Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) is one of the oldest living tree species, it dates back to about 250 million years ago!
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-
"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
"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
The cooler temperatures that come with the month of January may call for your plants being covered! If the temperature dips below 45 degrees, cover your garden with tarp or sheets to trap in warmer air.
Be sure to water your plants! Due to limited rainfall during Florida winters, your plants should be watered regularly, and you may want to invest in a sprinkler system if you haven't already. 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: Petunias, Winter Jasmine, Snapdragons, Alyssum
Herbs & Vegetables
Pest control is a top priority in August. Look out for ants around your home, scale feeding on your plants, and aphids around your citrus trees. Making sure these pests get treated with the appropriate insecticides ensure that your plants and trees continue growing healthy.
You also want to be sure you continue fertilization because the sandy soils in Florida do not hold nutrients well and your plants and palms may begin to show signs of nutritional deficiencies. Check older palm fronds for yellowing as this may indicate a magnesium or potassium deficiency.
Remove spent blooms, cut back, and fertilize flowering annuals and perennials to extend the bloom season into the fall months.
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!
"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
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.
"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
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
"Plant seeds of happiness, hope, success, and love; it will all come back to you in abundance.
This is the law of nature."
~ STEVE MARABOLI
"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