What to Do in Your Backyard in June

Average temperatures: High 91    Low 71  

Average rainfall is 7.35 inches

First day of summer June 20.

What to Plant

Vegetables: Amaranth, boniato, calabaza, chayote, cherry tomatoes, dasheen, Everglades tomatoes, Jicama, lima beans, Seminole pumpkin, sweet cassava, sweet potatoes, and yard-long beans.

 Flowers: Angelonia, begonias, bush daisy, butterfly plant, caladium, cat's whiskers, celosia, coleus, coreopsis, Dahlberg daisy, firespike, four-o'clock, gaillardia, gerbera daisy, ginger, goldenrod, impatiens, kalanchoe, lantana, lion’s ear, marigolds, melampodium, Mexican petunia, Mexican sunflower, moon flower, Porterweed, pentas, periwinkle, portulaca, purslane, salvia, showy primrose, shrimp plant, Stokes aster, sunflower, torenia and zinnias.

Herbs: Anise, basil, bay laurel, cardamom, chives, cilantro, cumin, ginger, lemon balm, lemongrass, marjoram, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, turmeric, and thyme.

Bulbs-type plants: Achimenes, African iris, agapanthus, amaryllis, Aztec lily, blackberry lily, bulbine, caladiums, canna, crinum, crocosmia, day lily, eucharis lily, gladiolus, gloriosa lily, Hedychium, spp.  peacock ginger, society garlic, rain lily, and walking iris.

  Lawn care

• Time to fertilize landscapes is over for most of the state.

• Lawn fertilizing laws vary throughout Florida; check the rules in your county. https://ffl.ifas.ufl.edu/fertilizer/ Most counties have summer fertilizer ban from June 1st through October 1st.

• Do not use. herbicides when temperatures are over 85 degrees.

•  Yellow lawns can often be greened up with an iron only application where permitted.

•  Fill bare areas or start new lawns with seed, plugs or sod for the grass type desired.

• Avoid sodding shady areas during summer to prevent rot problems caused by the wet weather.

• Water new lawns every day for the first week, every other day the second week, and every three days the third week. By end of 4 weeks, lawns are established and only need 1 - 1½ inches of water a week. Overwatering causes new lawns to decline.

• Check irrigation heads monthly, adjust and replace sprinklers to only water the lawn, not driveways and sidewalks.

• Check rain shut off devices to ensure efficiency.  Depending on device, may need cork changed or debris inside collection cup.

•  Track the water lawns receive; up to 3/4-inch a week is normally adequate at each watering or rainfall for all turf varieties.

• Lawns may have been stressed with the drought this Spring. Check for bare areas and insect issues. Plug bare spots and identify insects before using a pesticide.

• Walk yards on a weekly basis to catch pest issues early, look for chewed foliage, pests, even under leaves. 

• Chinch bugs cause yellow to brown areas in St. Augustine lawns; treat when found.

• Sod webworms are active right now. Check for damage. 

• Notice moths in your turfgrass? Wait until chewing damage is noted to treat. 

• Maintain the turf at correct height; learn the proper height for your lawn type.

• Sharpen the mower blade after five mowings.

• Mow lawns in a different direction each time the lawn is cut to avoid ruts in the turf.

•  Lawns that are overfertilized and overwatered are more susceptible to thatch.

• Aerate older lawns (5 years or older) and water lawns that are compacted, hard to wet or have nematode problems.

• Replace constantly declining turf in dense shade with mulch or a ground cover.

Landscape chores

• Weed! Pull by hand or hoe for five minutes a day. Don’t let them go to seed!

• Due to severe drought in 2024 and Spring 2025, plants and trees may have suffered die-back that needs pruning.

• You can add new plants with the abundant rainfall this month.

• Put up a rain gauge to determine how much rain your yard receives.

• During hot weather new plants may need daily watering for several weeks.

• Established landscape plants and trees do not need to be hand-watered with adequate rainfall.

• When transplanting existing perennials and shrubs, wet the root balls and new holes several times before adding new plants to the landscape. Let water drain and repeat before placing plants in holes..

• Tropical bromeliads, orchids, Spathiphyllum, Aluminum plants and dracaena like shady sites.

• Mix old soil from containers and raised beds with organic matter before adding new plants.

• Deadhead and remove broken and winter-damaged foliage and stems from perennials, roses, and spring flowering shrubs.

• Hurricane season begins June 1; it’s not too late to have your trees checked and trimmed.

• Make plans now to protect plants and landscape accessories from wind and storm damage.

• Don’t let weeds grow out of control; remove them by hand.

• Do not let weeds grow to maturity and flower.  Weed seeds are easily spread after flowering.

• Do not prune azaleas or camellias after June.

• Trim back poinsettias 4” to 6” after a foot of new growth to keep them compact

• Established plants do not need watering during the rainy season.

• Hot summer days make it difficult to transplant trees and shrubs; wait until cooler weather.

•  Root cuttings of shrubs and foliage plants to grow more plants.

• Feed shrubs and palms with a slow-release fertilizer where permitted.

• Give container gardens a weekly feeding or use a slow release fertilizer as labeled.

• Divide orchids and bromeliads outgrowing their containers.

•  Feed orchids every other week with a liquid or slow-release fertilizer as labeled.

• Most orchids and bromeliads grow best in the shade of a tree, water frequently when hot & dry;

• Check out terrestrial orchids and full-sun bromeliads are available for sunny areas.

• Feed lilies and other aquatic plants in home water gardens.

•  Trim formal hedges after they produce 4- to 6-inches of new growth.

• Groom hanging baskets removing old flowers and lanky shoots.

• Clean and refill bird baths as needed.

• Place Summit Responsible Solutions Mosquito Bits and Dunks in bird baths, containers, and places that fill with water.

• Remove sprouts, Spanish moss, and tillandsias, from the trunk and base of crape myrtle, maple and similar trees.

• Trim suckers and branches smaller than your pinkie from crapemyrtle before they get too large.

Vegetable and fruit care

• Keep vegetable plantings moist and fertilize monthly to continue harvests into summer.

• Make fertilizer applications every 3 to 4 weeks or use as slow release product as instructed.

• Check planting lists to determine what your family likes for summer planting.

• Obtain the seeds you need now for summer and fall planting; store in the refrigerator.

• Many herbs can survive the summer if kept moist, but not wet. and lightly fertilized.

•  Continue cutting and using herbs to keep the plants productive; preserve extras. 

• When gardens will not receive summer plantings consider soil solarization to bake out pests.

• Sweet potatoes are easy to grow: start transplants from a spouting grocery store root.

• Handpull weeds in and near the garden under control  to prevent pest  problems for Fall.

• Continue to add fruit trees, shrubs and vines from containers to the landscape

• Learn the pests of your new fruits, check trees regularly to  decide if you need a control plan.

• Reshape blueberry shrubs and hedges and prune blackberries

• Feed bananas monthly; harvest stalks when the first hand formed begins to yellow

•  Feed pineapples with a slow release fertilizer following label instructions

• Provide citrus trees with proper fertilizing and pest control to avoid the greening disease.

Foliage and house plant care

• Find a spot in the sunny garden for Easter lilies; plants gradually decline & regrow in  winter.

•  Give declining foliage plants a rest outdoors in the shade.

• Repot plants needing a new container.

• Feed plants outdoors every two weeks and indoors monthly.

• Use a slow release fertilizer as instructed to stretch the time between feedings

•  Wash away insects with soapy water.

• Remove declining leaves, stems and blooms; pinch the tips of shoots to cause branching.

Begonias, Boxwoods, Caladiums, and Cypress, Oh My!

Begonias, Japanese Boxwoods, Caladiums, and Japanese Cypress, (Cryptomeria japonica ‘Globosa’)

What to Do in Your Backyard in May

Average temperatures in May: High 87 Low 62

Rainfall 3.47 inches

What to Plant:

Vegetables:

Amaranth, boniato, calabaza, cassava, chayote, cherry tomato, collards, dasheen, Everglades tomato, ginger, lima bean, longevity spinach, Long-squash, Luffa, snap bean, Malabar spinach, malanga, New Zealand spinach, Okinawa spinach, okra, papaya, hot pepper, peanuts, pigeon pea, pineapple, roselle, Seminole pumpkin, Southern pea, sugarcane, sweet potato, Swiss chard, tamarillo, yam, and yard-long bean.

Annual and Perennial Flowers:

African iris, ageratum, angelonia, Apostle iris, balsam, beach sunflower, begonias, black-eyed-Susan, blue daze, blue sage, bromeliads, browallia, bulbine, bush daisy, butterfly weed, cat's whiskers, celosia, cigar flower, coleus, coneflowers, coreopsis, cosmos, crossandra, Dahlberg daisy, dusty miller, gaillardia, gazania, gerbera, goldenrod, gomphrena, impatiens, Jacobina, Jewels of Opar, lantana, Justicia, leopard plant, liatris, lion’s tail, marigolds, melampodium, Mexican heather, milkweed, moon vine, New Guinea impatiens, nicotiana, nierembergia, Nun’s orchid, ornamental sweet potato, pentas, periwinkle, phlox, Porter weed, portulaca, purslane, salvia, scorpion tail, Stoke’s aster, sunflowers, terrestrial orchids, toad lily, torenia, verbena, whirling butterflies, yellow alder, and zinnias.

Herbs:

Anise, basil, bay laurel, cardamom, chives, coriander, dill, fennel, lemon balm, oregano, rosemary, sage, savory, sweet marjoram, mint, tarragon, and thyme.

Bulbs:

Achimenes, agapanthus, Alocasia, amaryllis, blackberry lilies, blood lilies, bulbine, caladiums, calla lilies, cannas, crinums, crocosmia, Colocasia, day lilies, eucharis lily, gladiolus, gloriosa lilies, hurricane lilies, lily of the Nile, peacock ginger, society garlic, rain lilies, spider lilies, St. Bernard’s lilies.

Shrubs and Trees:

In Florida, most shrubs and tree species can be planted year-round.

Lawn Maintenance:

• May is still our dry season. Set irrigation for 1.15 inches two times a week if there is no rainfall.

• Check rain sensors are working.

• Rake out brown leaf blades in turf that declined from winter.

• Some areas of lawns may have died during the winter or with the drought; add new sod or plugs.

• Make sure lawns and shrubs are watered thoroughly with rainfall or irrigation before final spring feedings with slow-release no-phosphorus fertilizers.

• Retrofit irrigation systems to separate turf zone and landscape bed zone.

• If needed, apply an iron-only or minor nutrient fertilizer to regreen yellow lawns.

• Check for chinch bugs in yellowing areas of St. Augustine grass; treat at needed

• Walk yards on weekly basis to look for sod webworm moths flying up from turf.

• For low maintenance, reduce lawns areas needed for family and pet areas.

• May is a good month to seed Bahia lawns.

• Avoid mowing with dull blades; sharpen blades every five mowings.

• Measure leaf blades to make sure the lawn it being cut at the proper height – remember the height of the blades is typically the depth of the roots.

• Take a new route at each mowing to avoid ruts in the lawn.

• Dig out or spot kill weeds and replace with plugs of grass or sod.

• Aerate older compacted and hard to wet lawns.

• Turf needs at least 5 hours of sunlight a day. Select shade-tolerant grasses or an ornamental ground cover for difficult shady spots.

Landscape care:

• Plant Easter lilies, amaryllis, and poinsettias in the landscape.

• Put declining tulips, hyacinths, and other forced bulbs into the compost pile.

• Walk yards on a weekly basis to catch pest issues promptly.

• Look under the foliage and move hand over shrub foliage to notice any pests flying up.

• All winter-damaged ornamental grass fronds should be removed.

• Reshape and prune shrubs with dieback or winter damage.

• Avoid shearing across the tops of shrubs and perennials unnecessarily; remove out of bound shoots with hand pruners.

• Have older trees checked by certified arborists before hurricane season and prices go up.

• Look for sap-stained bark, hollow areas, oozing, in twin trunks as signs of tree problems.

• Shape young shade trees to have one central leader with evenly spaced branches.

• Maintain a 3” mulch layer under trees, shrubs, and garden beds to help conserve moisture, reduce weeds, and enhance landscape.

• Older shade trees seldom need fertilization.

• Lift up and remove tree limbs affecting traffic along walkways.

• Keep new trees and shrub plantings moist with additional hand-watering if there is not enough rainfall.

• Use low-volume irrigation to conserve water.

• Create rain gardens to redirect excess water from home..

• Correct drainage problems before the rainy season arrives.

• Make sure new plant selections have adequate room to grow.

• Select plants for pool and patio areas that do not drop messy flowers or foliage.

• One application of a slow-release fertilizer could feed your plants through summer.

• Feed palms with an 8-2-12-4 or similar slow-release palm fertilizer according to label.

• Fertilize all flower beds and shrub plantings with slow-release fertilizer as the rainy season returns.

• Deadhead spent flowers from annuals to encourage new blooms.

• Plant shady gardens with shade-tolerant flowers, shrubs, bulbs and foliage plants.

• Cut back perennials finishing their spring bloom.

• Complete pruning of azaleas and camellias this month.

• Transplant palms when the rainy season returns.

• Feed container gardens weekly or use a slow-release fertilizer as labeled.

• Control rose pests by using systemic products for insects, only water the roots, not the foliage, and providing good air circulation.

• Kill adult lubber grasshoppers by stepping on them or cutting them. Look for pairs.

• Turn compost piles every two weeks. They may need to be watered 2x – 3x this month.

• Feed water lilies and lotus monthly.

• Begin rooting cuttings of favorite shrubs and perennials.

• Collect and sow seeds from your favorite plants or save them until the proper time.

• Pull or spot kill weeds among shrubs and flower beds.

• Reapply mulch if not 3” thick.

Vegetable and fruit plantings:

• Check your herbs and vegetables every day. Check for insects and soil moisture.  

• Feed vegetable plantings monthly.

• It’s too late for most tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants; select summer tolerant vegetables.

• Maintain 3” mulch in the garden and use low-volume irrigation to conserve water.

• Keep bananas and papaya moist and feed monthly to have flowers by late summer.

• Give citrus, grapes, and other fruit trees a late spring feeding.

• Prune blackberries and blueberries when fruiting is over.

• Harvest maturing crops to keep the plants producing.

• Remove declining fruit plantings and add new varieties.

• Trellis vine crops to save space and prevent diseases.

• Use soil solarization treatments to control nematodes and diseases.

• Control fruit worms and leaf spots on vegetables with natural sprays as needed.

• Control aphids feeding in new shoots with an insecticidal soap spray.

• Incorporate aged compost with planting sites to improve sandy soil.

• Purchase seeds now for planting in August; seed displays are often removed from stores during summer.

Foliage & houseplants:

• Give weak and thinning foliage plants a spot in the shade outdoors to recover.

• Check water needs daily.

• Plants that are wilting often need to be checked for overgrown root system and not enough soil. If root bound, water plants well, then next day, cut a third of the roots off, and add more soil. Replant in same pot or move to larger pot.

• Remove yellow leaves and faded flowers.

• Reshape taller tree-form foliage plants and remove declining limbs.

• Move orchids outdoor under trees for the summer.

• Divide African violets, bromeliads, and orchids.

• Place plants in bathtub or sink, wash pests and dust away with soapy water.

• If you go on vacation, move plants to bathtub or sinks and fill with several inches of water to keep them watered while you’re away.

• Feed outdoor foliage plants with a slow-release fertilizer.

What To Do In Your Backyard in April

Water Conservation Month

Average temperature        High 83     Low 60

Rainfall 2.42 inches

 Time to plant

 Vegetables: Calabaza, cantaloupe, cassava, chayote, cherry tomato, cucumber, dasheen, eggplant, Jerusalem artichoke, jicama, lima bean, Malabar spinach, malanga, New Zealand spinach, okra, pepper, roselle, Seminole pumpkin, snap beans, squash, Southern pea, sweet potato, tamarillo, yam, and yard-long bean.

 Flowers: African daisy, ageratum, aster, bacopa, balsam, begonia, black-eyed Susan, blue daze, browallia, bush daisy, cat's whiskers, celosia, cleome, coleus, coreopsis, cosmos, crossandra,  Dahlberg daisy, diascia, gazania, gaillardia, gerbera, goldenrod, impatiens, Joseph's coat, lantana, licorice plant, lisianthus,   marigold, melampodium, Mexican sunflower, million bells, moon flower, nicotiana, nierembergia, pentas, periwinkle, porterweed, portulaca, purslane, salvia, sunflower, torenia and zinnia.

Bulbs: Asiatic lilies, achimenes, African iris, agapanthus, amaryllis, Amazon lily, blackberry lily, blood lily, bulbine, caladium, canna, crinum, crocosmia, dahlia, eucharis lily, gingers, gladioli, gloriosa lily, society garlic, tuberous begonias, and rain lily.

Herbs: Anise, basil, bay laurel, borage, cardamom, chives, coriander, dill, borage, edible ginger, lemon balm, oregano, Mexican tarragon, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, savory, sweet marjoram, and thyme.

Lawn care

• Cold winter temperatures affected lawns but most survived and have begun growth.

• Patches of dead or recovering weeds are easily found and should be replaced with grass plugs or sod.

• Complete feeding of Bahiagrass, Bermuda, and St. Augustine lawns to encourage spring growth.

• Delay feeding Centipede and Zoysia lawns until they begin new growth.

• Do not use weed and feed. Use herbicides separately.

• Do not use herbicides in temperatures over 85 degrees.

• Identify your weeds and the herbicides that provide control; make applications as needed.

• Get a soil test before fertilizing lawns.

• Fertilized but yellow lawns can often be regreened with an iron-only application.

• Mow Zoysia lawns to the desired 2- to 3-inch height.

• Starter fertilizers can be used with new lawn installations to supply phosphorus for root growth.

• Check for chinch bugs before applying insecticide for St. Augustine lawns.

• Mole crickets are back in Bahia, Bermuda and Zoysia lawns; control as needed. 

• Spring is our dry season; water when lawns begin to show moisture stress as permitted.

• Adjust sprinklers to avoid sidewalks and roadways and water only the turf.

• Apply up to three-quarters of an inch of water at each irrigation for a total of 1” – 1.5” of irrigation.

• Change the oil and service air filters of gas-powered equipment.

• Sharpen mower blades every five mowings.

• Edge lawns growing along sidewalks.

• Lawns needing aeration are usually over-fertilized and overwatered.

• Don’t fight the shade; consider another ground cover for these problem spots.

 Landscape chores

• Don’t waste plant growth; do needed pruning before new shoots form.

• Many plants normally affected by cold are still green; prune these to keep them in bounds. 

• Prune the dead from declining plants several inches into healthy wood.

• Redirect the growth of out of bounds shoots and thin trees and shrubs as needed.

• Prune spring flowering trees and shrubs after the blossoms fade.

• Keep palms healthy; only remove the brown fronds plus fruiting stems as needed.

• Rake and use leaves as mulch or compost them for later use in the gardens.

• Keep weeds under control; keep mulch at 3” – 4”.

• Only mulch till you can see the flare at the base of the tree and shrub.

• Plant a tree, shrub, or vine on National Arbor Day April 30.

• Remove declining cool season annuals and add warm season selections

• Make sure the root balls of all plants are moist at planting time.

• Build a ring at the edge of root balls of new trees and shrubs to direct water to the roots.

• Give all poinsettias a spring trimming; repot new ones. or add them to the landscape.

• Maintain 2- to 3-inch mulch layers with trees and shrubs; one inch in flower beds.

• Water annuals and perennials when the soil is dry and warm 2” -3” below soil.

• Use slow-release fertilizers that can feed landscape plants for months.

• Palms need special feedings; use fertilizers made for palms every 3 to 4 months.

• Inspect older trees and trim as needed before the hurricane season begins.

• Be safe; have arborist do the pruning of larger and older trees.

• Trim old flower stalks from amaryllis, amazon lilies. and other spring flowering plants.

• Water new plantings as needed to keep the soil moist.

• Divide perennials before the hot weather arrives.

• Train vines to a trellis or arbor.

• Add a water feature to the landscape, or clean the one(s) you have.

• Transplant and feed water lilies and bog plants.

 Fruit & vegetable plantings

• Hurry to plant tomatoes, peppers and eggplants transplants in the garden. Time for seeds is over.

• Select larger transplants for this time of the year.

• Remove cool season crops completing their harvests and add the seeded crops.

• Many bananas were damaged by the cooler weather; remove declining portions. Trim tropicals unaffected by cold as needed to keep them in bounds.

• Control citrus psyllids at each flush of growth; use organic pyrethrin sprays or soil treatments as instructed.

• Apply minor nutrient sprays to citrus trees at each flush of growth.

• Finish granular spring feedings of all fruit trees.

• Start sweet potatoes to have transplants for May.

• Complete herb plantings before hot weather arrives; many grow best in containers.

• Feed vegetable plantings lightly with a balanced slow release fertilizer according to the label.

• Help maintain a moist soil with a 2- to 3-inch mulch layer.

• Add edible fruit bearing trees, shrubs and vines to the landscape.

• Blueberries need a very acid soil; have the soil pH checked before planting.

• Grow blueberries in pine bark fines or adjust the acidity with Espoma soil acidifier.

• Transplant papaya seedlings to the landscape, keep moist and feed monthly.

 Foliage & Indoor plants

• Groom to reshape and remove declining foliage.

• Trim overgrown stems of foliage plants to make cuttings.

• Repot foliage plants that have outgrown their containers.

• Trim holiday cactus if needed to keep compact; root the cuttings.

• Give foliage plants a spring feeding with a slow release fertilizer.

• Add a saucer to plants on patios to capture and conserve water for use.

• Transplant amaryllis that flowered during the winter to the garden or grow in containers.

• Wash away dust and insects from leaves and stems.

• Insects like scale, mealy bugs & thrips may need insecticidal soap or oil spray for control.

• Fungal gnats are a sign of overwatering. Use Mosquito Bits™ for fungal gnat control and only water when the soil is dry.  

• Move orchids & bromeliads outdoors to a shady location.

• Repot orchids & bromeliads when they begin spring growth as needed and begin feedings.

• Bromeliads that have bloomed will start to decline. Look for the new pups and cut the mother plant out.

• Most forced bulbs cannot be regrown in Florida; toss the plants and keep the containers.

• Consider using foliage ground covers for shady landscape sites instead of grass. 

What to Do In Your Backyard in December

Amaryllis at the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum

North Florida: Average temperature: High 65 Low 43

Average rainfall: 2.76 inches

Central Florida: Average temperature: High 72 Low 51

Average rainfall: 2.44 inches

South Florida: Average temperature: High 78 Low 62

Average rainfall: 2.56 inches

Winter arrives on December 21st .

Average first frost date: December 18th .

What to Plant

Vegetables: Beet, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, Chinese cabbage, collard, endive, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, onion, pea, radicchio, radish, rhubarb, rutabaga, spinach, Swiss chard and turnip.

Flowers: Ageratum, alyssum, baby's breath, black-eyed Susan, bush daisy, calendula, California poppy, camellia. candytuft, carnation, cat's whiskers, Christmas cactus, chrysanthemum, cleome, cornflower, cyclamen, delphinium, dianthus, dusty miller, firespike, foxglove, gaillardia, geranium, gloxinia. goldenrod, heliotrope, hollyhocks, Iceland poppy, impatiens, Johnny-jump ups, larkspur, lobelia, ornamental cabbage & kale, pansy, petunia, phlox, salvia, shasta daisy, snapdragon, stock, sweet pea, verbena, viola and wax begonias.

Herbs: anise, arugula, basil, borage, chive, cardamon, chervil, cilantro, coriander, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, lavender, lemon balm, lovage, Mexican tarragon, mint, nasturtium, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, sweet marjoram, thyme and watercress.

Bulbs: African iris, amaryllis, anemone, bulbine, crinum, day lily, rain lily, ranunculus, society garlic, spider lily and narcissus; refrigerated Dutch iris, tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and similar bulbs needing a cold treatment before flowering.

Lawn care

• Walk yards on a weekly basis. Look for disease and insect damage.

• Water restrictions for most counties throughout Florida are in place.

• Cooler temperatures mean that irrigation 1x a week is all turfgrass and landscapes need.

• If temperatures average 70 degrees, turf will only need 1 inch of water every ten to fourteen days.

• Feeding time is over but iron or minor nutrients can be applied to keep the lawn green.

• If Brown or Large Patch fungus is affecting St. Augustine & zoysia lawns, allow area to dry out and control future outbreaks with a fungicide.

• If lawn has large weedy areas; remove and add new sod or plugs.

• Use spot weed control techniques for small patches of weeds.

• Mowing can be reduced to every other week in most landscapes.

• Mow the lawn at the normal height to continue a uniform look and control weeds.

• Lawn insects are less active at this time and insecticides may not be needed.

• Zoysia lawns often turn brown with cooler temperatures. This is normal.

• Keep lawn mower blades sharp and at their year-round height, mow as needed.

• Ryegrass seed can be sown now.

• Clean and sharpen power and garden equipment before winter storage.

• Rake fallen leaves from lawns and add to the compost pile.

• Fruit and vegetable gardening

• Helene and Milton above average rainfall totals caused early decline of many crops; remove and replant.

• Be ready to have frost blankets on hand before a freeze is announced.

• Warm season planting time is over, replant with cool season vegetables.

• Small but successive plantings guarantee continual harvests.

• It is too late for new tomatoes, peppers & eggplants, replant in March.

• Continue herb plantings in ground or in containers; they love the cool weather.

• Harvest herbs frequently to encourage fresh growth; preserve or share extras.

• If caterpillars and mites have been heavy feeders; control with natural sprays.

• Start seeds of the cool season crops as needed to have transplants available.

• Select vining crops to trellis and obtain the most from garden plots.

• Gardeners with limited space can grow their favorite vegetables in large containers.

• Add more garden soil to containers and raised beds, no need to remove older soil.

• Feed vegetable gardens every 3 to 4 weeks with composted manure or a general fertilizer.

• Feed container plantings every other week or use a slow release fertilizer as labeled.

• Feeding time is over for all fruiting trees, shrubs and vines, feed again in March.

• December is good time to taste-test citrus varieties to find out what you would like to grow. X

• Observe watering rules. 1 inch of water a week is all that your lawns and landscapes need.

• Plantings need less water during the cool weather; water when the surface soil begins to dry.

• Add new cold tolerant fruits to the landscape; delay tropical fruit plantings until spring.

• Delay deciduous fruit tree prunings until next month, citrus pruning until mid-February.

• Peach trees may start flowering but don’t worry there are plenty of buds for normal fruit set.

• Keep frost blankets handy to protect cold sensitive crops from frosts and freezes.

• Irrigate a day or two before a freeze, but not during a freeze.

Landscape

• If temperatures average 80 degrees or more, hand water containers 2x a week.

• Do not commit ‘crape murder.’ Crapemyrtles do not need to be hacked back.

• Crapemyrtles need to only have spent blooms trimmed, limbs growing skewed near other limbs, or if smaller than your pinkie. Trim or rub off suckers.

• Incorporate organic matter with older annual beds and sandy soils to encourage plant vigor.

• Add holiday poinsettias to the landscape in their pots to easily remove during extreme cold.

• Fertilize annual flowers monthly or use a slow release fertilizer as labeled.

• Apply a slow-release fertilizer to container plantings for winter feeding.

• Winter is a stress free time to add hardy trees, shrubs and ground covers to the landscape.

• Do not prune azaleas, camellias, or hydrangeas until after Spring blooms decline.

• Camellias bloom throughout winter; select and plant your favorite colors

• Pruning time is over for most plants; out of bounds shoots and suckers can be removed as needed.

• Feeding time is over for all trees, shrubs and vines.

• Established trees and shrubs can often go several weeks without irrigation.

• Add mulch to keep 3” to 4” levels. Keep mulch away from the base of plants and trees.

• Hurry to plant wildflower gardens to have blooms for spring.

• Control winter seasonal weeds by hand-pulling or correct herbicide.

• Use the cooler weather to transplant trees and shrubs, delay transplanting palms until Spring.

• Check and adjust supports holding trees and palms in an upright position as needed.

• Old soil from containers can be tilled into established gardens

• Add wood chips from tree removal to compost piles or use them as a light mulch.

• Turn compost piles at least monthly to speed the process.

• Divide and replant perennials.

• Encourage wildlife by adding a bird feeder and water feature to landscape.

• Repair and repaint bird houses, landscape furniture and fences.

• Frosts or freezes could arrive at any time; be ready to protect your cold sensitive plants with frost blankets and/or incandescent light bulbs, old-fashioned Christmas lights, not LED lights.

Foliage & house plant care

• Obtain your poinsettias early to enjoy a full season of color.

• Give holiday plants a cool bright location away from air vents.

• Don’t be surprised if new Christmas cactus drop their buds; they will bloom better next year.

• Over-watering Christmas & holiday cactus can cause them to rot; wait until the surface dries.

• Start paper white narcissus and amaryllis bulbs for gifts and winter blooms.

• Replace declining foliage plants with new greenery.

• Move cold sensitive plants from pool enclosures and patios to a warmer location.

• Remove yellow leaves from plants affected by cold but do not cut back till Spring.

• Check for water needs frequently; thoroughly moisten when the surface soil begins to dry.

• Wash foliage with a mild soap solution to remove dust and control pests.

• Subscribe to my free newsletter In Your Backyard on www.she-consulting.com

Photo credit: Teresa Watkins

What to Do in Your Garden

October 2024

 Two hurricanes within two weeks at the beginning of the month is more than anyone should have to deal with in their lives. For most it means that instead of doing routine schedule of yard maintenance, there will be clean-up and recovery.  Additional items to check are in each garden section.

 Average temperatures High 85 Low 65

Average Rainfall 2.73 inches - This month will see over 10 - 15 inches in parts of Florida.

October plantings

 Vegetables: Beet, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, collards, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, onion, peas, potato, radicchio, radish, rhubarb, roquette, rutabaga, spinach, strawberry, Swiss chard and turnip

 Flowers: African daisy, alyssum, angelonia, ageratum, begonia, black-eyed Susan, blue daze, calendula, candytuft, celosia, chrysanthemums, cleome, coleus, cornflower, cosmos, dianthus, dusty miller, gaillardia, gazania, geraniums, gerbera, heliotrope, hollyhock, impatiens, larkspur, lobelia, nicotiana, pentas, petunia, salvia, snapdragon, sunflower, sweet pea, verbena and zinnia.

 Herbs: Anise, basil, bay laurel, borage, cardamom, chervil, chives, coriander, dill, fennel, garlic, lavender, lemon balm, lovage, mint, nasturtium, oregano, rosemary, sage, sweet marjoram, tarragon, thyme and water cress.

 Bulbs: African lily, agapanthus, amaryllis, anemone, bulbine, calla, crinum, day lily, gingers, gladiolus, pineapple lily, rain lily, society garlic, spider lilies, walking iris, watsonia. Refrigerate crocus, daffodils, hyacinth, narcissus, and tulips for forcing.

 Grasses: Lomandra Breeze, Miscanthus ‘Adagio’, Muhly Grass, Dwarf Fakahatchee, White Fountain Grass, Lemon Grass.

Lawn care

•  Get help with any debris or branches near power/communication lines.

• Watch for lifting roots that may interact with underground utilities or irrigation.

• Check for leaning trees and hanging limbs, contact a professional arborist to assess.

• Trees with trunks less than 4 inches in caliper can be easily stood and staked

• Irrigation is key to success, treat these trees as if just planted and water accordingly

• Wait until water levels percolate before fertilizing. It will be okay to wait until November for most fall chores.

• Apply fungicide if your lawn gets fungus easily.

• Get a soil test from your Extension office before fertilizing your lawn.

• Do not use weed and feed products on your lawn at the same time.

• Identify weeds and use a separate herbicide and separate fertilizer according to label.

• October through spring is a good time to install sod.

• Fill bare spots in lawns left from summer pests with sod or plugs.

• Seeding time for bahiagrass is over; delay rye seedings until temperature highs are in the low to mid-70’s.

• Chinch bugs and sod webworms can linger into Fall; control as needed

• With the excessive rain, check to see if your turf needs watered at all.

• Water turf only when it shows signs of moisture stress.

• Use soil aeration in older, compacted, and poorly-drained soils to encourage better root growth.

• Continue mowing to maintain proper turf height; keep mowing height the same year-round.

• Sharpen & balance mower blades to give a smooth cut to leaf blades.

• Change the oil and air filters of gas-powered equipment for Fall.

• Use mulch or ornamental ground covers in areas where turf won’t grow.

 Vegetable and fruit tree care

•  Apply fungicides preventively.

• Check to make sure all vegetable plants are back in soil and not uprooted from winds.

• Check trellises for broken attachments, straightening.

• Harvest pumpkins this month. Look for dying leaves and vines, deep color, and hardened stem and rind.   

• Use large transplants of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants to get a Fall crop.

• Stake or trellis tall or vining crops to keep the edible portions off the ground.

• Feed gardens every 3 to 4 weeks with a traditional fertilizer or use a slow-release product.

• Tomatoes begin setting and holding their fruits early to mid-month.

• Add flowers to vegetable gardens to attract pollinators.

• Prevent spray damage to pollinators; apply sprays when they are not active.

• Caterpillars are feeding on cucumbers, melons and tomatoes, control with a natural spray.

• Begin plantings of cool season vegetables around mid-month.

• Gardeners cramped for space can grow vegetables in containers.

• Start seeds for transplants of broccoli, cauliflower, and similar vegetables in containers.

• Add 3” to 4” mulch to the surface of the soil to conserve moisture and keep vegetables dirt free.

• If you have mulch on landscape beds, apply only enough mulch to bring the depth to 3” – 4”.

• Groom summer weary herb plantings and start new ones that prefer the cooler weather.

• Most vegetables & herbs need moist soil; water when the surface begins to dry to the touch.

• Fruit splitting on citrus trees is normal and may continue into the Fall.

• Help prevent citrus fruit drop and splitting, water once or twice a week during dry weather.

• Give citrus the final feeding of the year during early October.

• Till new garden sites and enrich sandy soils with garden soil, organic matter and manure.

• Remove offshoots from pineapple plants to start new beds.

• Start papaya seedlings for late winter transplants.

• Add strawberry plants to a garden or build a pyramid for planting.

• Delay pruning all fruit plantings until mid to late winter.

• Speed up the composting process by turning the piles monthly.

• Harvest maturing chayote, cocoyam, dasheen, and gourds.

• Dig in the soil to check sweet potato plantings; most have roots ready to harvest.

Landscape chores

•  Straighten, upright, and stake if necessary any leaning small trees and shrubs.

• If a large tree’s roots are more than halfway out of the ground, get a certified arborist assessment before keeping.

• There is a difference between cutting off damaged and dangerous limbs correctly and pruning. Have a certified arborist cut back any damaged tree limbs.

• Avoid pruning right after the storm. The plants need a chance to put on new growth and recover. When you see new growth, you can prune away any branches that remain dead or undesirable.

• Check irrigation heads and lighting wires for damage.

• Recycle small dead shrubs and branches in your Halloween landscape.

• Major pruning time is over for azaleas, bougainvillea, camellias, gardenias, and poinsettias.

• Pick up and dispose as much of the Spanish moss left in yard by hurricane winds

• Shield poinsettias and holiday cactuses from nighttime light starting mid-month.

• Most ornamental and shade trees do not need a special feeding

• Palm diseases are prevalent; clean and sterilize pruners between palms.

• Be smart and only remove the brown fronds and flower stems from palms.

• Give hedges a final trimming.

• Remove suckers and low limbs from trees.

• Weeds are plentiful in ornamental plantings; hand pull or spot kill to prevent seeding.

• Whiteflies and mealy bugs are major pest; systemic insecticides offer good control.

• Drier weather lies ahead; water when the surface soil begins to dry.

• Most established trees and shrubs can go a week or more between waterings.

• Walk through yard to check for irrigation obstruction. Trim away limbs and weeds affecting the operation of sprinkler systems.

• Check container plantings for plugged drainage holes; repotting may be needed.

• Maintain mulch under trees and shrubs; make sure you can see the flare at the base of the plant and tree.

• Determine tree needs and plant smaller growing wind resistant species.

• Check tree and palm supports to make sure they are secure but not damaging the plants.

• Add Fall plants to hanging baskets and container gardens.

• Edge sidewalks and plant beds.

• Replace soil in problem flower beds and planters.

• Replant flower beds with cool season annuals and perennials; delay pansies until November.

• Start Pansy and other winter annual seeds now for planting in November and December.

• Divide perennial and bulb plantings.

• Give water lilies and bog plants a monthly feeding.

 House & foliage plant care

•  Order gift amaryllis to be delivered in December for Xmas.

• Plants reduce pollutants and create a pleasing atmosphere when added to homes and offices.

• Foliage plants are often a good buy at garden centers during Fall; replace declining plants.

• Many foliage plants have grown too large for their containers; repot as needed.

• Groom outdoor foliage plants and begin moving them to a warm location.

• Most foliage plants need a bright light location but out of the direct sun.

• Feed plants in bright light monthly; less often in low light.

• Control insects on plants before moving them indoors.

• Water holiday cactuses only when the surface soil dries

• Begin forcing amaryllis and paper white narcissus for indoor displays and discontinue feedings.

• Make sure indoor poinsettias, holiday cactuses and kalanchoes receive no nighttime light.