Monthly Gardening Tips

October	November
December	January
February	March
April	May

September Gardening Tips

Fall is time to plant wildflower seeds, they will be available at our next meeting.
Start seeds of Cleome, Pansy, Snapdragon, Dianthus, Petunias, Verbena and Marigolds. All these plants do better if planted in the fall, you can also start them in a greenhouse.
Divide and replant Daylilies, Stokesia, Easter Lilies, Shasta Daisies, Cannas, Violets, Coneflowers, Mondo grass and Liriope.
Order spring bulbs now. Daffodils bulbs will be available at the Nov. meeting.
September is the best month to plant Amaryllis bulbs. Remember do not plant them too deep.
Fall is time to take softwood cuttings of Ruellia, Yellow Jasmine, Hibiscus and Rose Mallow.
Apply organic fertilizers to roses to encourage final flush of the year. Cut strong stems of roses facing outward to encourage new growth.
For dry arrangements pick Celosia, Gomphrena, Mexican Bush Sage, Goldenrod and plumes of ornamental grasses. We will have a program on drying flowers in March.
Plant container citrus trees now, but protect them from freezes through the winter.
Finish up fertilization by the end of the month for both bedding plants and lawns. Potassium (potash), the last number in the fertilizer ratio (10-10-10), is the element that gives plants cold hardiness. Your fall fertilizer should not have more nitrogen than potassium. Nitrogen is the first number listed in the ratio.

*“Simply Southern” a guide written by The Escambia Master Gardeners, has a complete section of tips for each month for North Florida.

October Gardening Tips

Dig up your Caladiums and dry for winter storage. If you leave them in the ground and we have a cold winter they can get damaged or die.
Collect seeds from Cleome, Cosmos, Sunflower, Zinnias and other annuals for next year.
Remove leaves from lawn to reduce problems, use as compost or around plants as mulch.
Ferns can be divided in the fall. Take cuttings from Confederate Rose, Angel Trumpets, Salvias and Clerodendrums.
Do not cut back shrubs, wait until spring to do major shaping, although you can prune out dead or diseased branches. Removing long Azaleas shoots will make them look better
Cut off dead flowers, divide and replant overgrown perennials.
It’s time to put herbicide on your lawn for certain broadleaf weeds– Chickweed, dandelion, Wild Onion and Plantain.
Time to refrigerate Tulips and Hyacinth bulbs for 6 to 8 weeks before planting. Be sure to keep them away from other fruit and vegetables (they give off gases that can retard blooms).

November Gardening Tips

There is still time to plant wildflower seeds thru late December. Our Florida native ecotypes will perform the best. Seeds are available through Wildflowers Matter( 859-0096)
Coreopsis, Black-Eyed Susans, Blanket Flower, Phlox, Coneflower and Standing Cypress
Plants and lawns, though not actively growing still need water every couple weeks if the weather is very dry.
Tender plants will withstand a freeze better when well watered
Prepare beds for winter annuals by adding compost or other decomposed amendments.
Apply the appropriate herbicide to turf . Weeds such as chickweed and annual bluegrass begin to germinate now.
Remember to water around the root balls of newly planted shrubs for the first several weeks.
If scale appears on Hollies, Cleyera, Camellia, Ligustrium and Indian Hawthorn and spray with horticultural oil.
Your houseplants may need to be moved from areas that are exposed to cold weather drafts.
Move tender plants indoors. Do not try to lift heavy pots by yourself, ask a friend to help.
You still have time to overseed your lawn with annual ryegrass if desire until mid-month
Remember that indoor plants will need less water as the days grow shorter. Let the soil dry out to an inch deep and then water thoroughly. Fertilization should be reduced by half through the winter months. Misting them will help raise the humidity and make them happier.

December Gardening Tips

Mulch around your plants with pinestraw to protect them from the cold.
Water your plants when a freeze is predicted (before the freeze).
If it is not possible to bring potted plants inside, group them together under an evergreen and mulch around them and over the roots with pinestraw.
Time to prune Abelia, Boxwood, Arborvitae, Beautyberry, Eleagnus, Rose of Sharon, summer blooming Hydrangea, Ligustrum, Yews and Junipers
Plant Pansies, Petunias, Snapdragons, Cabbage, Dianthus, Nemesia, Sweet Williams

January Gardening Tips

January through March is the time to prune your grape vines
This is the best time to plant trees, Florida native trees are always the best choice !
Get off to a good start by watering the trees for the first 6 months to a year.
This is a good time to move dormant shrubs and trees
Start pruning trees and shrubs that do not flower in spring. Crape Myrtles should be pruned to open up the center, this improves air circulation and emphasizing the structural beauty of the tree. DO NOT LOP Off THE TOP. This is the time to prune fruit trees and open up the center to allow the sun to reach the fruit later in the year.
Using more perennials in your beds that return each year make gardening easier.
Time to plant Hollyhocks, Foxglove, Dianthus, Phlox, Agapanthus, Amaryllis, African Lilies, Aztec Lilies, Calla Lilies and Crinum Lilies.
This is a good time to add bird houses to your yard so they can weather before spring
Hollies, Yaupons, Pyracantha and Beautyberries have berries now for the birds.
If you don’t have any you may consider adding some to your yard now.
Keep water out for the birds and feeders are gladly welcomed by your feathered friends at this time of year.

February Gardening Tips

This is a good time to plant or transplant shrubs and trees while they a still part dormant.
Fertilize Camellias, fruit trees, shrubs, vines and groundcovers towards the end of the month. Remember to fertilize your Pecan trees with a fertilizer that has zinc in it.
If you stagger your planting of Gladioli over several weeks from now until mid-March they will bloom over a period of three months.
Water evergreen plants thoroughly when a sudden freeze is predicted.
This is a good time to add organic matter and fertilizer to your flower and vegetable beds, turn the top 6 to 8 inches of soil.
It’s time to prune hardy shrubs and trees that do not bloom in the spring. Flowering shrubs that bloom on new wood need shaping before growth starts. ( Abelia, Arborvitae, Beautyberry, Eleagnus, Gardenia, Althea, summer Hydrangea, summer Spirea, Sumac, Japanese Keria, Butterfly Bush and Yew).
February 14th is The Rose Society day for pruning roses. Reduce size by 1/2 to 2/3, eliminating all crossing canes and dead diseased wood.
Remember Jan. – March is time to prune your grape vines.
DO NOT prune Azaleas, Oak Leaf Hydrangeas, Forsythia and spring blooming Spirea. They set their buds in fall, many blooms will be lost if you prune before they bloom.

March Gardening Tips

Replace high maintenance plants with ones that require less work. Florida native plants are always a good choice!
Fertilize Azaleas, camellias and other acid loving plants with fertilizer labeled for Azaleas or acid type fertilizer or compost. Remember regular fertilizer will damage Azalea roots.
Prune Azaleas when they finish blooming.
Fertilize palm and Sagos with special fertilizer for palms that contains magnesium.
Let your Paperwhites and Daffodils die back naturally the foliage should be almost a brown color before you cut them down. This allows the bulb to build energy for next years blooms.
When your lawn starts to green up at the end of the month apply a slow release fertilizer.
Trim ornamental grasses to about 12” and fertilize lightly. Do not cut the growing points off.
Rejuvenate your Liriope ( Monkey Grass) and Aztec grass by cutting with the highest blade setting on your mower. Do not cut too close or you may kill it. Fertilize and water.
DO NOT PUT YOUR TENDER BEDDING PLANTS OUT YET...We usually have another damaging freeze before Easter.
Nights should be a above 55 degrees before you plant your caladiums.

April Gardening Tips

Remember to prune your spring blooming shrubs after they bloom.
Spring is a good time to make more plants by using softwood cuttings of woody varieties.
Time to feed bulbs that flower in the spring as long as they have green foliage
Divide and or transplant overcrowded perennials and reseeded flowers. If you leave them too crowded they will not do as well, I know it’s hard to thin them out when they look so small, but DO IT ! You will be glad a month from now when they start getting bigger.
Use mulch around your plants to keep your soil from drying out as fast. Mulch also helps retard weed growth. Pinestraw is an excellent choice for our area.
Knee cushions are really helpful, they now have gel pad cushions available. Spades with sharp points instead of rounded edges are much more efficient when digging. Padded handles are easier on your hands.
Gardening for 30 to 40 minutes a day has health benefits.
It’s time to plant your annuals for color.
Plant Caladiums very shallow with growing tips right under the surface. Use lots of organics , they love mushroom mulch.

May Gardening Tips

If you haven't pruned your Azaleas and spring flowering shrubs do it soon. If you wait much longer you will cut off the bud formation tips for next year.
Deadheading your flowers will make them look nicer and encourage more blooms. Your roses need to be deadheaded too.
Daylilies are at their best now. Watch for Daylily Rust and spray if diseased.
Your lawn will be healthier if you mow at the right height, not too short. The clippings actually are good for your lawn o\if they are not too thick, They willl decompose and become food for your grass.
This is a good time of year to add more Lilies, Gingers and Caladiums to your yard.
Coleus grows well at this time of year. Do not let them dry out. Some varieties will tolerate full sun. Most do best in shade or part shade. Coleus are not cold tolerant, you must take cuttings before the frost. They are easy to overwinter in a jar of water. Then just plant again the following spring.
These tips are just a sample of what you’ll find in the “Simply Southern” Garden Guide written by The Escambia Master Gardeners.