Blog
To Stake or Not to Stake
Most young trees do not require staking. A few do, however. These include eucalyptus, oleanders and acacias; trees planted in windy places or in saturated ground; trees with trunks that need support to stand straight; and top-heavy trees with a small root ball.
October Outdoor To-Do’s
October: that in-between month that feels like one foot is still in summer while the other foot steps into fall. Some citrus varieties have ripe fruit now. It’s a good month to add new turf, trees, and shrubs and to start planning for cool-season annuals.
Watch Out for These Landscape Critters
Florida gardeners and landscapers working outside during our cool season must remember that we share space with many creatures, including some dangerous ones. This blog takes a quick look at the ticks, snakes, and spiders whose bites cause pain, disease, and, sometimes, death.
The Superfood Moringa Tree
The moringa tree—also called the ben oil tree, drumstick tree, and horseradish tree—is suited for Florida because it thrives in heat and does well in sandy soil. Its leaves and seed pods are a superfood source of vitamins, proteins, and antioxidants.
Ferns For Your Florida Landscape
Looking for tropical plants to add to your landscaping? Consider the fern—a plant that comes in all shapes, sizes, and textures. Ferns make excellent groundcovers, specimen plants, foliage fills, and container plants. Here we provide suggestions of ferns for each category.
Take These August Landscape Actions
Responsible for your own lawn care and landscaping? There are things you should do in August for maintenance and upkeep. We break down your August tasks by plant type: lawn, citrus, annuals, bulbs, fruit plants, perennials, roses, shrubs, trees, palms, and water garden/bog garden plants.
The Thing About Thatch
Thatch is a layer of organic matter between the base of grass blades and the soil. Layers of thatch thicker than one inch prevent air, water, and nutrients from reaching roots in the soil. They can be removed with a power rake or vertical mower.
How to Fix a Patchy Lawn
Filling in bare or dead patches of lawn can be easily accomplished by installing grass plugs or laying down new squares of sod. Soil should be level and free of weeds and dead grass before installation; afterward, thorough watering is important.
Disease: Coming to a Lawn Near You?
Florida lawn diseases include Rust, Fairy Ring, Gray Leaf Spot, Brown Patch Fungus, Dollar Spot, and Take-All Root Rot. Hot, humid, wet summers create hospitable growing conditions for these diseases, which must be managed by fungicides and cultural controls such as proper mowing.
How to Control Typical Florida Weeds
Florida lawn weeds can be controlled through proper mowing, hand removal, and selective herbicide applications. Preemergence herbicides must be applied before weed seeds germinate; postemergence herbicides are applied after weeds have emerged. Effective weed management usually requires both kinds of herbicide applications.