Tropical Plants

 February is still technically winter in Central Florida. Average temperatures in February tick up to 75 high and 54 low, about 4 to 5 degrees higher than January. Despite the increasing frequency of warmer days and increasingly longer daylight hours, at any given moment Mother Nature can remind us that winter is not over with a blast of arctic air that can wreak havoc on our Southern landscapes. 

This year so far, the Winter season has been relatively mild, with no frost or freezing developing south of Leesburg, but the temperatures have gone low enough to effect injury on more sensitive tropical plants. To avoid injury to tropical plants or other plants fully exposed to open air from cold weather, they should be covered with a heavy cloth. Never use plastic tarps, sheets, or garbage bags to cover plants from frost since condensation will form on leaves and may damage the plants even more if the water freezes on leaves and soft wood. The injured leaves on tropical plants should be pruned only after the threat of a last freeze is minimal, usually beginning of March. Depending on the type of plant, a “full hacking” of the plant may be performed (such as Goldmounds, hibiscus, or Hawaiian Ti) or selective removal of leggy branches or frost-injured leaves only, leaving unaffected leaves in place. Once pruning is performed, a fertilizer application should follow to encourage the plant to push out new growth quickly.

The grass is probably still being mowed only once a month, but as the days get longer and the temperature ramps up, you may notice turfgrass needing more frequent mowings. By the end of February, the grass will need to be mowed at least every 2 weeks. This is a good time to have your mower blades sharpened. Dull mower blades leave unsightly scarring to the grass which weakens the turf and takes time to heal. Sharp mower blades slice through the grass blades cleanly, leaving a tidy and fresh-looking appearance and minimizing stress to the turfgrass. Spring fertilization of turfgrass can be performed towards the end of the month if the weather is warm. Do not fertilize grass if you have active brown patch fungus on the lawn since the nitrogen in the fertilizer will feed the fungus and grow larger. Wait until March if you have active fungus on the lawn.

February is the transitional month to usher in Spring weather and temperatures can remain warm towards the end of the month. Although the watering cycle is not technically to be changed to twice per week until Daylight Savings begins (March 8), you may experience wilting of turfgrass if precipitation is scarce and temps go above 85 degrees for even just a few days. Hand watering the lawn at the wilted areas is the only recourse to avoid injury to turfgrass from drought. Yes, drought can happen even in February.

The temperatures will be pleasant enough to undertake some of the rigorous landscaping work that needs to be done each year to freshen up the landscape once again. February is a great month to apply new mulch to the landscape. If new plantings are planned, you may want to wait to mulch until after the new plants are installed to avoid disturbing the new mulch once it is applied.

Pruning of some plants can begin late in the month, but March is generally the month to give the shrubs a full haircut to remove shaggy stems and branches and re-establish aesthetic structure. Remember to apply fertilizer after pruning to provide the resources for plants to produce new healthy and vibrant growth.

Most importantly, February is the month to perform a thorough inspection of your irrigation system. March is too late and injury to turfgrass or ornamentals will result by the time you notice a problem that the irrigation requires adjustments or repairs. Most drought damage to turfgrass begins in late February through May. This is historically our drought season and rainfall is very scarce during this period. Homeowners (as well as lawn care providers) spend the rest of the growing season attempting to repair damaged turfgrass areas. It is a futile effort if the irrigation coverage issue is not corrected first. It is an otherwise silly cyclic pattern: Turf thins from drought. Then weeds begin to emerge because they now have room to establish and thrive. Homeowners (or a company such as ours) apply fertilizer to help the grass fill back in and kill the weeds, slowing the metabolic growth rate of the grass due to herbicide induced stress. We can't apply pre-emergent herbicides to thin or bare areas or new grass won't penetrate the soil surface and anchor properly, leaving short, stubby roots that cannot hold much in water reserves. So new weeds pop up in the very same area that we have to come back to treat again. By the time the grass recovers somewhat, the growing season is about over...This is IF the irrigation coverage issue has been addressed.

It may take 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how many zones your system has, but it will be time well spent to avoid chasing recessive lawn areas all Summer long. Review each zone carefully to ensure all heads are activating and pointing at the target areas. Replace any heads that do not retract properly or leak excessively. Clogged heads (and filters) will need to be cleaned. If you begin to notice wilt at spots, water those areas IMMEDIATELY. Then verify water coverage by placing catch cans at the "hot spots" to ensure those areas are receiving 3/4 to 1 full inch of water per irrigation cycle. If you prefer, give Total Home & Lawn Defense a call and we will inspect your irrigation system for you.

Follow these helpful tips and your landscape will get off to a good start for the upcoming Spring season.

The 2019 rainy season is in full swing. The drought injury that many lawns suffered in May is slowly beginning to recover with abundant soil moisture, as the afternoon rains re-hydrate affected areas. The air is humid, the temperature is at its peak, and daylight is lengthy. This combination allows for very fast growth of turfgrass and ornamental plants. This accelerated growth puts metabolic stress on plants as they use copious amounts of the nutrient reserves incorporated into the soil profile. As these nutrients are depleted, plants will show nutrient deficiency symptoms and may even render these plants more sensitive to agronomic imbalances, making them weaker and more susceptible to drought, disease, and pest infestation. At TOTAL, we anticipate these deficiencies and treat accordingly to keep your grass and ornamental plants from regressing nutritionally.

Daylight being longest and temperatures at their peak, plants will lose water at maximum rate. Potassium is an important element for plants to efficiently regulate moisture. Plants lose water through evapotranspiration; stomata in the leaves open and close continuously, allowing water to escape from the leaf internal structure and vaporizing into the air. Stomata of potassium-deficient plants will not work correctly, much like a rusty faucet not fully closing properly and allowing for water to leak. Potassium deficiency renders plants more susceptible to drought injury. Conversely, plants with abundant potassium conserve water which require less frequent watering, and will show more vibrant, healthy vegetative growth.

Insects are at the peak of their metabolic state. They are consuming food (and damaging turf and ornamental plants) at their fastest rate this time of year. Chinch bugs, sod webworms, army worms, caterpillars, thrips, and many other outdoor pests will damage landscaping quickly. This is the time to have a forcefield of protection in place around your property to protect it from pest damage.

Don't let the frequent rains give you a false sense of security when it comes to watering your landscape. Unless you are at home to witness and "time" the afternoon rain events, leave your irrigation controller alone! Don't turn off your irrigation system at home because it is raining every day at work. Summer rains cover a small percentage of the total land mass of the Florida Peninsula. It may rain at work but not a drop of water on your home lawn. Moreover, rain must be of long enough duration to apply a sufficient amount of water to maintain healthy turfgrass. The usual 5 or 10 minute afternoon episode really doesn't amount to much water reaching to proper hydration depth.

The other important concept to understand is that much of the soil composition in the Central Florida area inherit very high percolation rates. Sandy soils do not hold water very long and absorb heat easily. It doesn't matter how many days in a row it may have rained previously. By the 3rd or 4th day without rain, turfgrass will begin to show drought stress and will require supplemental irrigation.

Be sure to check your irrigation controller so the frequency corresponds with the Summertime watering cycle. Your system should be watering twice per week this time of year and applying the necessary 3/4" to 1" of water per application. However, let the lawn tell you when it needs to be watered. When grass needs water it will show these symptoms:

     - Grass will have a bluish / grey appearance in color rather than dark green.

     - The leaves will point straight up and fold in half lengthwise along the midrib (the vein in the middle of the leaf). 

     - The grass will show footstep compression long after it was stepped on.

When any of these symptoms are observed, it is time to apply 3/4" to 1" of water.

If rain is scarce in your area, you may continue to see drought areas developing on your lawn. These are areas where your irrigation pattern doesn't apply the necessary water amount to keep the grass from wilting. You will need to water these areas by hand until rain re-hydrates the soil at these areas or you make adjustments to your irrigation zone to cover the area(s) more uniformly.

Irrigation systems cannot achieve 100% efficiency in water uniformity. The best you can hope for is about 80%, and most standard systems max out at about 65% efficiency, but you can certainly make changes to minimize the drought spots. Total Home & Lawn Defense can help adjust, reposition, or add irrigation heads to provide more uniform coverage. We will perform an initial free inspection to review your entire irrigation system and identify any "gaps" in coverage. Let us know if we can help you.