June:

1. Fruits and Citrus

Watch for pests, mainly whitefly and aphids. If infected, you can treat with a malathion oil and follow the directions on the label.  It’s VERY IMPORTANT to make sure you apply this product at dusk or out of a direct sun exposure because the oil will burn the leaves.  Fertilize with a slow release that contains the three macroelements (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) as well as the microelements.

2. Ornamentals

You can fertilize all your ornamental plants during this month.  We recommend using a general Plant Tone or feel free to use a Palm Tone that will contain more of the micro-elements which plants do need from time to time.  Watch for any pests – it is summer and they are out there, so treat as necessary.  Prune when needed.

3. Lawn

Apply a “summer fertilizer” to the lawn at this time – anything with a slow release nitrogen will work.  Just be cautious of products with a weed control because of the heat.  The overall temperature in the summer can be too hot for those kinds of chemicals.  However, you can use fertilizers with a pesticide or treat with a Bug Blaster separate from the fertilizer application.  Feel free to bump your watering schedule to three times a week on the lawn.  Be mindful of the rainfall totals, too much water equals rot!

4. Palms

Now is a good time to fertilize with a Palm Tone.  All palms should have flushed out new fronds, even if they were affected by a cold snap or frost.  Feel free to remove any discolored fronds.

July:

1. Fruits and Citrus

Just prune when needed and keep an eye out for any pests.  Treat as needed.

2. Ornamentals

If you missed the chance to fertilize in June, you are more than welcome to do so during July.  If any pruning is done, go light, nothing too heavy.

3. Lawn

Summer has really set in by now, so it is hot and humid which equals disease and pests.  Get out there weekly if you can and just take a look around the yard and see if you can find anything that may look like a disease or pest issue.  If so, treat as needed.  A good tip to help reduce some fungal issues is to be sure your mower blades are kept sharp.  Dull blades don’t cut grass, but tear and shred it instead.

4. Palms

Simply keep up with any necessary pruning.

August

1. Fruits and Citrus

Keep an eye out for any nutrient deficiencies, which you can easily solve with a fertilization.  Also watch for any pest issues, particularly sucking pests.  You can treat with an organic systemic insecticide – follow the directions on the label.

2. Ornamentals

Check weekly for any pests in the landscape and treat only as needed.  If you do see some yellowing in leaves, it is alright.  It’s summer, so a lot of rain, heat and humidity can do that to plants.

3. Lawn

Make sure you keep on top of a regular watering schedule of two to three times a week and sharpened mower blades. A lawn in poor condition can increase your chance of disease and pest problems.  You can fertilize if you want, but if it isn’t necessary, you’re best not to.  Fertilizer will simply make your lawn grow even quicker and need to be cut every few days.

4. Palms

You can do another fertilization if you desire.  Use a Palm Tone to ensure you are getting the micro-nutrients necessary for the palm to remain healthy.  One common problem in Florida with palms is a magnesium deficiency.  It will start in the older leaves and will progress to the newer growth through time.  The leaf margins will yellow, while the centers will remain destinctly green.  Fortunately, this is an easy treatment – simply apply an epsom salt once per month until all leaves appear normal once again.

Tip 1: Clear your yard.
It is important to reduce the amount of outside objects that could potentially fly around and cause damage. This includes any lawn ornaments, flags, toys, and anything else lying around unsecured. Once you’ve removed those items you can now focus on preparing your plants, flowers, and trees.

Tip 2: Check your trees.
To avoid wind damage, trim any loose, broken, or weak branches from trees. It would be more beneficial to trim trees down to standing sticks that stay rooted, than to keep fuller trees that are more likely to be uprooted by the wind.

Tip 3: Bring plants indoors.
Bring any plants you can indoors to protect them from wind damage. If you are unable to move plants indoors due to size, try to move your plants as close to the house as possible.

Tip 4: Wrap certain trees in blankets or landscape clothes.
The idea is to avoid an uprooted plant, regardless if some minor damage such as broken limbs occurs. Remember not to use plastic in doing so and collect cuttings from unremovable plants.

Tip 5: Provide your yard with adequate drainage.
Obviously heavy rains accompany the winds, and flooding is as much of a problem as wind damage.  In order to avoid flooding, it may be necessary to provide a dry ditch (possibly filled with rocks) to collect the excess water.

If you follow these easy tips, it can save you the time, money, and hassle of dealing with problems later.  Remember, for all your prevention and maintenance products, visit Palmer’s Garden!

To help you get started, follow these simple steps:

Step One: Conduct Your Research

First, it’s important to find what butterflies are native to your area, and make a list of all the different kinds you would like to attract.  From there, determine which plants and flowers the butterflies lay their eggs on, and on which their larvae (caterpillars) feed.  It is important to include host plants for the caterpillars’ homes, and nectar plants for the butterflies to feed.  For example, the Painted Lady butterfly larvae prefer sunflowers as the host plants, and the butterfly bush as their source of nectar.  Note that butterflies tend to look for sources of food by color, size, shape and fragrance – all important when choosing your flowers.

Step Two: Choose Your Location

Do not get discouraged if you lack a garden of your own, or even a backyard.  A butterfly garden can be any size ranging from a small window box to an area of your property.  Here are a few necessary tips in choosing your site:

1)  Choose a large, open, sunny area.  Butterflies tend to be more active in the sun!

2)  Make sure the area is protected from the wind.  If this is impossible, determine which direction the wind generally comes from and plant windbreakers such as shrubby nectar and food plants.  Other examples include small fences and even large rocks.

3)  Keep in mind the estimated full growth of your plants.  The area should be large enough, and also allow the plants to receive enough light and water.

All of this could require some planning on paper, but get creative!

Step Three: Cultivate Your Soil

Once you have designed your layout and purchased the seeds necessary to start your garden, the next step is to plant them.  Constructing the garden will vary, depending on how much work needs to be completed before preparing your fresh plot of soil.  Make sure the soil is loose enough to softly crumble in your hands, then rake it lightly, and scatter the seeds evenly throughout.  If necessary, eliminate any weeds from the area, and always remember to water the area daily until the seeds germinate and the plants are well established.

Step Four: Create Mud Puddle Areas

Since butterflies can’t drink from open water, permanent puddles are also an important addition to your garden.  One way to create these is to bury a bucket to the rim and fill it with gravel or sand.  Then, pour liquids such as stale beer, sweet drinks, or even water inside.  Finally add some twigs or rocks on top for perches.  If your area is too small for this, a small pan filled with mud will do just fine.

Additional Tips:

1)  Add some garden accessories, such as a butterfly house, which has slots to keep birds out, and also protects the butterflies from the wind.

2)  Offer additional sources of nectar to supplement your flowers.

3)  Avoid the use of pesticides – this one’s a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many gardeners overlook this simple step.

With the right conditions and care, butterfly gardens are fairly easy to grow, but be patient.  It usually takes a few weeks for the butterflies to appear.

Happy Gardening!

First-time gardeners having various reasons and motives for cultivating an edible garden.  Some are looking to help the environment – growing your own food actually helps to reduce our contributions to climate change and has been shown to be more water efficient than broadscale agriculture.  Others are trying to practice healthier eating habits, as homegrown foods are typically far more nutritious than their grocery-store counterparts.  Still some people are just trying to save a few dollars – $500 and more per year for a typical family with an average-sized garden.

In order to start your own edible garden, it’s first beneficial to know what grows well and fairly easily in your region and climate – click this link for a full list of edibles that grow in Florida.  Just as important as knowing what to plant is knowing when to plant it.  Flower, plant, and crop planting times should be spaced out accordingly for successful growth.  Onions, peas, zucchini squash, and beets are easy growing crops and can be planted early in the growing season.  Crops like tomatoes and peppers need more planning and may be more delicate.  Ideally, you should plant your tomatoes, squash, beans and watermelon, after any possible frost has passed.  Other commonly grown crops and herbs include: leaf lettuce, eggplant, cucumbers, cilantro, basil, mint, and tricolor sage.  Fruits are also fun to include in to your edible garden – berries are common and only take one season to produce fruit, versus many tree fruits that can take several years to produce.

Not content with the usual fruits and vegetables?  Add a twist to your garden with edible flowers.  Flowers like Calendula, also known as Marigolds are great flowers that range in taste.  Some are spicy while others are a bit tangy.  Carnations on the other hand are sweet and can be used as cake decorations or mixed in to salads.  Other edible flowers include: Cornflowers, Dandelions, Day Lilies, Banana Blossoms, and many others.  Keep in mind to never consume flowers from florists, nurseries, or garden centers as the might contain pesticides.

Since we all like to be ecologically-friendly, we will be using organic fertilizers for all ornamental plants, palms, fruits and citrus.  For the ornamental plants, you can use either a regular plant tone or a palm tone.  The difference in the two is that the palm tone contains micro elements that the plant tone does not, giving the plants extra nutrients they will need from time to time.  The palm tone can then be used for palms, fruits and citrus. This allows you to use one fertilizer for all plants in the landscape.

Finally, we need to address the turf.  Most of the lawns in Central Florida have some variety of St. Augustine grass, which does best when fertilizer, weed agents, and pesticides are applied at separate times.  Start with a slow release N fertilizer, such as Milorganite.  Follow the instructions as listed on the back of the bag for application instructions – a 10 lb bag should cover about 6,000 sq. ft.  Then, wait two weeks and apply a liquid pesticide treatment.  Two weeks later, apply your weed agent.  It is important to give these intervals of time between applications to prevent any burning to the turf.  Ideally, all applications should be completed by early April.  You’ll want to begin transitioning your watering schedule from twice a week at the beginning of the month, to three times a week by the end of the month.

Remember, if you have any questions, visit our website or stop in our store.  Good luck and happy gardening!

Step One: Determine where you want your garden.
Ideally the perfect planting spot should receive 6-8 hrs of sunlight, have easy access to a hose for watering, and won’t catch too much wind. Don’t have a spot that meets all those requirements? Many gardeners don’t – picking the sunniest part of your yard will due just fine!

Step Two: Decide what method you’re using for growing.
Some gardeners prefer containers or raised beds while others enjoy the traditional garden bed dug into the soil. When gardening with containers, soil conditions won’t be an issue. If you’re gardening in raised beds, all grass and weeds will need to be cleared from the area. With a traditional garden, it’s important to dig an ample-sized hole and perform the following, simple soil tests:

1. The squeeze test will determine the type of soil you have. This can be done by taking a handful of moist soil and squeezing it together in your hand. When you open it, your soil will do one of three things. Ideally, you would like your hand-filled soil to crumble when poked. But, it might keep it’s form even after being poked, indicating hard soil or fall apart when you open your hand indicating sandy soil.

2. The percolation test will show any drainage problems you might have. This can simply be done by digging a hole, filling it with water, and keeping track of how long it takes to drain.

3. The worm test helps determine how healthy your soil is. Dig a whole one foot across and one foot deep and search for earthworms. If at least ten earthworms are found then you’re in good shape, if not the soil could be too acidic or alkaline.

4. The Ph test will also determine acidity levels. Don’t like the idea of digging for worms or just want a more accurate reading? Investing in a Ph test kit will provide accurate results without the mess.  Ph test kits are available at Palmer’s.

Step Three: Decide what to grow.
Where you grow will ultimately decide what you grow. Stop in at Palmer’s and ask any of our staff what plants grow best in your location and climate. We’re happy to point you in the right direction!

Step Four: Determine the layout of your garden.
It’s important not to plant taller plants in a location that might potentially shade the shorter plants. Much of the rest of the layout is personal preference, but also keep in mind any fencing or wire that you’ll want to enclose your garden in. This can improve looks and helps keep critters from terrorizing all your hard work!

Step Five: Gather supplies
Make sure to have enough pots, buckets, and any other type of container when gardening with containers. With raised beds, wood, bricks, and any other items will most likely be needed. It’s probably a good idea to start ordering plants and seeds from catalogs now, so you’ll be all set in the spring. Then of course all the basics will be needed – tools like a spade, hand trowel, rake, watering can, and pruners should all be purchased ahead of time and be on hand.

Step Six: Plant and enjoy your garden!

For even more information on planting your garden, please join us at our “Under the Oak” class on March 20th.  We will discuss vegetable gardens, herb gardens, and composting.

Saturday, March 13th
CLEANING UP & CLIPPING BACK
Join Horticulturist and Plant Enthusiast Brian Bailey as we explore the proper techniques to pruning back the damaged and green foliage in your yard. Also, get an overview of how to fertilize and prepare your yard for the warm weather ahead.

Saturday, March 20th
*KICK-OFF CLASS*
VEGGIES, HERBS, & COMPOSTING TOO
Join Brian Bailey, Allison & Jeff Palmer and a few surprise guests as we cultivate the correct practices to design, prepare, plant & sustain the vegetables and herbs you use in your cooking. What a great organic class to get you on the right foot to growing your own garden…Heck, Obama does it!

Saturday, March 27th
EASTER BASKETS & SPRING CONTAINERS
Allison Palmer and Linda Matheny will guide you through the steps of creating elegant and beautiful Spring containers and fun, adorable Easter baskets for the Spring holiday ahead. At this session, you will gather a great knowledge of plants and colors as well as what to look for ahead.

Saturday, April 10th
LAWN MAINTENANCE & YARD FERTILIZATION
Robert Williams, our own Lawn Maintenance Director and Horticulturist will take you through this season and the ones to come, with a schedule of what to spray to keep the bugs at bay, when to clip, and what to feed your lawn and garden! This will turn that brownish thumb green again!

Saturday, April 24th
GROWING CITRUS & TREE AUCTION
Learn the ins and outs of where to grow citrus in your yard, how to care for it, and how to reap the best fruit imaginable! You will learn you how to properly grow 5 citrus on one tree and recommend citrus you can grow in containers on your patio. After the class, an auction will be held to sell the remaining trees (not citrus, unfortunately) hosted on property. Join us for a Saturday filled with Florida fun!

Saturday, May 8th
“DAD & ME” MAKING A MOTHER’S DAY BASKET
Allison Palmer invites Dads to bring your little one(s) for a fun morning of family memories. We will make Mom a beautiful flower basket that she can enjoy for a long time.  Homemade goodies and flowers? You have officially won a Mom’s heart…as if you hadn’t already!

Saturday, May 22nd
SUCCULENTS & OTHER COOL WATER-WISE PLANTS
Join Allison Palmer and Brain Bailey as we explore the cool and interesting world of succulents and other exciting water-wise plants! Once we’ve explained the plants themselves, we’ll provide ideas on making the most of your water-wise plants, from beautifully arranging them to cool container selection.

• Hand-water all plants everyday for the first 2 weeks (AT LEAST 15 seconds on each plant)
• Refer to the Tree Care Card for all trees 15″ and over
• Calibrate your sprinklers for each area by placing a tuna can on the ground. When it is full (1″) then you have given that area enough water. Please watch and make sure that all plants are being covered!!
• After hand-watering for 2 weeks, please set sprinklers for every other day for 2 weeks, then every three days for 3 weeks, then you can resume your regular irrigation schedule for your new plants (not including trees). If you notice wilt in between watering, check the soil-if it is dry then hand-water!
• All plants have been given a root stimulator and slow-release fertilizer. Please fertilize all shrubs, trees, and greenery 3 x’s per year:  Early Spring, Late Summer, and Mid Fall. Flowering perennials and annuals can be fed a higher phosphorus fertilizer every month, or as needed.
• Prune all plants in early spring (can cut up to 1/3 off). You can selectively prune throughout the year. Warning: Prune lightly in the summer when plants are under stress. Fall Pruning will not produce much new growth until spring!!
• Due to the amended soil, increased watering, and fertilizer.  HAND weeding will be necessary about 1 month after installation.
• If there are any concerns or questions regarding your new plants, please contact us immediately at 407-896-5951 or e-mail pictures to Allison at palmersgarden@aol.com

• It may take 6-24 months for your tree to become established. WATERING is the key to survival!
• Water should be applied directly to the root ball by slowly filling the basin around the tree.
• Water daily for the first 2 weeks | Every 2 days for the next 4-6 weeks | 2 times per week for the next 7-12 weeks | Once per week for next 1-2 years
• Use the root stimulator once every other week until the bottle is gone. Apply stimulator to well-watered root ball!