To Everything There Is A Season

Details

Created on Monday, 10 September 2012 11:20

Florida lawn care scheduling, to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven, Ecclesiastes reminds us: a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.

Because of the mild weather, Floridians can enjoy their lawns and gardens all year long. However, year-long gardening also means year-long maintenance. Each season comes with its own list of chores necessary for a healthy and beautiful lawn and garden.

Fall

     From September through November, vegetable gardeners need to harvest the last of the sweet potatoes and okra from the summer planting, prepare the soil for the fall planting and plant bush beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, radishes, summer squash, tomatoes and turnips.  Clean up any damage in the landscaping from summer storms and replant flower beds with begonias, impatiens, salvia, marigold, verbena and zinnia.  Check for pests and disease in landscape plants and treat as necessary.  Sod or plug new lawns and apply a complete fertilizer to the established lawn turf.  As summer rains begin to taper off, mow just to maintain a healthy turf height.  Sharpen mower blades and change the oil in gas-powered mowers.

Winter

    From December through February, root crops reign in the vegetable garden.  After harvesting the fall vegetables, plant beets, carrots, potatoes, radishes and turnips along with broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, lettuce and spinach.  Apply mulch throughout the landscaping to help conserve water.  Check for pests and disease in landscape plants and treat as necessary. Cover tropical plants or move indoors if possible during extra cold nights.  Over-seed damaged lawns with rye grass.  Spot kill winter weeds.  Less rain in the winter means less growth of lawn grass and less mowing.  Drain the gas tanks of idle equipment and lubricate engines.

Spring

    From March through May, gardeners will be bringing in the harvest and cleaning up the vegetable garden.  Okra, sweet potato slips and Southern peas are planted by the end of April through the month of May.  Tropical plants are returned to the landscape.  Wait until May to remove winter damage from landscape plants in order to give the plants time to recover.  Check for pests and disease in landscape plants and treat as necessary.  Rake browned out areas from winter-damaged lawns.  Seed, plug or sod bare areas as needed.  Apply appropriate fertilizers to all lawn and garden areas.  Sharpen mower blades and change the oil and filters of gas-powered mowers.

Summer

    From June through August, vegetable gardeners will be harvesting okra, sweet potatoes and southern peas, preparing the soil and starting seedling indoors for the fall garden.  Prune landscaping plants and check for pests and disease.  Treat as necessary.  Apply bait for mole crickets in the lawn and check for chinch bugs and sod webworms.  Mow lawns often, but leave the clipping to return nutrients back into the grass.  Use an iron-only fertilizer to re-green yellow spots in the lawn.  Sharpen lawnmower blades and change oil and filters of gas-powered equipment by the end of the season.

    Remember that you can always call your professional lawn care technicians and have them do what they do best so that you can enjoy your lawns instead of working on them.  No matter what season you are in, remember that all seasons pass and new seasons begin.  Remember to glorify God in each and you will be truly blessed.