Plant 'em High Never Die; Plant 'em Low Never Grow

Fall planting season is upon us, making this the perfect time for some gentle reminders as to basic planting techniques. Following these simple guidelines will give your landscape a good head start as we near the holiday season.

Customers come to us on a regular basis with samples of shrubbery and trees that have died as a result of being planted too deep. Make sure to leave a minimum of 1/2" of the root ball showing above grade when installing plants and trees. This leaves room for the settling that WILL occur after installation. By planting material at or below grade you are essentially burying the plant, and allowing for potential rot and insect damage.

Secondly, when laying out mulch, most folks tend to put down too much, and quite often put the mulch right up against the trunk. By banking the mulch directly against the bark they have in effect buried the plant, allowing for an over abundance of moisture retention and insect infestation. Approximately 2" of mulch is sufficient and keeping it away from the trunk is the healthier option for your plant material.

Happy Fall everyone!

Hazardous Situation (and I don't mean the oil spill)

Now is the time to hire a certified Arborist to trim the trees in your yard. By eliminating the deadwood and any potentially hazardous branches from your trees you are protecting yourselves, your family, neighbors, and your property from possible harm during the upcoming hurricane season. A certified Arborist will make sure the job is done properly and safely.

Still Kicking

Hey there everybody! Hope all is well with you and yours. Although you may think I have been missing in action I can guarantee I am still here. Life at the nursery has been keeping us hopping. After thawing out from the long, cold, non-typical winter that we had here, the nursery has looked like an ant farm with customers scrambling to replace their client's dead plant material. It never ceases to amaze me how our employees keep up with the pace and are still smiling at the end of the day. We have been blessed with a great staff.

Signing out for now and will be back soon with more gardening tips!

Butterflies and Memories

Dad was a Master Gardener who helped to design and install the butterfly garden at a local school. He put his heart and soul into making that garden a special place for children to learn and enjoy. Ever since his passing, whenever I see a butterfly, I naturally think of my dad.

If you are thinking of planting a butterfly garden, pick a sunny location that is preferably protected from the wind by a fence or wall. Certain shrubbery and small trees also help to provide shelter during inclement weather.

Utilize both host and nectar plants in your garden. The butterflies will lay their eggs on the host plants and the larvae (caterpillars) will quickly devour the foliage for much needed energy. The next stage will be that of the pupa in which the butterfly begins to form. Once the butterfly emerges it will need food provided by the nectar plants. Even fruit such as watermelon or mangoes that you place in the garden will delight these little creatures.

Have you ever seen butterflies standing beside a mud puddle? They are actually drinking the water and taking in amino acids and dissolved salts. By burying a plastic container, i.e. a litter box, at ground level, and filling it with damp sand in or near your butterfly garden you can provide this necessary water source.

Popular host plants can range from butterfly weed to passion vine to hibiscus to roses and many more. Nectar plants include but are not limited to blanket flower, coreopsis, lantana, salvia and plumbago.

The palette of choices is immense. Combined with your creative imagination and design techniques you to can make your own memories or provide a joyful learning experience for children of all ages.

Status on My Container Vegetables

I told you I would keep you posted on my attempt at growing veggies in containers. So far my bell pepper plants are flourishing and we have already been snacking on fresh green pole beans for several days now.
The tomato plants have produced but not as much as I had hoped for. I am now looking for the "Better Boy" variety and will give them a whirl. Just recently I picked up some banana pepper plants and am anxious to get them potted up.
My eggplant bush has been promising with many flowers but no fruit yet. It's possible that it needs more sunlight than it is getting so I am going to move it outside of the orchid house. Wish me luck!

Don't Shake Your Weeds!

Okay everyone, how many of you are guilty of pulling weeds from your garden and then shaking the heck out of them to loosen up the soil around the roots? Well, stop! Just when you think you are ridding your yard of those pesky weeds, by shaking them you are likely flinging weed seed everywhere. Some weed seed can shoot through the air ten feet or more. By shaking the weeds you are simply helping them start up all over again.

Carry a bucket or bag with you when weeding. Carefully grasp the weed at soil level and pull gently out of the ground. Immediately place the weed into the bucket or bag without shaking. Some weeds are extremely tough to pull up completely and will require the help of a knife but be careful! When you are done weeding, carefully empty the contents of the bucket into a bag and dispose of in the garbage.

Wearing gloves when weeding is a good idea as there are some weeds out there that may be irritating to your skin. Now, repeat after me: "I will not shake my weeds".

Cold Again

Here we go again folks. Although we are not expecting such enduring cold temperatures as last month, we are experiencing temps in the 30's and 40's at night and the 50's during the day. Don't forget to irrigate your plant material, and where possible cover and protect your tropicals. Any tender container plants should be brought inside or at least protected. Tonight especially will be a cloudless sky leading to loss of heat.

Cold Damage

I know that many of you have plants, and trees that have suffered cold damage. The best thing for you to do right now is to wait it out. As tempting as it may be, please hold off from trimming, and/or cutting off the dead material.

First of all, we don't know for sure if we have seen the last of the dangerously cold weather. By trimming things back now you may be leaving your plants wide open for further harm in the event of another cold snap.

Secondly, the dead/damaged foliage may help to protect the healthy foliage from further damage. Our advice is to leave things the way they are for as long as you can stand it. In some instances you may not know for sure if certain plants/trees are dead for another couple of weeks yet. Based on what we are hearing from many suppliers in even south Florida, there has been a lot of damage to palm fields and large nursery tracts. It may be a while before some replacement plants and/or palm trees are even available. You are better off, for the time being, to wait it out, and see if your plants spring back to life before cutting them back or ripping them out of the ground.

Water Those Plants

We've talked about this before but I just wanted to send out a gentle reminder during this cold weather. Remember to keep your plants well irrigated during these cold temps and windy days. Properly irrigated plants will hold up much better in cold weather.

Merry Christmas To Me

Just a follow up for you on my attempt at growing veggies in the orchid house. All are doing well. I've picked two tomatoes so far - 1 patio and 1 beefsteak. The green beans are climbing the trellis with vigor and the green pepper plants are quite happy. The eggplant looks great but I'm not sure if it is progressing yet. I will keep you "posted".

Vegetable Gardening in the Works

Okay all of you out there that have been asking for advice on growing vegetables - here you go. Well, that may be a little misleading. Shall I say, since I have had relatively no experience growing veggies (except for one little garden patch back in 1981)....we are going to learn together.

Just today I have started a small veggie crop in my orchid house using containers. I will be attempting to grow Classic Eggplant, Beefsteak Tomatoes, Patio Tomatoes and Bell Peppers. Additionally I purchased some Green Bean plants from our own local students at Seminole Vo Ag yesterday so have potted them up as well.

I am using an Ortho fertilizer, via a handheld sprayer attached to my hose, that is good for all vegetables. I've place the pots in the sunniest location in the orchid house and they are setting on the ground without saucers beneath them to allow for drainage. For soil, I mixed a heavy black potting mix (from Home Depot) with a lighter weight potting soil to allow for drainage as well.

Wish me luck. Let's all try this together and share our bounty (assuming there is one haha). Happy planting!

Wind, Cold Temps, and Your Plants

When the winds roll in, and the cooler temps approach, it is more important than ever to keep your plants well hydrated. The winds will dry out your plants quickly, making them more susceptible to cold damage. So, now is a good time to inspect your sprinkler system to make sure it is working properly. Happy Planting!

Sprucing Up For the Holidays

Yes, it's that time of year when folks start having family get-togethers and holiday parties. Now would be a good time to look around the yard and determine what needs sprucing up. You don't have to spend a lot of money to make your yard sparkle. Some people that can afford it will do a total tear out of their flower beds, and replenish them with fresh annuals but it doesn't have to be that way.
Freshen up your plants and trees by trimming out all of the dead foliage, branches or fronds. Remove any plant debris from your plant beds (this also helps to discourage fungus). Spreading fresh mulch around your plants can make a landscape come alive again. Pick up a couple of potted plants to set beside your front door to give the house a festive look without going overboard. Happy planting!

Staghorns and Bananas

Staghorns thrive on potassium. The next time you think about throwing out those overripe bananas (if you're not going to bake banana bread), toss them into the top of your staghorn instead. Also, staghorns do not require a lot of water as they are an "air" plant so a once a week watering should be sufficient.

Rain Rain Rain

All of the rain during the night last night reminded me that I have been wanting to get a rain barrel. What better way to utilize a natural resource and save money on your water bill! Rain water is so pure without all the added chemicals and your plants will love it. You will be amazed at how much water actually collects in a rain barrel. A hose can easily be configured to attach to your barrel for convenient watering in your garden or greenhouse. Rain barrels can be found at many local garden centers and even online. The hidden artist in you can also creatively decorate the outside of the barrel for an instant piece of yard art.

Container Gardening

Over the last several years, the increase in the amount of people living in condominiums and/or apartments has spawned the need for new ideas in container gardening.

If you are feeling creative, and want to give this type of gardening a try, there are several things to keep in mind. First, make sure that the container you choose is large enough for the plant(s) you have chosen. Drainage is very important, so make sure there is at least one drainage hole in the bottom of the pot. Secondly, it is a good idea to put something in the bottom of the pot before adding soil to help with the drainage. I use broken clay pieces from previously chipped or cracked clay pots that I then break apart with a hammer.

Make sure to water the soil well before planting and then at least twice again after filling in with soil around the plant. This helps to eliminate any air pockets in the soil. Container plants will have to be watered more often than those in the ground to keep them from drying out.

Typically, when using more than one plant in a pot at the same time, it is best for visual purposes, to have the taller plant in the center of the pot, with lower growing/draping plants around the outside. Additionally, make sure when grouping plants in the same pot that they have the same light, and watering requirements.

There are so many amazing combinations that will look stunning in containers. Some combinations that are all one color are just as appealing to the eye as several different colors. Happy planting!

Recycling

Every time that I return from a trip to Maine I am saddened by the lack of recylcing in our State. Granted that in Maine, there are redemption centers everywhere where folks who have saved their glass bottles, etc can turn them in to a redemption center to get their deposits back. Many people also give their bottles to the boy scouts or charity groups so that they may benefit from the monies returned at the redemption centers.

I don't understand why we can't do something like that here. Yes, we have recycling bins located at various point throughout the city, but what is the incentive for folks to recycle? I can drive down any street in this town and see plastic bottles, glass and aluminum cans thrown everywhere. Most people don't see the adverse impact of littering because it doesn't "affect" them. They have very little concern about the future of our environment.

We need to be the ones to make the change and set an example for our children.

There are a few places in Pinellas County where you can take aluminum for recycling and receive cash but they are not well advertised. At least lets do our part by bagging up our cans, bottles, and papers and dropping them off at the nearest recycling bin the next time we are on our way to the grocery store or mall. It only takes a few minutes to help make a huge difference for our precious Earth.

Fall Vegetable Gardens

I am back from Maine and psyched for fresh vegetables! Many of you have been asking me to write something on vegetable gardens. Since I am not well versed in growing vegetables I turned to the perfect source. The University of Florida (sorry Noles) provides the absolute best source for all of your Florida gardening questions. Right now is the time to begin preparing your fall vegetable garden. There are many things to consider other than which vegetables to plant such as: soil prep, proper pH, sunlight, fertilizers, pests, etc. For all of your vegetable garden guidance please visit: solutionsforyourlife.com and click on the Lawn and Garden Section. Happy planting!

Air Circulation

Just a reminder that at this time of year with all of these rains it is very important to make sure your orchids have plenty of space between them for proper air circulation. Fungus can take over quickly, jumping from plant to plant without it.

Indoor Veggie and Herb Gardens

Many of you out there have asked me how to grow an edible garden in Florida. It can be done but vigilance is the key to watching out for, and eliminating pests, and ensuring proper irrigation to prevent damage from our infamous heat.

One option is planting a garden indoors which is especially enjoyable for all you condo dwellers out there that have no yard. I don't often recommend specific products but I don't think you can beat the Aero Gardens for indoor use. They can be purchased at numerous stores including Bed Bath and Beyond.

With the Aero Garden, you have the option of growing many things from herbs to tomatoes to peppers to flowers, etc. The plus side is you don't have to worry about all the pests outdoors and you can better monitor the lighting, water, etc. I've tried this myself and really enjoyed watching the herbs and tomato plants grow.

For those of you that really desire the outdoor edible garden experience, I highly recommend that you contact your local County Extension Service for advice specific to your area.