The cooler temperatures that come with the month of December may call for plants being covered. If the temperature dips to 45 degrees or lower, your plants will need to be protected. You will want to cover your plants before dark to trap warmer air. Blankets, sheets, towels and tarps can be used to cover plants.

Also, do not forget to water your plants! Even though it is not as hot and your plants are dormant, they are not dead during dormancy and still need water. Watering earlier in the day is key to allowing your plant enough daylight to soak in nutrients!

Here are some ideas for your winter garden:

Flowers: Allysum, Dusty Miller, Gazania, Geraniums, Ornamental Kale, Petunias, Viola, and Zinnia

Herbs & Vegetables

What To Do In July For Your Garden

Planting:

Before purchasing plants for your garden, remember to take a look at where the sun is throughout the day. The amount of sun will determine what plants work best in your garden. For July, try planting Penta, Lantana, Salvia, Baby Sunrose or Purslane.

Fertilizing:

Fertilize plants and trees by spreading granular fertilizer around the soil and watering it in. Use a fertilizer that DOES NOT contain Nitrogen and Phosphorus between now and September 30th. We carry fertilizers for all different kinds of plants!

Pests:

Be sure to monitor your plants for insects as they become more prevalent with warmer weather. Identifying damaging pests and spot treating early can help to prevent widespread damage. We carry ladybugs as a form of organic and eco-friendly pest control. 

floridagardener.com | https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/

If your palm trees were damaged by the cold weather in January, we have the solution!

Ingredients:

- 1 cup of Manganese Sulfate - 4 teaspoons of Liquid Copper - 1 gallon of water

Directions:

1) Mix together the Manganese and the Liquid Copper. 2) Add this mixture to the water. 3) Pour mixture to the "heart" (new growth) on top of the palm. 4) Repeat in 30 days. 5) Only apply the mixture at dusk.

We recommend waiting to trim back any damaged plants or trees until Spring (3rd week of March)

After trimming back your plants, we recommend feeding them with Fertrell. Fertrell is an organic fertilizer that is gentle on plants and works great!

The cooler temperatures and dry air that come along with the month of November help to lessen the insect populations. Insects will always be present here in Florida, but fleas, chinch bugs, and mosquitoes will be less noticeable. Aphids, beetles, cutworms, and leaf miners will still be around and can be harmful to your plants if you're not careful.

Also, do not forget to water your plants. Even though it is not as hot and your plants' water demands are not as great, sensible watering must still be done to ensure the health of your plants.

Here are some ideas for your fall garden:

Flowers: Allysum, Dianthus, Geraniums, Impatiens, Mums, Petunias, and Zinnia

Herbs & Vegetables

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more."

 ~How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Dr. Suess

"While it is February one can taste the full joys of anticipation. Spring stands at the gate with her finger on the latch."

~Patience Strong

Florida was once at the bottom of an ocean. Our "Florida Native" plants came here by way of wind, birds, and other natural means. Plants that were here in the mid 1500's when Spanish settlers arrived are considered Florida native plants. "Exotics" are plants that have been introduced to our landscapes since then - brought in by nature or by man.

“Native Plants of Florida.” Guide to Florida Landscape Plants for the Southern Half of the Sunshine State, www.south-florida-plant-guide.com/native-plants-of-florida.html.

Spring has sprung!

Butterflies and other pollinators are looking for tasty, early spring nectar. Planting flowers like Salvia, Coreopsis, and Milkweed, will help attract those hungry pollinators. Planting these kinds of flowers in groups will attract more pollinators rather than single plants scattered along your landscape.

Avoid using insecticides on these plants. Insecticides have the potential to poison or kill your pollinators.

Other pollinator attracting plants:

-Passion Flower -Pentas - Gaillardia - Walter's Viburnum-

"In November, people are good to each other . . . They travel very far on a special November day just to share a meal with one another and to give thanks for their many blessings"

 ~Cynthia Rylant

What To Do In July For Your Garden

Lawn:

You will want to fertilize your lawns, palms, and ornamental shrubs. Adding fresh mulch is the best option to minimize weeds and to hold moisture during the intense heat of Florida summers.

Fertilizing:

If you have not done so already, fertilize, fertilize, fertilize! Fertilize plants and trees by spreading granular fertilizer around the soil and watering it in. We carry fertilizers for all different kinds of plants!

Pruning:

You'll want to prune your shrubs and trees after the last flowers fade as we approach the fall season.

Pests:

Be sure to monitor your plants for insects as they become more prevalent with warmer weather. Identifying damaging pests and spot treating early can help to prevent widespread damage. Be on the lookout for aphids on new growth. We carry praying mantis eggs and ladybugs as a form of organic and eco-friendly pest control. 

floridagardener.com | https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/

"Spring makes its own statement, so loud and clear that the gardener seems to be only one of his instruments, not the composer."

~Geoffrey Charlesworth

With the cooler weather approaching comes a new planting season! If this past rainy season has washed away the vibrancy of your mulch, now is the time to thin out your faded mulch and replace it with a 1" layer of new mulch. Also, the Nitrogen Fertilizer Ban has been lifted, so October is a great time to fertilize your garden. Remember to use at least 50 percent slow-release nitrogen fertilizer. 

Have you been thinking about starting a vegetable garden? Mid-October is the time! Easy crops include broccoli, carrots, green onions, peppers, and tomatoes. You can also begin replacing your Summer annuals with Fall annuals, such as Sunpatiens, Geraniums, Mums, and Begonias. 

"There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October."

 ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne