Before the next round of Florida weather rolls in, take a walk through your garden and look at each plant with three things in mind: Is it native or Florida-friendly? How established is it? And what kind of root system does it have?
Native and Florida-friendly plants are already adapted to our climate, which can help them handle heavy rain and wind. Plants with shallow root systems may need extra support, while those with deeper, well-established roots are generally harder to blow over.
Newly planted trees, shrubs and plants deserve a little extra attention. Because their roots have not fully established, they may benefit from staking or tie-downs. Just remember not to pull the ties too tight. A little movement allows the plant to move naturally with the wind.
While you’re taking inventory, look for anything that needs to be trimmed, cut back or pruned. Removing a weak or broken limb before a storm may help prevent additional damage later.
A few other things to check before heavy weather arrives:
• Turn off irrigation systems that are on a timer. Additional watering during periods of heavy rain can increase the chance of losing plants, trees or shrubs.
• Check your mulch. A layer of approximately one to two inches can offer additional root protection during extreme weather.
A little preparation before the weather turns can make a big difference once the wind and rain arrive.
Keeping our plants alive during peak heat months can be tricky. One day your plant is so happy the next day it is dropping leaves and bare. What happened? To much water not enough water? Too much fertilizer. The answer is never simple it is likely to be all of the above. Our climate brings in high heat and heavy sporadic rains causing us to need to be quite attentive to our first year plantings. Here are a couple thoughts.
- Best irrigation timing early morning. This is when our climate naturally has morning dew. The plants are waking with the sun and preparing to take up the water before the end of day. Watering later in the day in this humid time can introduce an environment perfect for fungus growth. Sometimes this is an unavoidable time, just be aware and turn your mulch to allow air to circulate in the garden.
- Deep watering vs. frequent misting. What is the difference?
The difference is in the amount of watering you will do and how it effects your foliage. Deep watering means you are watering at the base of the plant, where the plant meets the earth. Note to water here or along the drip line. The drip line is the area under leaf not next to the stem. And water deep meaning you are adding a drenching of water and less frequently. As the water seeps into the earth the roots of your plant will have to reach down and out. This helps you create a strong root structure for your plants. Using a mister can be helpful but be aware this will only provide surface level watering, and most of the misters will get your leaves wet. Some leaves wet in full sun will get leaf scorch. This is an unsightly spot on your leaves.
WHERE GOOD THINGS GROW
