February continues our dry season, with little or no rain expected. Daytime temperatures are historically in the 70s into the 80s, with evening lows unpredictable and possibly flirting with frost. The first few months of the year tend to be a seesaw of temperatures. This causes plants to be stressed and vulnerable to frost and sunburn, pests and diseases. They need all the help we can offer, and so here is February’s checklist:
• Pruning – Cold sensitive plants should not be pruned. Pruning encourages new growth that is tender and susceptible to cold damage. Dead and diseased wood can be removed at any time.
• Remove spent blossoms (dead-heading) to promote continued bloom.
• Ornamental grasses (fakahatchee, cord, muhly, purple and white fountain) need a severe haircut to within 6 – 12 inches of the ground. This is also a good time to spray for any red spider mites.
• African iris also should be cut to several inches above ground level.
• Fertilize tropical and flowering ornamentals (bush allamandas, gardenia, ixora and hibiscus) with a slow-release fertilizer. Remember that fertilizer contains salts. Excess salt burns root hairs. Time your fertilizing, if possible, with the rains. Watering before and after fertilizing makes for very happy plant roots.
• Look for damaged leaves brought to you by your local cutworms. They are nocturnal eaters. Spray with Organocide or a similar product. Pick ‘n’ smash is the most expedient method.
• Fungus on Ornamentals – If you see round dark “bull’s-eye” areas on leaves, black stems, and brown patches in turf – treat it! Fungus is common to our area. Prevent it by providing good air circulation around shrubs.
• Brown Spot Fungus – Avoid watering excessively and use nitrogen judicially at this time of the year. Fungicides are mostly preventive measures. Irregular dead-looking areas in the lawn signal brown spot fungus. Do not walk through it! Doing so transfers the spores to other areas.
• Irrigation Maintenance – It is important for you or your irrigation technician to verify each sprinkler head’s coverage on a regular (monthly) basis. Over time there will be adjustments needed in the system to accommodate plant growth.
• Cold Temperatures? Tropical plants adversely react to cold temperature below 50 degrees. So, you can imagine what temperatures in the 30s will do to them! Hopefully we will get by without any frost in February, but it can occur until late in the month as it did in 2009.
It’s Caladium time! Lake Placid caladium growers are now shipping their bulbs. Since this Florida town is considered the Caladium Capital of the World, you can expect them to grow beautifully here. Although some do okay in our sandy ground, they prefer rich moist soil, a bit of shade and fresh water. They do beautifully in containers and are often sold in hanging baskets. Caladiums are grown for their amazing leaf color and patterns. They also come in categories by height (12-30” in a single season) and light requirements (full shade to some sun). Fertilize sparingly, and every couple of weeks, remove the dead or damaged leaves. Contact http://www.caladiumworld.com, http://www.happinessfarms.com, http://www.floridaboyscaladiums.com, or any of the other Lake Placid growers to order your bulbs. You won’t be disappointed.
