April 2020 We are a little ahead of schedule on fruiting plants. As soon as petals fall from the blooms begin treating for pest on highly pressured fruits like peaches. Fertilize woody plants including fruit trees according to your soil test results. Broadcast the fertilizer along the dripline of the plants. We have been dry for the past few weeks, you can begin regular/weekly irrigation of your lawns. Set timers to activate in the early morning hours and long enough to wet the soil down 4-6 inches. Aerify compacted soils. Fertilize St. Augustine, Bermuda, and Zoysia grasses according to soil test or with 24-6-12 at 4 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. or equivalent. Begin regular mowing of your lawns. Caution not to remove more than 1/3 of the turf height per mowing. Also resist mowing turf at tall heights. Tall dense canopies invite insects and diseases. Continue to plant turfgrass and keep it irrigated with frequent events and gradually reduce to once per week. Map areas where molecrickets are present and tunneling. You will treat these areas the end of June thru the summer. Apply a fire ant bait according to the label. Make sure the ground is dray and your need 2 hours without rain after application. Scout roses for insects and diseases and begin treatments at the first sign of either. Remove old flower heads to encourage continued performance. Continue to plant container grown plants into your landscape. Also, plant summer annuals. Now is the time to plant warm season vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, melons, corn, okra, eggplant, sweet potatoes, and various herbs. There’s and app for that! We have a free app to serve as a planting guide for vegetables and herbs. Enjoy the spring, Enjoy the outdoors! James March 10, 2020 “Good Morning All, Continue pruning activities. If you got a late start on pruning that’s ok, you can still get it done. You can plant bulbs and watch for annual bedding plants at your local garden center. Plant container plants that you held over the winter and continue planting dormant woody plants. With the warming trend scout for insects on the new growth that is starting to emerge. Service your tools and equipment: sharpen blades, shovels, hoes, etc. and change the oil in mowers, tillers and other power tools. Don’t forget to sit down and enjoy the floral show of your landscape, it will be going on for the next few weeks. “He who plows, hopes; he who fertilizes, begs; but he who prunes, demands.” February 17, 2020 “With the warm wet winter, our plants are blooming and performing out of sync. With that said don’t rush into landscape/gardening activities too soon. Now is perfect time to prune our fruit trees (except blueberries and blackberries) and most of our ornamentals (not azaleas, hydrangeas, and gardenias) Apply pre-emergent herbicide to turf areas for control of warm season weeds. Mow winter weeds before making application of pre-emergent to ensure product gets to the proper zone. Avoid weed & feed type products. Also, do not fertilize now. You can still plant Irish potatoes, sweet peas, leafy greens, and radishes. Start your warm season vegetables (tomatoes, pepper, etc.) seeds inside. If you plan on planting tomatoes, watermelons, and squash, apply lime to those areas now. Continue planting woody plants that are dormant.”