Gardening Is So Different Here!: Re: Re: Dilemmas of Florida landscaping

» FYNFAN - Re: Re: Dilemmas of Florida landscaping

In response to message posted by plantsandpots:

Kathy,
Thanks for the warm welcome! As a matter of fact, I hosted my tv show in Daytona Beach tonight with Carol Bennett, horticultural agent with St. John's county, who lives in St. Augustine.

Our sand is not bad, just different. It has its' pros: good drainage, lots of minerals, and it's easy to dig in - ever try and dig in rock or clay up North? You so appreciate our sand when you have to dig in it. Florida sugar sand (mostly Myakka in Central Florida) has its' cons: It doesn't hold onto moisture long, not much nutrient content or micro-organism activity, and the dreaded "Finding Nemotodes" which I think they recently made an animated cartoon movie about.

Roses do well in Florida and it's okay to plant them year-round. They are more maintenance than your average ornamental shrubs and natives but to me they are worth it to see the beautiful buds bloom and smell the fragrances of my Double Delights or Angel Faces. I have always grown roses here and had as many as 32 at one time. Roses will usually live between 10 to 15 years depending on the rootstock variety. Fortunianas do tend to withstand nemotodes longer.

To amend the soil, which I do recommend for new garden beds, you can incorporate 1 bag of top soil, 1 bag of peat moss, and 1 bag of manure to every 10 square feet of garden bed. A 20 lb. to 40 lb. bag will be just fine. Each year, in the winter (January) and in the fall (October) I work additional compost into garden beds if necessary. You will be able to look at your sand/soil and see if you need to add more or wait another season. Depending on your zone, the micro-organism activity and your fertilizer use - all of which will affect your soil and if you see earthworms, feel lucky - you already have your own compost maker. Amending the soil will allow your soil to hold onto moisture longer, add nutrients and beneficial organisms, which will reduce the need to fertilize, and aerates the soil. You will see your ornamental shrubs, trees and flowers thrive.

The amount of insects in Florida is not as bad as the zero-state growth population advocates would like you to believe. Only 3% of the insect world is bad and they don't all live in Florida - have you seen the size of mosquitos in Wisconsin? Only 1% of the insects in Florida are bad. Just think of it this way - just because it's ugly, doesn't make it bad. The bane of my existance though, are lubber grasshoppers (which I am nominating as state bird next year) and snails. Those two creatures are at the top of my list of manure memos to myself. The lubbers start hatching in March and April near bulbs, like amaryllis and crinum lilies. Spray with any insecticide for leaf-chewing creatures, like Sevin. You have to catch them when they are young, because when they are mature adults, the only two things that will kill them are - bricks!

The best way to control insect problems in Florida is to not overdo or underdo anything. Don't over water, over fertilize, don't under water, don't under fertilize. Don't pesticide your yard on a regular monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly basis and kill the beneficial predatory bugs that eat the bad bugs. And if there is not a bug problem...why put down pesticides? There is no bug preventative out there and every chemical you put on the landscape makes its' way into our ground and surface water. (Editor's Note: I am not addressing necessary termite pesticide treatments - just routine insectidal spraying of yards for no reason).

Well, I think I opened a can of worms with this message... but hey - earthworms are our friends!

I am in Orlando and you can hear my radio show on WLBE 790am on Tuesdays at 11:00am, coast to coast.

Future topics will be more on insect control, popular myths about Florida gardening, disease problems, easy-care flowers and shrubs, and lots more.

Thanks Kathy for writing,
Teresa
http://cfyn.ifas.ufl.edu

-- posted by FYNFAN