By Master Gardener Volunteer Lesley Arrandale
mail@floridanewsline.com
Since the January freezes, the weather has warmed up and we have had periods of lovely sunny weather. We are now in our historically dry season and rainfall has been minimal, but despite that, many of our early spring plants have been showing signs of regrowth. This has highlighted plants that were either damaged or died back to the ground, but not necessarily killed outright.
As always, it pays to be careful about how much trimming and pruning we do until our last average frost date has passed, but with our change in heat zone to 9b, and generally higher temperatures year on year, it’s harder to say when that is. Referring to NOAA’s data (https://tinyurl.com/y8vb9zc9) the average last freeze date in Jacksonville, calculated from data till 2020, was Feb. 25. After more recent winters, we can assume that the average date is now earlier; however, the local day-to-day weather forecast is our best resource.
Lawns that might previously have come through the cold season without suffering from a freeze may be looking dead, but most turf in northeast Florida will simply be dormant. When a lawn begins to show signs of life we can think about the spring application of fertilizer, but not before. A broad set of lawn care guidelines can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/zj2rtjmr. If you need more information, check out the “Florida Lawn Handbook” at the link in the article. And remember that master gardener volunteers are available each weekday, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., by calling (904) 255-7450 (or you can email them at duval@ifas.ufl.edu).
When growing summer annuals from seed, follow the advice on the seed packet. Right Plant Right Place applies to annuals too. Since they complete their life cycle in one short burst, the application of a slow-release fertilizer combined with a diluted liquid fertilizer as needed will supply the nutrients sometimes missing from our often-sandy soils. If you are creating a new bed, work a thin layer of organic matter such as home-made compost or a similar commercial product into the soil to help with moisture retention. Even drought-tolerant plants will benefit as long as the soil remains free draining. Remove spent flowers (dead head) to encourage more flowers. Replenish mulch as needed.
As spring temperatures rise, so will the number of insects, both good and bad. Aiming for a healthy ecosystem is the ideal way to balance the insects and bugs we find in our gardens. Some vegetables will attract aphids, but when the plants give off their chemical messages that they are in trouble — and they do! — beneficial insects like lady beetles and green lace wings will show up. Their larvae especially are voracious eaters, and those aphids will be gone, or decimated, in no time. But for your vegetables’ sake, don’t wait: at the first sign of aphids, use a hard spray of water to dislodge them, or simply squish them, which will keep them in check. The predatory insects will then be safe when they arrive to feed on the inevitable survivors.
Recently there have been some lovely birds in our neighborhood, painted buntings among them. I use the Merlin app, which identifies birds from their song. It’s been a real pleasure to discover more birds, and I’m beginning to recognize some of the less visible species from their songs. When birds are nesting and raising young, insect larvae are an important food source, so that’s another reason to be prudent when balancing insect populations. There are many reasons why some bird numbers are plummeting; unthinkingly depriving them of their food needn’t be one of them.
Check out “Landscaping Backyards for Wildlife: Top Ten Tips for Success” (https://tinyurl.com/mr3wn5cd). If you like a more relaxed approach to landscaping this may be for you. Native plants in the landscape also supply birds with food like berries, seeds, and the insects which are attracted to those plants. With insects as the foundation, the Xerces Society article found here: https://tinyurl.com/4xser3pk, coupled with your own research, perhaps, on the Florida Native Plant Society’s website (https://www.fnps.org/) can help you develop your own wildlife-friendly haven. Enjoy!
