By now you should have seen substantial new growth on your shrubs and trees. But patience is the byword with palms. Many will only put out 3-6 new fronds a year. Please…only remove fronds that have at least one third of their surface dry, damaged or dead. Palms need to maximize their ability to photosynthesize. The oldest frond supplies the needed nutrients for the newest frond.
Important – Please…only remove [palm] fronds that have at least one third of their surface dry, damaged or dead. Palms need to maximize their ability to photosynthesize.
According to Capeweather.com\weather station, year-to-date as of February 26 we’ve had 3.06 inches of rain. This is dry season and our landscape plants would really benefit from fresh rain water.
April’s To Do List:
• Your goal, starting the first of the month, should be to set up your plants (shrubs, trees, palms and turf) to be the healthiest possible as we continue through the dry season and inch toward the rainy season, beginning sometime in June.
• Fertilize everything you didn’t fertilize in March, and use only a high quality, slow-release product. Good fertilizer is expensive, but effective.
• Palms that may have suffered from root or bud damage during the winter benefit from fungicide and micro-nutrient supplements.
• Fungus: Though our temperatures have been chilly vs. cold or frosty, our subtropical and tropical plants have suffered. Rain + chilly temps = fungus. It’s been appearing on turf and shrubbery. This is a typical for April and reflects the weather experienced during the first quarter. Typical seems to be more atypical these days. Always use common sense when it comes to the treatment of plants.
• Water restrictions are an ongoing and serious part of gardening in SW Florida. Planting native plants that are geared for 8 months of drought followed by 4 months of deluge should be strongly considered. Work with, not against nature. Unless you are willing to hand water, resist planting during the dry season and wait until the summer rains begin at the end of June to the first of July. Many associations and independent homeowners start itching to plant color during the “high” season. It can be precious dollars wasted. Even salt-tolerant plants are watered with fresh water when nursery-grown. Most shrubs, including drought tolerant ones, take 3 months to establish roots beyond the perimeter of their original pot. A new 3-gallon shrub requires a gallon of water every other day for about 60 days.
• Prune scraggly, overgrown plants and those with dead branches if not done so already. First remove crossing and broken branches. Then prune for shape and to encourage re-flowering.
• Great Video on Pruning of Trees: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ht-U1f9K7zo.
This video was produced by the Collier County Extension Service.
• Want more flowers? Florida’s flowering shrubs bloom on new wood. If the plant is constantly pruned, leaving only older wood, flower production will be severely limited.
• Apply herbicide to your turf when the temperature is below 85 degrees. We’ve already had temperatures in the 80s as of the end of February. Just remember broadleaf herbicides can harm turf, or at a minimum turn it yellow.
