It is my true pleasure to welcome you to our very first, “Tips & Tricks for South Florida Gardening”.
I hope you enjoy & employ the helpful tips that I would like to share with you on a monthly basis concerning our landscapes including their fertilization, irrigation, and maintenance. Landscaping adds value to a property whether it’s a residential, homeowner association or commercial property, it is important to keep it healthy.
The month of January has so far brought us a record heat of 80+ degrees for 16 days consecutive days with a minimal recording amounts of rain. Although this is considered our “dry” season it has affected our landscapes adversely.
* Lawn-water restrictions implemented by South Florida Water Management are still in effect. Property owners with odd number addresses are permitted to water on Wednesday & Saturday, even addresses on Thursday & Sunday. Due to the lack of rain, customers are noticing brown spots in their otherwise green lawns. In most cases this is attributed to lack of water and requiring a “sprinkler check” or “wet test” for proper coverage of existing sprinkler heads. To conserve water, an automatic rain sensor should be installed to your sprinkler timer which will NOT allow the sprinklers to come on if it is raining or just rained.
*An old sod farmer once told me that you should only water your lawn when it tells you it needs it. I looked at him like he was crazy. He then proceeded to tell me that when you look at the overall condition of the grass, when more than 50% of the grass blades are folded in and together it’s time to water. When the blades are fully opened turn off the water. Although this requires constant monitoring, he was right. With only being able to water twice per week it is most important to water long and to water deep to improve the root zones of your turf & plant material.
Next month, as the leaves continue to fall, we leave the winter that we never had behind and prepare for spring , we will be discussing what we will need to do to our landscapes as we enter a new growing season. Until then, get dirt under your nails, Happy New Year and Happy Gardening!!!
I hope the above helps you with tips to improve your landscaping. If you need help regarding your landscape, we at Garden Services are fully licensed & insured to handle all of your irrigation, landscaping, maintenance and tree service needs whether it’s a residential, commercial or homeowner association property .