Summer marks the beginning of Florida’s rainy season, which means lots of water will be running through our landscapes. While it may be very good for some plants it may not be the same for all of them. Rainwater run off from our landscapes is not good for our water supply. Most people don’t realize that water going through storm drains doesn’t go to a treatment facility like that of wastewater from our homes. There are a number of thing we can do to keep water in your landscape and make sure that the runoff that does leave will be as clean as possible. Here are several tips we can use to protect our environment.
What to plant this month
Annuals: Summer annual plants which will do best when installed include coleus, torenia, ornamental pepper, and celosia.
Vegetables: Use the summer heat to solarize the vegetable garden soil for fall planting. It will take approximately four to six weeks to kill weeds, disease and nematodes. This is a good time to use the summer heat to grow vegetable from seed to be transplanted later in the fall season.
Herbs: Summer is too hot to grow herb from seed but will do well is started from small plants
Palms, shrubs & ornamentals: Now is the perfect time to install new trees & shrubs in our landscaping while the rainy season is in full swing. All new large palms & trees should be braced for a minimum of 6-8 months before being removed. Nails should never be driven into the trunk or tissue of any tree. All new landscaping should be watered daily until root system is established.
What to do this month
Bedding Plants: All annuals & perennials should have there spent blooms removed, cut back & fertilized to extend the bloom season into the fall months.
Irrigation: An inexpensive rain shut off device can save money and water by overriding an irrigation system when it rains. Automatic timers should have there rain sensors turned on and activated to prevent excess watering which could result in a fungus or disease in your grass.
Lawn insects: Lawn pests can be a big problem this time of the year. Before any treatment make sure to identify the insect that may be causing the problem and only treat the affected area.
Ornamental Pests: Small white dots or stippling on the leaves of azaleas and other ornamental plants may indicate lacebugs at work. Spraying forcefully with water will help.
Palms & Trees: Prepare for hurricane season by checking trees for damaged or weak branches and prune if needed. Hire an ISA certified arborist if you are not sure.
Newly planted grass, trees, shrubs and perennials should be watered daily until their root system has been established.
If you need help regarding your landscaping, we at Garden Services are fully licensed & insured to handle all your irrigation, landscaping, lawn maintenance and tree service needs whether it’s a residential, commercial landscaping or homeowner association property. If you ever have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call or email me and I’ll be happy to answer any questions that you might have. Special thanks to UF/IFAS extension for some helpful information provided in this post. Until next month, Happy Gardening!