florida gardening tips + resources
this month’s gardening tips
Each month we remind you what to do, what to plant, and how to enjoy your central east coast Florida garden…

February Spotlight
Herbs and vegetables to plant now include: basil, beans, carrots, celery, chives, colladrds, sunscape daisy, verbena, and violas, corn, cucumbers, dill, eggplant, lemon balm, lettuce, marjoram, mint, mustards, onions, oregano, parsley, peppers, radishes, rosemary, sage, squash, tarragon, and tomatoes.
Annuals and perennials to plant now include: alyssum, African iris, agapanthus, begonias, cosmos, dahlia, dusty miller, geraniums, gerbera daisy, lobelia, marigold, nasturtium, petunias, marguerite daisy, salvia, snapdragon.
February is an important month for citrus care. Fertilize with Sunniland Citrus Fertilizer toward the end of the month. Spray foliage with Genisys, Citrus Scripts Nutritional Spray and Liquid Copper Fungicide before blossoms appear to provide essential minor elements, boost the immune system, and to keep fungal problems from developing (all can be sprayed together!).
Maxicrop Liquid Seaweed can also be added to further enhance the health of the plant.
Amend your spring garden beds with organic materials such as compost, soil conditioner, or manure.
Prune and fertilize your roses. It’s also a great time to plant new roses. Plan to attend our rose seminar on February 7th.
If you haven’t already pruned your crape myrtles, do it now before new leaves appear in March. Be sure to remove all dried seeds and wispy growth.
Prune the tips of azaleas and camellias soon after they flower, to promote fullness.
Apply crabgrass preventer in mid-February to keep seeds from sprouting. This is also a great time to kill existing weeds in your lawn. We highly recommend Dollar Weed Control for all lawns except those made up of Bahia grass.
Fertilize shrubs with Espoma Plant-tone or Holly-tone (for acid-loving plants).
Replant your container gardens.
Prune all shrubs, including tropicals, toward the end of the month.
plant care info sheets
Here’s a sampling of our free plant care info sheets. Stop by to pick up others! Please note that these are specifically geared to Brevard County growing conditions, zones 9 & 10.
gardening resources

New Planting Guide — Proper planting is essential for healthy plants and their survival! Follow these steps to ensure the success of your new plants.
Florida Gardening — Florida Nursery Growers & Landscape Association website developed with the homeowner in mind. Full of useful information for growing in Florida, with plant data and fun facts.
Think Green, Live Green brochure about how interior plants can remove toxins from indoor air. Available as a brochure with photos, or a text version.
Florida-friendly Landscaping — website full of useful information about eco-friendly gardening in Florida, including landscaping with native plants and plants requiring little irrigation or fertilizer, and gardening to attract wildlife. And The Florida-Friendly Landscaping Guide to Plant Selection and Landscape Design.
Buglady Consulting — This popular consultant to nurseries has created a page especially for homeowners about “good guy” and “bad guy” bugs.
Espoma — The website of this supplier of natural gardening solutions has useful information about feeding and caring for plants.
University of Florida’s “Solutions for Your Life” — Practical information about lawns and gardens, the environment and sustainable living, and personal health and safety.
The American Orchid Society website is full of great info on growing orchids, including orchid basics and a large selection of culture sheets.Leu Gardens — One of the nicest botanical gardens in the country, right in our own backyard, in Orlando!
McKee Botanical Garden is a 18-acre subtropical jungle hammock in Vero Beach, with a dense and diverse plant collection and restored architectural treasures.
Blog the Beach is a fun and info-packed blog about Florida’s beautiful beaches.
A couple of fun Facebook pages about Florida: “Old Florida”; “Authentic Florida”