types of camellias: Sasanquas, which bloom in the Fall, and Japonicas, which bloom in late Winter through early Spring. Sasanquas produce smaller but more flowers […]
Wildlife From early fall to late winter deer (bucks) will rub their antlers on the stem or trunk of a tree. Bucks do this to remove the velvet that has been growing on their antlers. Any tree in your landscape can be susceptible to damage. Trees that are damaged with vertical scrapes or shredded bark- […]
Gardening Tasks and Tidbits • Overgrown perennials should be divided and replanted now so they can establish well before the colder weather arrives. • Continue to keep your poinsettias, Christmas cactus and kalanchoe in night time darkness so they may set their blooms. • Mow lawns less frequently now: St. Augustine Grass- 3”-4”, Zoysia- 2”-2.5”, […]
Sign up for our free V.I.G. (Very Important Gardener) eNewsletter. Packed full of great FL gardening tips and information to help your landscape and lawn looking it’s best!