{"id":6632,"date":"2020-04-06T11:33:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-06T15:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rockawayinc.com\/?p=6632"},"modified":"2023-06-23T14:27:28","modified_gmt":"2023-06-23T18:27:28","slug":"april-newsletter-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rockawayinc.com\/monthly-newsletters\/april-newsletter-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"April Newsletter"},"content":{"rendered":"
Now that April has arrived, the threat of a frost or freeze should be behind us. We can begin to fully embrace warm season plants and practices. This means bringing in tropicals, warm season vegetables and gearing up for more pests! Even in warm Florida the landscape changes and there is more of a variety of flowering plants. If you’re a little behind starting your vegetables and herbs, you can always refer to the March newsletter for some guidance CLICK HERE!<\/a>. For help with developing any of your landscape, contact us to inquire about a landscape consultation. We can help with any size project, whether we create a complete master plan, or you simply need guidance on your next DIY project.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Houseplants:<\/strong> These can be grown anytime. We currently have a great selection of plants kept to enhance your indoor areas, including air plants, hoya, succulents, bromeliads, African violets, calla lilies, ferns, ZZ plants, orchids, palms, dracaena, ficus and more. There’s a plant for every light level in your home.<\/p>\n Annuals (Or Grown As Annuals):<\/strong> Remove declining violas and pansies. Petunia and supertunia, alyssum (Lobularia), dianthus, lobelia, and snapdragons can still be planted to enjoy now but will probably only last until June when the heat moves in. If supertunias, petunias and alyssum are planted so they receive afternoon shade or in moveable containers, then these can often be babied through the hot season until they can proliferate again in the fall. Also continue growing dusty miller, gazania, verbena, nemesia, celosia, marguerite daisy and geraniums. Any of the warm season flowers can now be planted. Add helichrysum, bacopa, marigold (Tagetes), coleus, sunpatiens, zinnia, begonia, melampodium, portulaca and sweet potato vine when available. Trailing torenia is particularly good to plant now with sustained flowering through the summer. It also doesn’t require, and does better without, full sun.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Perennials:<\/strong> Most perennial types can be planted now, even most of the cold-tender tropical ones. Some of the great tropicals we grow here seasonally or with occasional protection are variegated shell ginger, mandevilla, ixora, croton, cordyline, colocasia, stromanthe, bougainvillea and bird of paradise. Many perennials have very long bloom times, including blue daze, salvia, pentas, beach sunflower, gaura, bush daisy, hibiscus, yarrow, plumbago, firecracker grass (Russelia), firespike (Odontonema), bulbine, shrimp plant (Justicia), cigar plant (Cuphea), canna lily, gerbera daisy and lantana. Native plants like stokes aster, coneflower, black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia), blanket flower (Gaillardia), tickseed (Coreopsis) and milkweed (Asclepias) are good choices for a more natural landscape and to support wildlife. It’s a good time to install groundcovers and border plants like Blueberry flax (Dianella) and Asiatic jasmine. Also, many bulbs can be planted at this time, particularly crinum, caladium, canna,and agapanthus. Amaryllis bulbs and poinsettias purchased during the holidays can be planted in the landscape. See our handout on Amaryllis care for more information. CLICK HERE!<\/a> Poinsettias can be planted out now. Trim fading bracts and choose a spot with 3-6 hours of sun that will not receive artificial light at night.<\/p>\n Other perennials which can be grown a little while longer before it becomes hot include foxglove, hollyhock, dahlias and delphinium.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Trees and Shrubs:<\/strong> Many varieties of azalea will be blooming this month. Some of the most reliable azaleas to grow here are the Southern Indica hybrids – Duc de Rohan, Formosa, George L. Taber, Mrs. GG Gerbing, and Southern Charm. Other fine choices are Firebush (Hamelia), princess flower (Tibouchina), loropetalum, duranta, buddleia, bottlebrush, Indian hawthorn, redbud, Carolina silverbell (Halesia), fringetree (Chionanthus) and St. Lukes plum. In early April satsuma, grapefruit, orange and other citrus can be planted. We are growing some exciting edible shrubs to complement your Grow Your Own gardening. Blueberry ‘Misty’ and ‘Jewel’, Blackberry ‘Natchez’, Raspberry ‘Nantahala’, Black Mission Fig, culinary ginger, goji berry, turmeric and eventually ‘Southern Jewel’ grape will be available.<\/p>\n Lawn:<\/strong> Sod can be planted at almost any time of year, but better when it is actively growing in spring. Summer heat can be stressful but there is usually more rain during this time also. If your lawn failed previously in an area, make sure the best variety is installed for that location and do a soil test. Stagger pieces of sod and fit closely together. Wait 3-4 weeks before mowing and one to two months before fertilizing. If planting plugs, space 6-12 inches on center and don’t mow for at least 2-4 weeks or until firmly rooted, and don’t fertilize until they’ve grown together. Water sod and plugs lightly but frequently for the first month. Don’t apply a pre-emergent herbicide at least 2-4 months before sodding or plugging. Bahiagrass, centipedegrass and bermudagrass can be started with seed by April. St. Augustinegrass is not an option for seeding.<\/p>\n Vegetables and Herbs:<\/strong> A few cool season vegetables can still be grown this month for a short period, like swiss chard, but this is mainly the time to start the warm season crops. Set out sweet potato slips, tomato, pepper, eggplant and cucumber plants. Plant seeds of cantaloupe, corn, southern peas, squash, watermelon, snap beans, pole beans, lima beans, and okra. Eggplant, melons, peppers and corn need 90 days of warm weather to mature so plant these as early as possible. See our handout Planting Guide for North Florida Vegetables, for vegetable growing information. CLICK HERE!<\/a><\/p>\n Most of the herbs you would grow here in North Florida can be started this time of year. Dill, cilantro\/coriander, parsley, garden sage, thyme, mint, chives, rosemary, oregano\/marjoram, fennel, and Mexican tarragon can now be joined by cold-sensitive basil. You may also want to try nasturtium for its pretty flowers and unusual leaves that add a pleasant flavor to salads, garnishes and dips. See our handout Planting Guide for North Florida Culinary Herbs for a more complete list. Also see Herbs for North Florida, for growing and usage information for many of the herbs. CLICK HERE!<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n There are too many exciting plants out there right now to pick just one to highlight so here are two for this month. <\/p>\n Noticing a vigorous seedling growing in a stand of native oakleaf hydrangea, plantsman Michael Dirr began propagating this superior form. It has larger flowers, better fall color and very disease resistant leaves. Mature stems exfoliate to reveal rich brown inner bark. Growth is fast but little pruning is needed to maintain its broad rounded form. Blooms are produced from the previous year’s growth. A notable feature is its tolerance of a greater amount of sun than most hydrangeas. Alice makes a great gift! <\/p>\n This compact growing pomegranate may be the best on the market. Its controllable stature and showy color make it an exciting addition to a courtyard or patio garden. It is easy care, and heat and drought tolerant once established (as with any plant, it may require more water in a container). Angel Red pairs well with Italian cypress and with other plants you might have in a patio garden such as lavender, bay laurel, rosemary and Meyer lemon. Irrigate:<\/strong> Last month we changed back to following a twice weekly watering schedule but only water this often if it is needed. With the current rainfall you may even want to turn off irrigation systems and water as needed. The SJRWMD allows Wednesday\/Saturday irrigation for odd numbered addresses and Thursday\/Sunday irrigation for even numbered addresses, outside the hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nonresidential properties can water on Tuesdays\/Fridays. Use of a micro-spray, micro-jet, drip or bubbler irrigation system is allowed any time. New plantings can be watered any time of day for 30 days post-planting and every other day for the next 30 days. Some trees may require up to 5 months of supplemental watering to establish strong roots; after the initial 2 months, this can be supplied by hand watering. It’s a good idea to check your sprinkler system for any breaks or misaligned spray heads at least monthly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mow:<\/strong> As temperatures rise and grass growth increases, frequent mowing produces a strong lawn. Mowing will remove some flowering stalks of annual weeds and make weeds less noticeable. This time of year, you may want to bag your clippings so winter annual weed seeds aren’t distributed on the lawn. Never remove more than 1\/3 of the leaf blade at a time and mow Fill Lawn:<\/strong> Fill in low spots in your lawn with quality sterile sand mixed with organic matter, an inch or two at a time. As the grass grows into this, repeat with another 1-2″ layer until the low level is even with existing ground.<\/p>\n Prune:<\/strong> Continue to deadhead old blooms on annuals. Prune spring flowering shrubs and trees such as azalea, dogwood, redbud, Japanese magnolia, spiraea and loropetalum after they finish blooming. Remove dead fronds and old flowering parts from palms. Remove fruit from newly planted trees to help establish their roots and shoots. On established peaches and nectarines, thin to space fruit about 6-10″ apart when the fruit is about the size of a nickel. Trim tropical plants that may have suffered winter damage(for example, crotons, jatropha, hibiscus, and tibouchina). If severe enough, these may need pruning close to ground level, but most will grow back. Firebush, hibiscus and salvia also benefit from a trim.<\/p>\n It’s a good idea to sterilize<\/strong> your pruning tools with a disinfectant, between plants. Although a chlorine solution is often recommended, bleach is corrosive to metals and pitted pruners will harbor more microbes that the disinfectant can’t reach. Bleach remaining on the pruners is also damaging to plant tissue.Use Lysol instead – it is minimally corrosive and extremely effective against pathogens.<\/p>\n Harvest:<\/strong> Continue to harvest citrus as it ripens, herbs as needed and any remaining cool season crops, especially if they begin to bolt.<\/p>\n Clean Beds:<\/strong> Remove declining violas and pansies. Remove old camellia and azalea blossoms from the ground to minimize the spread of disease. Once the soil has warmed, rake up old mulch that hasn’t decomposed and dead foliage, and add 2-3″ fresh mulch. You may want to wait on adding mulch if you are looking for volunteers to come up from seed. Finish by renewing a clean edge around your beds with a flat shovel blade.<\/p>\n Mulch:<\/strong> The ground should have warmed sufficiently by now so that mulching won’t interfere with the warming process. Mulch new plants after planting. Apply a light cover around new vegetable transplants, and seedlings after they germinate. A 2-3″ layer of mulch moderates soil temperatures, retains soil moisture, reduces erosion and weeds, and adds organic matter to the soil as it decomposes. Mulch also creates an attractive unified look to highlight your plantings. Florida’s warm and often wet weather can lead to rapid breakdown of mulch.<\/p>\n Fertilize:<\/strong> This would be a good time to perform a soil test for your lawn. Go to http:\/\/soilslab.ifas.ufl.edu\/ESTL%20Home.asp<\/a> for online instructions. Wait until most of your lawn has greened up for at least 3 weeks before applying fertilizer so it can process the nitrogen. You can use a fertilizer that has equal amounts of nitrogen and potassium, and no phosphorus, such as 15-0-15 or 20-0-20. To figure how many pounds of fertilizer is needed, divide 100 by the % of nitrogen (the first number in the formula) on the fertilizer bag. For 15-0-15 this would be 100 \u00f7 15 = 6.67 pounds for every 1,000 sq. ft. of lawn. After applying granular fertilizer, you will need to irrigate long enough to move the granules off the leaf blades and into the soil; this should require only about \u00bc” of water.<\/p>\n The fertilizer should also have at least one third of its nitrogen as a slow release (non-water soluble) form. In the case of the 15-0-15, this would be 5% as stated on the label. It is a superior, environmentally sound slow release fertilizer with organic nitrogen in a 16-0-8 plus 1% Mg formula for your lawn and garden.<\/p>\n Also useful is Nitroganic fertilizer, a milorganite-type product which contains slow release nitrogen at a lower rate and which can be applied at 10 week intervals for slow, consistent fertilizing. It is non-burning and feeds the soil while feeding the plants.<\/p>\n If you didn’t fertilize in March, the same fertilizer you use on your lawn can be used on other plants such as shrubs, trees, flowers and ground covers if it only contains fertilizer (not a weed and feed product). Young trees and shrubs should receive \u00bd to 1-pound Nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. Keep fertilizer away from the base of the plant. Fertilizers formulated for acid-loving plants are better for azaleas, camellias, hydrangeas (if you want the flower color to be bluer), magnolias, hollies, gardenias, dogwoods, beech and blueberries. Fertilize azaleas after their blooms fade. Blueberries should receive just a light application every other month until October, so skip this month if you fertilized them last month. There is no need to fertilize mature shrubs and trees.<\/p>\n Fertilize palms<\/strong> if you didn’t at the end of March. Palms need a high potassium to nitrogen ratio plus added magnesium so an 8-2-12 fertilizer with 4% magnesium works well. Herbs and vegetables will benefit from a slow\/continuous release organic fertilizer applied every 3 to 4 weeks (herbs at half strength). If you’ve built your soil following the instructions for preparing a raised garden in last month’s newsletter, you may not need to fertilize all season. In general, even though it’s a little costlier, try to use a slow release fertilizer or fertilizer with at least 30% as a slow release component. These feed lawns and plants more consistently and lessen pollution.<\/p>\n Control Weeds:<\/strong> Many existing lawn weeds this time of year are winter annuals about to flower and die. Mow regularly removing no more than 1\/3 of the leaf blade and bag the clippings to remove weed flowers before they go to seed. Avoid the use of post-emergent herbicides during spring green-up. After new turf growth begins, if a post-emergent herbicide is needed, you can use a Weed and Feed product formulated for your lawn type to simultaneously apply both a fertilizer and herbicide, such as Fertilome Weed-Out Plus Lawn Fertilizer. Fertilome Weed Free Zone is a post-emergent herbicide for broad leaf weeds useful in 45-90\u00b0F temperatures. Fertilome Selective is useful for spot treatment. To control nut-sedge and dollar weed, make sure you’re not creating favorable conditions by over-watering your lawn. Always choose an herbicide that lists your lawn type on the label and follow instructions carefully as they can vary.<\/p>\n Monitor and Control Insects and Disease:<\/strong> Continue to monitor pests and disease on houseplants, lawns and gardens. A dose of insecticidal soap or Neem Oil (combats insects, mites and fungus) may be needed on houseplants.<\/p>\n Fungal disease can occur almost any time of year, especially if the landscape is over watered or watered at the wrong time of day. Bonide Infuse Systemic Disease Control can prevent and control fungal growth.<\/p>\n Watch for discolored areas in lawns, which may be a sign of disease. Large Patch is a fungal disease that can still be a problem in warm season grasses this time of year. Treated lawns will return to a healthy appearance once new growth begins.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The major lawn pests active this time of year are Southern Chinch Bug, Tropical Sod Webworm and Fall Armyworm. Chinch bugs suck the juices from St. Augustinegrass at or just below the soil level. Injured plants look stunted, yellowed, wilted, or dead. Yellowish to burnt-brownish patches are often first noticed along sidewalks or in poorly-irrigated areas. To help control the problem, limit nitrogen fertilizer and reduce thatch thickness to minimize the bug’s habitat.<\/p>\n Newly hatched larvae of tropical sod webworm skeletonize grass blades while older larvae chew on grass blades near soil surface. Small patches of grass may look ragged and irregular. The adult moth does not cause damage but the life cycle from egg to adult only requires 5-6 weeks at 78\u00b0F. In weedy areas and open fields, Lubber Grasshoppers can begin to be a problem this time of year as the babies hatch in spring. They cause vast damage, especially to grasses and grass-like vegetation, lilies, amaryllis and plumbago. They move slowly and don’t fly so it is possible to kill them by hand-picking. They are also most vulnerable to pesticides at this stage; treat with carbaryl, bifenthrin or permethrin containing products.<\/p>\n Check for thrips on leaves and flowers of roses and gardenias.<\/p>\n Aphids feed on tender new growth. Frequently scout the vegetable garden for these insects as well as scale, caterpillars and white fly, as insects are easier to control when first noticed. Beneficial insects such as ladybug beetles and lacewing can control soft-bodied insect pests. To maximize the effectiveness of these natural enemies, provide habitat and relief from high temperatures by increasing the amount and diversity of plants in your landscape. Refer to our handout Ladybugs, for storage and release information. CLICK HERE!<\/a><\/p>\n Horticultural soap sprays will also control many soft-bodied insect pests, and a product such as Dipel Dust with B.t. (Bacillus thunbergiensis) is useful against caterpillars. Spinosad is particularly effective on caterpillars and thrips (also leafminers, spider mites, mosquitoes, ants and fruit flies) and lasts up to 4 weeks. Additionally, it is safe for people, beneficial insects and adult butterflies, and safe for bees once it has dried. Many insect problems require a combination of pest management products and techniques.<\/p>\n1\/2 OFF ALL CONSULTATIONS!
\n(OFFER EXPIRES APRIL 15TH!)<\/h3>\nCall us at 904-289-2161!<\/h3>\n
CLICK HERE FOR CONSULTATION FORM!<\/a><\/h5>\n
WHAT TO PLANT<\/h2>\n
Plant Focus<\/h2>\n
\n<\/a><\/p>\n‘Alice’ Oakleaf Hydrangea<\/h3>\n
\n<\/a><\/p>\n‘Angel Red’ Pomegranate<\/h3>\n
\n<\/a><\/p>\nWhat to Do<\/h2>\n
\nto the highest recommended height to support root growth. Here are the recommended mowing heights for several N. Florida grasses: Bahiagrass at 3-4″, Zoysiagrass coarse textured varieties at 3-4″ and fine textured at 1-2″,Centipedegrass at 1\u00bd to 2\u00bd”, Seashore Paspalum at 1\u00bd to 2″, and St. Augustinegrass at 2\u00bd to 3″ but up to 4″ in the shade with the standard varieties.<\/p>\n
\nThe general lawn fertilizer recommendation calls for no phosphorus – the middle number in the fertilizer formula. However there have been an increasing number of lawns showing phosphorus deficiencies (reduced growth and dark green foliage sometimes with purple lower shoots), and a soil test will show aberrancies in other nutrients and pH too.<\/p>\n
\nFall armyworm caterpillars skeletonize grass blades then later create bare spots. Younger caterpillars are more easily controlled (both webworm and armyworm) with reduced-risk products like B.t., halofenozide and spinosad.
\nBifenthrin also targets all three of these lawn pests. You can use a product like Hi Yield Bug Blaster Plus Above\/Below. Rotate combination products to reduce resistant populations and spot treat when possible.<\/p>\n