Essential Tips for Florida Lawns and Gardens in February
Essential Tips
Just because the temperature is still a little low doesn’t mean you can’t give your lawn and garden some Valentine’s love in February! Are you looking to get an early start before the arrival of the next growing season? Here are some of our essential February lawn and garden tips that all Florida home and business owners will appreciate.
Lawn Tips
- Watering
It’s important to give your lawn a uniform ¾ inch of water every 10 to 14 days. For the best results, you should always water in the early morning hours before 8:00 a.m. while keeping in mind any local watering regulations (e.g. designated watering days).
- Fertilizing
February is a bit early to fertilize your warm-weather grasses for various reasons, including poor iron and potassium uptake in colder soil that may result in an uneven absorption of fertilizer nutrients. By fertilizing too soon, it may result in visible yellow patches, discolorations, and uneven growth. Therefore, it’s best to wait until April before fertilizing for the first time.
- Weeding
Taking a break from the usual activities of mowing and fertilizing and focusing on ridding your lawn of weeds and pests is extremely important in guaranteeing a continuous healthy lawn. February is a great time to apply pre-emergent herbicides to your lawn as long as it is predicted to rain within the 7 days following the application of herbicides.
Common Pests and Disease
Inspecting for common pests, such as chinch bugs and beetle larvae in February is also another important foundational step in preparing for the new year. If you discover signs of infestation, you should immediately contact a reputable local pest control company. Pest prevention is the most effective method in mitigating pest damage on your property, but once pests are there, early identification and proper treatment are the only things that will save your lawn.
Lawn diseases are similar to pests in understanding that prevention is the best method, but once a disease has been established, only early and effective treatments will work. If not caught early, chinch bugs, grub worms, webworms, fire ants, mole crickets, and whiteflies are all common winter lawn pests in Florida as they can cause serious lawn damage. If you notice any signs of these pests, contact a local lawn care company immediately to prevent further damage.
General Gardening Tips
February is a busy time of year for home gardeners as it is finally time to plant, prune, and fertilize your way to summer garden glory. We recommend that you follow our list of gardening essentials this month as you prepare for the next growing season:
- Fertilize citrus trees and plants
- Plant new roses
- Prune and fertilize existing roses
- Add compost to flower beds
- Sow vegetables indoors (e.g. arugula, beans, beets, cantaloupes, Chinese cabbage, cucumbers, kohlrabi, okra, peppers, Southern peas, spinach, squash, sweet corn, Swiss chard, and watermelon)
- Plant vegetables – (e.g. arugula, beans, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cantaloupes, carrots, cauliflower, celery, Chinese cabbage, collards, cucumbers, eggplant, endive/escarole, English/snow/sugar snap peas, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, okra, bunching onions, peppers, potatoes (Irish and sweet), radish, Southern peas, spinach, squash, sweet corn, Swiss chard, tomatoes, turnips, and watermelons)
- Plant herbs – (e.g. basil, oregano, chives (both onion and garlic), dill, fennel, parsley, sweet marjoram, mint, sage, and thyme)
- Plant flowers – (e.g. ageratum, Amaranthus, agapanthus, amaryllis, caladium, canna, celosia, coleus, coreopsis, cosmos, crinum lily, crocosmia, Dahlberg daisy, dahlia, blanket flower, gomphrena, hurricane, inpatients, lisianthus, marigolds, Melampodium, portulaca, rain lily, spider lily, blue salvia, red salvia, sunflower, vinca, and zinnia)
As you can see, February is a golden opportunity to lay the foundation for your garden. It’s important to have a plan as to which veggies, herbs, and flowers you plan to tend to. Additionally, it gives you the opportunity to think about which herbs and vegetables you hope to cook with often for maximum utility. Picking flowers in a variety of different colors will also help eliminate gaps in your flower bed and give it a fuller, more luxurious appearance.
Lawn, Palm, and Garden Care in Tampa Bay
For the very best lawn care, palm care, and landscaping in the Tampa Bay area, call Oasis Palms & Landscaping at (813) 370-1135 or contact us online to schedule a free estimate. We’ve helped property owners all over the central Gulf coast and have proven results in boosting their curb appeal and keeping their lawns healthy. Let experts at Oasis Palms & Landscaping help you achieve the lawn of your dreams today!