It's that time in Florida where temperatures are creeping up into the 90's. It's also that time where all your plants here in Green Cove Springs need a little more attention and TLC.
Read below on how to maintain a beautiful lawn and healthy landscape. Plants need the same things people need: water, a place to live, occasional doctoring and food:
1. Water
Florida is tropical, with sandy soils, making irrigation a requirement. Irrigate to prevent drought and to prevent wasting this precious resource. Do annual preventative maintenance on your irrigation system, irrigate for the season (plants need less water in cooler temperatures), turn off systems during the rainy season and turn on when plants show signs of wilt, keep lawns and landscape on separate zones.
2. Home Maintenance
Put the right plants in the right place and maintain their home. Mow lawns weekly spring through fall and as needed in the winter; never mow when wet or when hot/dry. Use a sharp blade and mow at the correct height: St. Augustine requires more grass blade (4 “average) than Zoysia (2.5”-3” average) for health. Prune plants less often and taper at the top for sun penetration. Weekly or monthly pruning removes new growth leaving shrubs skeletonize and unhealthy. Keep mower blades and pruners clean to prevent the spread of disease.
3. Doctoring
Use pesticides sparingly and properly. Investigate and identify problems before treatment. For example, brown spots may be caused by many things (chinch bugs, sod worms, disease, drought). If treatment is necessary, follow the label instructions carefully.
4. Food
Since plants do not get nutrients from Florida’s sandy soils, fertilizer is necessary for plant health. Apply the correct type, and amount of fertilizer and only when plants are growing to prevent leaching. Do not apply fertilizer in the late fall or during the winter months. Follow the Best Management Practices to protect our waterways. Only hire a reputable, professional company that follows BMPs to apply fertilizer and pesticides.
Come visit us at Another Bloomin' Nursery where we carry a wide variety of supplies, plants, flowers, trees and mulch. Everything is available to come by and pickup and we also also deliver to residential and commercial within the Green Cove Springs limit.