Florida Summer Gardening 101

Theresa Badurek,

Urban Horticulture Extension Agent 
and Master Gardener Coordinator

It’s almost June and the weather is still pleasant… for now.  Soon we will be battling hot summer sun, bugs, humidity, and torrential rains every afternoon.  These conditions present several challenges for the home gardener, but there are things you can do now to prepare your garden (and yourself) for the heat.

If you use annuals in your landscape you probably know by now that many of them don’t tolerate the Florida heat very well.  Just because a plant is being sold in local garden centers does not necessarily mean it’s the right time to plant them here in Florida.  However, there are several annual plants that take our temps in stride.  They include salvia, torenia, wax begonia, coleus, and ornamental peppers. When shopping for annuals choose compact plants with healthy leaves, good color, and lots of flower buds (they don’t have to be in bloom at the time of purchase).  For more information about gardening with annuals in Florida, click here.

Since annuals are seasonal they should make up focal areas in the garden, but not too much space, as they require a lot of energy and resources for such a short life-span.   Right now is also a great time to plan new perennial plantings, including trees, palms, shrubs, and groundcovers.  If you have a plan at the ready you can be prepared to install once the rainy season starts- then you won’t need to water as often yourself.  Just remember that if you plant something before you go on vacation you should ask a friend or neighbor to care for it while you are gone.  For more information on establishing new trees and shrubs, click here. 

But that’s not all you can do this time of the year.  You can also plant some herbs that like the heat such as basil, Mexican tarragon, and rosemary.  Since some herbs are annuals and some are perennials remember to group them accordingly so you won’t be disturbing the perennials when replanting the annuals.  Many herbs are also suited to planting in containers- but you must remember that those plants in containers will dry out faster than those in the ground and will need more irrigation attention.  For more information about growing herbs in your Florida garden, click here.

If you think your new herbs might get lonely out there, don’t hesitate to try your hand at vegetable gardening.  But (and this is a biggie) you can’t plant the same veggies in the summer that you can up north.  Our hot temps just won’t work with many of the usual veggies, but there are several crops you can grow here in the heat including okra, southern pea, and sweet potato.  For more information about vegetable gardening in Florida, including suggested crops and their planting dates, click here.

Summer (June, July and August are great) is also a good time to solarize your vegetable garden, so you can add this to your summer gardening plan.  What does that mean?  Well, this one prep can help reduce soil pests and even kill weed seeds, making your garden more successful throughout the fall gardening season.  Solarizing involves harnessing the heat of the sun by covering the soil with clear plastic and is most effective in the summer months.  To solarize, you want to prepare your soil with any amendments such as compost or manures before you begin.  Make sure your garden is clear of rocks, twigs, weeds, and other debris.  Till the soil to at least 6 inches to make sure the heat will penetrate deeply enough to be effective.   The day after a good rain or irrigation is best for applying the clear plastic sheeting over the soil.  Lay sheets of clear plastic over the soil and bury the edges to keep it in place.  Clear plastic is the only kind that will be effective- do not use black.  Finally, leave plastic in place for at least 6 weeks.  For more info on solarizing your garden, visit “Introduction to Soil Solarization”.

A discussion of summer garden preps wouldn’t be complete without a mention of hurricane season.  Now is your last chance to prepare for hurricane season by checking trees for damaged or weak branches and prune if needed.  Be sure to hire an ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) certified arborist to do this work- they are trained to care for trees and continually participate in ongoing education to maintain this certification.  This can help lengthen the life of your trees and minimize the chance of property damage.  To find a certified arborist near you, visit the ISA website tool to locate a tree professional.

Last, but definitely not least, make sure to watch out for your own health in the heat.  Slow down, dress for summer, do not get too much sun, drink water, do not drink alcoholic beverages, and spend more time in air-conditioned places.  The University of Florida Extension has a great webpage for heat safety that everyone should read before it gets too hot.  Be safe and have a great summer!

Decorating With Holiday Plants, Inside and Out

Theresa Badurek, Urban Horticulture Extension Agent, UF/IFAS Pinellas County Extension Service


Did you know that there are live Christmas tree farms here in Florida? To find one near you please visit the Florida Christmas Tree Association website. Buying a Florida tree supports local farmers and can provide you and your family a more traditional holiday experience. Christmas tree farms are “green” too- they provide green space preservation that also consumes carbon dioxide and releases oxygen into the environment. Many farms even have areas where you can choose and cut your own live tree. Not only will you create memories, but your fresh cut tree will last longer than one cut weeks before and shipped long distances. 


 The types of trees grown in Florida are different than those available on your typical Christmas tree lot full of northern varieties. The most common trees grown in Florida on Christmas tree farms are: Red Cedar, Virginia Pine, Sand Pine, Spruce Pine, Arizona Cypress and Leyland Cypress. I can tell you from personal experience that the sand pine makes a great traditional looking Christmas tree that will last long after Christmas is over. When your celebrations are done and the decorations put away, please remember to recycle your tree.

Sand pine grown in Florida on a Christmas tree farm.

Another great “green” choice for Christmas trees are living trees that you can plant in your landscape after the tinsel and ornaments have all been taken down.  One example is a small rosemary tree for tabletops.  For more info on their care, click here. 

If you are interested in something larger, you might consider one of the species listed above that are grown on Christmas tree farms.  Be sure that you have the appropriate growing conditions and ample space for the mature size of the tree you choose.  Once the holidays are over you can plant the tree in your yard, and this is a great time to do so because January is the best time of the year to plant trees in Florida.  Be sure to purchase your tree from a nursery.  Do not dig up a wild tree as it is likely that transplant shock will kill the tree.  They are also not as likely to have that traditional Christmas tree shape most people are looking for.   While the tree is inside you need to keep the soil moist to ensure that the tree keeps growing.  For all kinds of information about Christmas trees, both living and artificial, please visit UF's Solutions For Your Life. 

Rosemary Tree

Other Popular Holiday Plants

There are several popular options for indoor plants for the holidays, ranging from the traditional to some more modern choices.  Poinsettia is a traditional holiday favorite.  These plants come in a variety of colors to suit your holiday decorating needs.  If your holiday Poinsettia comes in a container wrapped in a foil outer cover, be sure to remove it or punch holes in the bottom to allow excess water to drain.  Keep the soil around your poinsettia slightly moist, but not soggy, and place the plant in a bright window out of direct sunlight.  Contrary to popular belief, poinsettias are non-poisonous and non-toxic, however, some people may be sensitive to the latex in poinsettia sap.  Even though eating even a large number of leaves will not result in illness, the plant is not considered edible.  If brought indoors it should be kept out of reach of children and pets.  After the holidays these can be planted in your landscape.   These plants are photo (light) sensitive and uninterrupted periods of dark (starting in early September) initiate the bloom.  Artificial light at night from a porch, street, or window light will offset the flowering. Click here for more information on poinsettias and planting in the landscape.

http://vfd.ifas.ufl.edu/poinsettias/poinsettia_slideshow.shtml

Another traditional holiday plant is the flowering holiday cactus, the Christmas cactus and the Easter cactus.  The Christmas cactus, Schlumbergera truncata, usually flowers from Thanksgiving to Christmas and its leaves have pointed lobes.  The Easter cactus, Schlumbergera bridgesii, has wider leaves, which are rounded, flowers from Christmas to Easter.  Allow soil to dry out between watering and keep the plant in bright light while in bloom.  These are long-lived plants and can be kept outside in the shade during most of the year.  These plants are also photo (light) sensitive and uninterrupted periods of dark (starting in early September) initiate the bloom.  Artificial light at night from a porch, street, or window light will offset the flowering.  They do need to be protected from frost and freezing temperatures.  All parts of this plant are poisonous, so keep out of reach of pets and children.  Click here for more information on Christmas cactus.

Photo courtesy Okeechobee County Extension

Kalanchoe, a winter blooming succulent, has become popular as a more modern holiday plant.  The showy flowers are in terminal clusters and last for several weeks.  Flower colors are yellow, pink, red, and various shades of orange.  Since this is a succulent plant, let the soil dry out between watering.  If grown in the landscape, kalanchoe prefers light, sandy, open, well-drained soils and is moderately salt tolerant.  These plants are also photo (light) sensitive and uninterrupted periods of dark (starting in early September) initiate the bloom.  Artificial light at night from a porch, street, or window light will offset the flowering.  They are well suited to a rock garden or container garden.  Here in Pinellas County they may be cold tender and will require cold protection during frost or freeze conditions.   Click here for more information on kalanchoe.

Photo by HARRIET HOWARD HEITHAUS, Daily News 

Happy Holidays!

Cactus and Succulent Dish Gardens

By Michael Pettay
Horticulturist, University of Florida/IFAS Extension Educator

Dish gardens can make a snazzy display for plants such as cactus and succulents.

What's the difference you say? Well, succulent is a generic term that refers to any plant that has thick, fleshy leaves, stems or roots adapted for storing water during dry periods. Cactus refers to a specific family of succulents, native to the Americas, characterized by thick, water storing stems and often by long, sharp spines. In short, all cacti are succulents but not all succulents can be called a cactus!

Succulents have leaves, stems or roots that store water from the rainy season for use in the dry season. Plants in the family Cactaceae, from the Greek 'kaktos', for thistle, are stem succulents.

Cacti usually have spines, which are actually modified leaves. While leaves are very good at photosynthesis, and cooling plants off, they lose water and generally can't take much heat. Cacti photosynthesize through their stems and tolerate heat very well.

Both types of plants need very little care, prefer low humidity, and come in many shapes, sizes and colors that can add interest to a table top, a window sill in a brightly lit room, or a sunny porch. I actually have cactus gardens in larger pots in full sun around a backyard deck.

Start with a relatively shallow pot, container or dish, at least two to three inches deep. Clay or terra cotta works better for plants that prefer to be on the dry side. Make sure it has drain holes in the bottom! Plastic pots will work if you are cautious with watering but be careful in full sun. The sun shining on a dark colored plastic pot can very quickly overheat the roots!

Fill it with special cactus potting mixture or make up your own using equal parts of potting soil and sand. Choose a few interesting looking plants and leave them enough room to grow a little. I usually tell folks to use an odd number of plants for a more interesting, natural looking pattern, and to leave room for a few larger stones and a thin top dressing of sand or gravel. Although they certainly look like they could take care of themselves, cacti are slower to react to poor care than other types of plants, so only purchase those that are healthy. Look out for scars, bruising, broken stems or spines, or stems that are long, thin and pale. Remember, also, that cactus may be sun types or shade types.

Sun type cactus look like what most folk would think of as a cactus; heavily armed, stem succulents. They can take direct sun outdoors and would prefer a South or West window if kept indoors.

Shade cactus are critters like Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) that require special care and probably would not be good additions to a dish garden.

Be sure to have your gloves handy when working with cacti. Or you can also fold several sheets of newspaper and place them lightly around a cactus when you lift it out of its original pot for transplanting.

Allow your dish garden to dry out between waterings. Every two weeks during their active growth period would probably be adequate.

Cacti need fertilizer also, but not as much as other types of plants. Fertilize monthly, from April to October, with something in roughly a 5-10-5 ratio, such as tomato or African violet fertilizer, at one half the label recommended strength.

Place it in a sunny spot and enjoy!

Citrus Questions?

By Jane Morse
University of Florida, IFAS Pinellas County Extension Agent

A common occurrence this time of year is to see oranges that have brown areas. This is most likely rust mite damage (unless it smells rotten). Rust mite damage is nothing to worry about as it doesn’t affect the taste of the fruit; it just makes the outside rind not be perfectly orange.
If you want perfectly orange rinds, spray your trees in March or April with a horticultural oil (use an oil that lists paraffinic oil as the active ingredient). Always read and follow directions exactly as indicated on the label of pesticides.

Another common problem on citrus is leafminers. Leaves will look misshapen and one can see serpentine tunnels on the leaf surface. For mature trees this will not harm them and little control is available. Either leave them alone or during the spring growth flush spray the tree with horticultural oil twice, spaced two weeks apart. Very young trees can be hurt by the loss of leaf surface that leafminers cause. Young trees should be treated with a horticultural oil during the spring growth flush.

Fertilization is necessary to keep your tree healthy and producing well. Bearing trees should be fertilized 3 times per year with a good quality 8-8-8 citrus or palm fertilizer that supplies micro nutrients (i.e. zinc, manganese, boron and copper) as well as the macro nutrients (i.e. nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium). The amount applied at each application is about five pounds. A tree that is 5 years or older would receive three separate applications of 5 pounds for a total of 15 pounds of fertilizer per year. A bathroom scale can be used to determine fertilizer weight. If your trees are surrounded by turf and you are fertilizing your turf, then you probably don’t need to apply extra fertilizer to your trees.

The recommended 3 applications per year can be made in January-February, May-June and October-November. Be sure to evenly spread the fertilizer. A general guideline is to spread the fertilizer as many feet beyond the drip line of the canopy as the age of the tree in years (up to ten). For trees younger than 5 years call the Extension Service at 727-582-2100 to get their recommended fertilizing schedule.

The soil pH is also important. Citrus prefer a soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5. If you live near the beach or have an alkaline soil (above pH 7.0) then minor element deficiency symptoms may develop. The only way to supply these minor elements when the soil pH is alkaline is by applying a nutritional spray to the leaves (foliar application). These sprays should contain zinc, manganese, boron and copper. Spraying once per year should be sufficient. Local garden supply stores should be able to recommend a spray for you.

Watering is also important to tree health. Too much water or too little water can damage your tree. Trees in a well-drained soil usually need about 3/4 inch of water per week (if there is no rainfall). Too much water can cause foot rot to occur. Watch out for flooding, or soggy soils. Citrus do not like to have wet feet!

What about pest and disease management? Homeowners usually only need to apply horticultural oil, insecticidal soap or copper fungicide to control pests and disease.

There are many beneficial-bugs that help to keep pest-bug populations under control and by using horticultural oils and insecticidal soaps most of the beneficial-bugs are saved while the pest bugs are killed. Beneficial-bugs do us a great service and help to keep most pest-bug populations well under control. Using hard chemicals that kill all bugs, including the beneficial-bugs, can actually cause an explosion of pest-bugs to occur. So stay away from the hard, conventional pesticides, especially those that keep killing for a long time. You do NOT need them and they usually make the problem worse.

For other questions about plants:

• Call the UF/IFAS Pinellas County Extension Service horticulture hotline at 727-582-2110
• Visit our website at: http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/, or
• Come see the Florida Botanical Gardens.

Information for this article was obtained from:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/HS132 Citrus Culture in the Home Landscape
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/xc002 Control Of Insects, Mites And Disease Of Florida’s Dooryard Citrus

Seeing Red and Black Bugs?

By Jane Morse
University of Florida, IFAS Pinellas County Extension Agent

Have you seen red and black colored insects crawling all over your grass and up the sides of your house? Do you have a Goldenrain tree or Chinaberry tree in your yard or close by? Then most likely the insect you are seeing is the harmless Jadera haematoloma. This is a seed-eating insect and it won’t harm your plants.

These bugs are in a way providing a service to you. They are eating the seeds of the tree so that you do not have thousands of baby trees sprouting up under the adult tree.

In central Florida, March, April and May are usually the peak months for Jadera bugs. The adults are 1/3 to ½ inches long (with wings) and about a 10th of an inch wide. Their color is mostly black except for reddish eyes, shoulders and border area of the abdomen. The nymphs (young) are mostly reddish in color, with the mid-section, antennae, beak and legs brown to black. They look like their wearing little black vests over their red bodies.

Control:

Usually, no control is necessary. A small concentration on a plant can often be destroyed by hand collecting.

If the bugs are a nuisance in lawns or playgrounds, removing the tree seeds by raking shortly after the seedpods or lanterns have fallen to the ground is recommended, but should be done when the trees first drop the seedpods, before the seeds detach. Attempting to rake them when the bugs become noticeable in March or April, after the seeds have detached from the seedpods, is too late.

Eliminate hiding places such as piles of rocks, boards, leaves, and general debris close to the house. Repair and close places where bugs can enter the house, such as cracks around doors and windows and in the foundation. Brushing or knocking large populations of the bugs that are on plants or walls into a small pail with water at the bottom is another method of control. A little liquid detergent added to the water will help to kill them more quickly.

If they are in the house, either sweep or vacuum them up and dispose of them. Pyrethrins or insecticidal soap can also be used. Always read and follow the label of any pesticide used.


References:

http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/trees/jadera_bugs.htm

http://trec.ifas.ufl.edu/mannion/pdfs/GoldenRainTreeBug.pdf

Timely Tips for March – Part 2

By Andy Wilson, Pinellas County Extension, Horticulturist

This winter has brought us many warmer than average days as well as one night of below freezing temperatures that damaged some kinds of plants. March marks the end of the danger of any plant-damaging cold and many plants will be producing lots of new growth now. Here are some lawn and garden tips for March.

Aphids- As plants begin to produce new growth over the next several weeks, aphids may become a problem. These sap feeding insects feed on the soft, succulent new growth and are usually found in masses. They are pinhead-sized and may be green, black, orange or other colors depending on the particular species of aphid. If aphids are noticed, look also for predatory insects that may be feeding on them, the most common of which are the lady beetles or “lady bugs.” If these beneficial insects are found, there should be no need to spray for the aphids. If spraying is needed, light horticultural oils and insecticidal soaps are among the least toxic materials.

Vegetables- Vegetables gardens need a regular supply of nutrients to produce well. Most commonly this is done by applying granular fertilizers like an 8-8-8 analysis. Usually at least 2 or 3 applications (in addition to the fertilization that is done at planting) will be needed during the growing season. For more information see the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide here: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VH021

Bananas- Bananas should be fertilized about every other month with a fertilizer that contains twice as much potassium (the third number in the fertilizer analysis) as it does nitrogen (the first number). Bananas are heavy feeders in general and usually should be fertilized every other month. Many banana plants in the area suffered damage in the early January cold wave and adequate fertilizer will supply nutrients that are needed to produce new growth and eventually fruit. More information on growing bananas can be found here: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG040

Lawn Fertilization- The ideal time to make the first application of fertilizer on lawns is about 2 weeks after the lawn begins to show signs of fast growth after the slow growth of the winter. The grass roots are then ready to efficiently pick up the fertilizer. A 15-0-15 or 15-2-15 is suggested. At least some of the nitrogen in the fertilizer should be in a slow release (water insoluble) form. This information will be shown on the fertilizer bag.

Azaleas- Azaleas can be pruned, if needed, once flowering has finished. If the mulch around them has mostly rotted away, apply more so that the mulch is about 2 to 3 inches thick. Although there are exceptions, azaleas as a group are not the most drought tolerant plants and mulching will help to hold moisture in the soil.

Palms- One of the most important parts of the care needed to keep palms healthy and attractive is proper fertilization. Research done by the University of Florida has established that an 8-2-12-4 analysis fertilizer is best for palms. The nitrogen, potassium and magnesium should be in a controlled release form. It should also contain the micronutrients iron (about 1.5-2%, 0.1-0.2% if in the chelated form), manganese (about 1.5-2%) and trace amounts of zinc, copper and boron. Some nurseries and other outlets in the area are carrying this fertilizer. The fertilizer should be broadcast evenly throughout the area under the canopy of the palm. Applying the fertilizer in this way is much more effective than using fertilizer spikes or punching holes in which to apply the fertilizer. If there is turf within 50 feet of palms it should be fertilized with the same palm fertilizer, not a high nitrogen turf fertilizer. High nitrogen, low potassium fertilizers can induce severe and sometimes fatal potassium and magnesium deficiencies if they are applied anywhere near palms.

More information on fertilization of palms can be found here: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EP261

More information on nutrient deficiencies of palms can be found here: http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/home_garden/pdf/ENH1018.pdf

Timely Tips for March – Part 1

By Andy Wilson, Pinellas County Extension Horticulturist

This winter has brought us many warmer than average days as well as one night of below freezing temperatures that damaged some kinds of plants. March marks the end of the danger of any plant-damaging cold and many plants will be producing lots of new growth now. Here are some lawn and garden tips for March.

Cold Damaged Plants- Cold damaged woody plants can be pruned now. New growth may be already emerging, making it easier to determine where the wood is alive, if there is any wood that was killed by the cold that needs to be removed.

Pruning Hibiscus- Even if they were not seriously damaged by cold this winter, now is a good time to prune hibiscus if needed. New growth can be expected to come out quickly after pruning. Use sharp tools of the proper size for the size of the branches you need to remove. Hand pruners are used for branches less than ¼” diameter and pruning saws are used for larger branches. More information on proper pruning methods can be found here: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG087

Cannas- Cannas are easy to grow in Florida. Prized for their large, showy flowers borne at the ends of the stems, they are also valuable in the landscape for their bold green, maroon or variegated leaves. To keep the plants growing vigorously it is helpful to lift the thickened rhizomes from the soil, prune away the older, depleted parts and replant them. This can be done now. Cannas should be fertilized about once a month. More information on growing cannas can be found here: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG030

Leaf Drop- Over the next several weeks many broadleaved evergreen trees and shrubs will drop varying amounts of old leaves. Usually the leaves will discolor to some extent before dropping. This kind of leaf drop is common on Southern magnolia, hollies and many others. This is a natural process, and doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with the plant.

Oak Leaf Blister- Soon after the new leaves of laurel oaks and water oaks appear this spring you may see puckered spots in the leaf tissue. Some of the affected leaves may drop. This usually is an indication of oak leaf blister, a common fungal disease of oaks. Although spraying beginning when the new growth begins to emerge can be used with varying degrees of success to control the disease, it is usually not worth the trouble and expense to do this. The disease is strictly cosmetic and does not threaten the real health of the tree. Live oaks, with their more leathery leaves, have little problem with oak leaf blister.

Mangos- Continue spraying mangos with a copper fungicide once a week until all the fruit has set, then continue spraying once a month. This will help to control anthracnose, a very common disease that can attack the flowers, small fruits and new leaves.

Stay tuned until tomorrow for more tips on aphids, bananas and palms, plus other timely gardening information.

What’s Blooming in Our Gardens?

By Dale Armstrong
Coordinator Florida Yards & Neighborhoods

It wasn’t that many weeks ago that the Jet Stream delivered an Arctic blast to our area and damaged many of the cold sensitive plants here at Pinellas County Extension/Florida Botanical Gardens. Walking around the gardens this week I am amazed at how quickly everything has recovered, aided no doubt by the unseasonably warm weather of late.

Loads of colorful blooms are already popping throughout the gardens. Even the azaleas will soon be in the peak of an early bloom.

I snapped photos of a few interesting subjects to share. One incredible bloomer is Brunsfelsia spp., a shrub commonly called Yesterday-Today-and-Tomorrow. Interestingly, it is in the same family as tomato, potato, and eggplant. The Brunsfelsia will simultaneously have purplish, lavender, and nearly white blossoms. The flowers change color over a period of a few days, thus having multiple colors all on one plant. I never quite understood the common name…seems to me “Today-Yesterday-and-Day-Before-Yesterday” would be more descriptive. After all, wouldn’t “Tomorrow’s” bloom be just an unopened bud today?

And then there are the Bromeliads; so diverse, and so beautiful. We have such a large collection here, representing hundreds of species and cultivars of the Bromeliaceae family, that it is easy to enjoy a multitude of bloom varieties most anytime of the year.


The large beds of “Knock-out®” roses are also impressive right now. If you are a fan of roses there are two rose gardens here for your enjoyment.

Don’t forget to check out our newest butterfly garden near the entrance to the Extension office. Plants were selected to attract a multitude of butterfly species, so there is always something interesting to see. We have a couple of strategically placed benches so you can relax a while and see what drops by.


University of Florida fact sheets:

Brunfelsia grandiflora, Yesterday-Today-and-Tomorrow

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FP/FP07700.pdf

Bromeliads

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/MG/MG27200.pdf

Growing Roses in Florida

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/EP/EP33900.pdf

Getting Started in Butterfly Gardening

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/IN/IN56400.pdf

It’s Time for Spring Clean-up in the Landscape

By Pam Brown, Urban Horticulture Extension Agent

The end of February and into March brings much warmer weather and plants in our landscape start to spring forth with new growth. This is the time of year when we want to refresh the landscape by removing any damage that was caused by cold weather, cleaning up leaves and other plant debris that collected under plants during the winter, planting annuals for spring and summer, and applying a fresh layer of mulch.

Now is the time to look at those plants that were damaged by the recent freeze that we had in most parts of the county. Plants that lost their leaves should be sprouting now. Prune these plants back to healthy sprouting buds that are growing to the outside of the plant by making pruning cuts at a slight angle about ¼ inch above the bud. Some plants may be only sprouting from the base or roots of the plant and you will need to prune the stems back to this growth area.

Cleaning up leaves and other plant debris that have fallen to the ground and removing diseased leaves and fruit is perhaps the single most important thing you can do to manage many of the leaf-spotting, powdery mildew, bud and flower blight, and canker fungi. This is because many of these fungi overwinter on plant debris. When this fungi produces spores, wind, irrigation and rain can disseminate them to other areas of the garden or landscape. Camellias and azaleas are susceptible to petal blight causing the flowers to turn brown and rot prematurely. All fallen buds, flowers or petals should be removed from under the plants as soon as possible. On camellias especially, if buds or flowers turn brown on the plant, remove as soon as you notice them. Keep your trash can or bag near by to avoid carrying infected debris across the yard.

Contaminated tools can also contribute to the spread of disease. Tools used to prune plants infected with witch's broom, canker, gall and other diseases should be disinfected after each use by dipping the cutting surfaces in a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water. Rubbing alcohol (70%) from the drug store will also work and does not require diluting. Disease can also be carried from plant to plant on hands. So, it is very important to disinfect your hands or gloves. Wash hands well, or you may want to carry into the garden with you some of the gel hand sanitizer that is now available.

In perennial beds, remove old flower heads, stalks, and any diseased plant parts. Examine roses for dead canes and remove them. Examine the shrubs and trees in your yard for dead branches or branches that are crossing and rubbing other branches. Prune these branches out. Pruning paint is not recommended to cover wounds made by pruning cuts.

If you planted annuals in the fall, such as impatiens, snapdragons, petunias, or geraniums, you may want to prune them back a bit and add some balanced slow release fertilizer. Gazania, Marguerite Daisy, Marigold, Nicotiana, Pentas, Salvias, Dianthus, and narrow-leaf Zinnia are some good annuals to plant in March for color through spring and into the summer. Gaillardia is a really drought tolerant flower that can be seeded directly into the ground near the end of March that will give you drought tolerant flowers all summer long. If you have shady areas where you want some color; Caladium bulbs have wonderful leaf colors.

When all of your clean up efforts are finished, put down a fresh layer of mulch. Be careful to keep the mulch a couple of inches away from the base of plants and not more than two to three inches deep. It is not necessary to remove old mulch beyond raking up diseased leaves and plant debris. Old mulch continues to decay, releasing organic matter and nutrients into the soil.

Once you have finished with your clean up – spruce-up activities, you are then ready to sit back, relax with a glass of iced tea and enjoy your handiwork – until those first weeds start showing up. A beautiful garden takes a lot of work, but I think the results are worth the effort!

Getting Started With Water Lilies

By Michael Pettay
Horticulturist, University of Florida/IFAS Extension Educator

For most water lilies to be happy your pond should be in an area where it will receive 5 to 6 hours of direct sunlight daily and where it doesn't have tree branches hanging over it. Also, if the pond is large enough, it's best if it has a shallow area, with a water depth of between 4" and 8", and a deep water area of at least 24". It's best to plant pond plants into pots, tubs or boxes rather than directly into the bottom of the pond. It makes it easier to keep the pond clean and individual containers can be moved around as needed or taken out for replanting, trimming or fertilizing.

Water lilies tend to grow horizontally, so larger containers are best. A single lily will easily take up a single 18” plastic basket or terra cotta pot, or containers can be made of non‑treated wood to hold several. A box 36" x 18" x 12" will hold two lilies relatively close together, if you have colors that you want to complement each other, and won't take up that much space in the pond.

Mix up a good, rich garden soil or topsoil with a well rotted or composted manure. If you're using packaged cow manure be sure to let it rot first. It's better to use a good soil without the manure than to use manure that is too fresh. Mix at the rate of four parts soil to one part manure. Fill the container about half way with this mixture, then add 1/8 cup ( 1 oz. ) of a packaged water lily fertilizer for each gallon of pot size or add one aquatic plant fertilizer tablet for every gallon of pot size. Mix the fertilizer well with the soil, then fill the remainder of the container with garden soil only to about 2" from the top.

How you actually plant the lily rhizomes depends on whether you are using tropical water lilies or hardy water lilies. (Actually the roots of hardy lilies are rhizomes and the roots of tropical water lilies are tubers) Tropical water lilies grow more symmetrically, so they would be planted upright in the center of the container. The flowers of most tropical water lilies tend to sit up out of the water on long stalks. Hardy water lilies tend to grow horizontally, out across the container, so it's even more important that you have a large container. Those you would plant with the end furthest from the point where the leaves are emerging against the side of the container so that the lily will grow across the container. The flowers of most hardy water lilies tend to float right on the surface of the water. Firm the soil around the roots, leaving the crown (where the roots and stem connect) just slightly above the soil line. Add about 1" of pea gravel or aquarium gravel over the top of the soil to prevent it from floating up.

Carefully lower the completed planting into the pond until the top is about 6" to 8" under the water. Water lilies start best in relatively shallow water and can be moved into deeper water once they are established. The ideal depth is between 12" and 18". If the pond is deeper than that you can rest the container on bricks or cinder block or, if you are building your own wooden containers, you can just add legs to bring the upper edge to the proper depth.

The most common causes of failure with new water lilies are planting too deeply or using too much fertilizer. The plants won't be able to utilize fertilizer until they are established and actively growing. Once they are established, lilies are heavy feeders, so they will be wanting fertilizer about every three months. This can be done without disturbing their roots by making little packets of 2 to 3 ounces of packaged water lily fertilizer wrapped in newspaper and gently pressing them into the soil, or by pushing 2 of the fertilizer tablets into the soil for each plant. Remember that some of the tropical water lilies will go dormant during the winter when the water temperature falls below 65 F.

For related fact sheets see:

• "Aquatic, Wetland and Invasive Plant Particulars and Photographs" - http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/nyodpic.html
• "Florida Native Aquatic Plants for Ornamental Water Gardens" - http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EP095
  

The Home Lawn & Garden Department provides solutions to citizens for all types of lawn and garden questions. With the backing of research base information from the University of Florida our staff of horticulturist offers sound expert advice to walk in customers as well as through phone calls and e-mail.

Make Your Yard as Green as It Can Be

By James Stevenson
Extension Educator

Here at Pinellas County Extension, our departments work together to teach sustainability; that is, ensuring that we enjoy a quality of life that will be available to future generations. Perhaps you would like to “green” your life. How about using the New Year to make changes to your landscaping practices? By the end of 2008, you may find yourself with a few more dollars, a garden of beautiful flowers and a happy family.

Sound too good to be true? Consider these 10 tips for a greener, cheaper, 2008.

1. Plant A Tree – I remember planting a tree with my father when I was a little boy. We’ve watched the tree grow over the years, and it now shades my parents’ house while providing food and shelter for birds and other wildlife. The shade from a tree planted on the west side of a building can help cut air conditioning use. Call us for a list of trees that will fit nicely into your landscape.

2. Add Drought-Tolerant Native or Non-Invasive Exotic Plants – Unless you live on a waterway, plant selection for Florida yards are best made with drought-tolerance in mind. Many plants that have evolved in dry, sandy soil make wonderful garden additions. Call us or come by for a list of drought-tolerant plants for Florida gardens.


3. Service Your Lawn Mower – Make sure your lawn mower is in tip-top working order. The price of gasoline does not show any signs of lowering, so we must make sure our gas-powered engines are running as efficiently as possible


4. Reduce Lawn Area – You may decide to give up on the whole lawn idea. Think about the cost of irrigation, lawn mowing, fertilizer and pesticide which is spent on growing grass which is cut, bagged and thrown away (at a cost!). Consider converting your yard into a series of beds featuring flowers, shrubs, trees and even vegetables and herbs.


5. Convert To, or Install Low-Flow Irrigation – If you must irrigate, choose low-flow irrigation systems. These are cheap and easy to install and put the water right where the plants need it (not in the street or driveway!).


6. Install a Rain-Barrel – One way to save money on watering potted plants is to use what is free – rain. This spring we will be offering a rain barrel workshop where you can learn to connect clean, 55 gallon food containers to your down-spout to collect rain that falls on the roof.


7. Get The Family Involved – Get them up from in front of the TV and spend some quality time doing light chores outside. There will be plenty of interesting discoveries to be made; bugs, flowers, butterflies, everyone will be so enthralled they won’t notice they are working!




8. Grow Your Own Herbs And a Few Vegetables – Growing your own herbs is easy and rewarding. Once you start, you will never shell-out $2 for a small bag of basil that has been imported from South America and tastes of plastic. Growing a few vegetables only costs pennies for a packet of seeds, and is a great way to get kids interested in gardening (AND eating vegetables!).


9. Compost – Putting vegetable scraps into the garbage disposal grinds them to slurry that will end up in the Gulf. And you pay to send it there! Try backyard composting of vegetable and fruit scraps, yard clippings, leaves and coffee grounds. Once rotted-down this rich organic material makes wonderful, moisture-conserving mulch.


10. Sick Plant? Call Us First – Our Extension educators are ready to take your call about any garden-related question you may have at the Extension Service’s Horticulture Help Line at 727-582-2110. Most people call when they have a sick plant. As we have nothing to sell, we have no need to try and foist some chemical off on you which you may not even need. Our advice may be as simple to follow as “you may wish to reduce the amount you are watering” or “sounds like you are using the wrong type of fertilizer.” Our unbiased advice comes from the many years of horticultural experience and the latest research from the University of Florida. Our Educators are available Monday through Friday from 9:00am- noon and 1:00-4:00pm .

Pruning Crape Myrtles

By Pam Brown
Urban Horticulture Extension Agent

Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) is a small tree that prefers hot, sunny climates. It is well adapted to our climate here in Pinellas County. Once well established, these trees are extremely drought tolerant and have low fertilizer requirements. Crapes grace us with lovely blooms in the summer. And, if pruned or trained properly, the bare trunk and branches are very sculptural after loosing leaves in early winter.

The common practice of chopping off the tops of crape myrtles is a severe pruning practice that induces excess vegetative growth, promotes sprouting at the base of the plant, creates unnatural branch structure, and results in larger but much fewer flowers. Many prune this way because the plant is too large for the space where it is planted or they see their neighbor’s trees pruned this way and feel that this must be the correct way to prune. There is also the misconception that this type of pruning is necessary to promote blooming. In actuality, light corrective pruning is all that is needed.

The best way to assure that the crape myrtle that you have planted will not grow too large for the space provided is to choose a cultivar for the mature size it will become. There are dwarf, semi-dwarf, intermediate and tree forms of crape myrtles. The University of Florida/IFAS publication Crape Myrtle in Florida (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG266) lists cultivars by name, size, color of blooms, and disease resistance.

Flowers are produced on new growth and crape myrtles will bloom without any pruning. Pruning can produce blooms of larger size, but there will usually be fewer of them. Removing seedpods as they form during the summer can stimulate another flush of blooms before fall. Full sun is required for best flowering. So, crape myrtles planted in shade will not develop many blooms.

Pruning should be done in January or early February before new growth starts. To allow the plant to develop into the small graceful tree that it is destined to become, select one to several strong trunks originating from the ground and prune off any weaker remaining stems at ground level. As the tree grows, remove lateral branches to one-third or halfway up the plant. Also remove any branches in the developing canopy that are crossing or rubbing another branch. This will develop an open canopy, which allows air circulation that will discourage fungal disease. Any broken or dead branches should also be removed. All cuts should be made either to the trunk or to a side branch that is facing out from the center of the tree. These are called thinning cuts that should not produce a heavy flush of dense growth in the canopy. In addition, the sprouts (suckers) that grow up from the base of the tree should be pulled out while they are still green a succulent.

There are lovely examples of properly pruned crape myrtles in several locations on the grounds of the Florida Botanical Gardens.