Expert Gardening Answers

See: This month’s gardening tips | Answers to our customers’ most frequent questions | links to other helpful Florida gardening resources | Rockledge Gardens plant-care information

What to do in your garden in May

As the days get longer and the sun gets more intense, consider replanting your container gardens with more heat-tolerant plants. You can also move your containers to partial shade to prolong the life of your spring flowers.
Apply corn gluten to control weed growth in your lawn and garden. Corn gluten provides a source of slow release nitrogen while preventing weed seeds from germinating.
When you dead-head your perennials, toss the seed heads into the flower bed. Many of these seeds will germinate, and these second-generation perennials are sturdier and well-acclimated to your garden.
Clean the air in your home with house plants. Some of the best houseplants for air purification are pothos, spathiphyllum, dracaena, and chamadorea palms.
It’s time for late spring fertilizing. Use “tone” fertlizer products, which are organic-based plant foods that won’t burn, even in these warmer months.
Annual and perennials to plant now include ageratum, bulbine, bush daisies, begonias, caladiums, coleus, cloreopsis, cosmos, dahlberg daisies, dune sunflowers, gaillardia, gazania daisies, pentas, salvias, vinca, and zinnias.
Herbs and vegetables to plant now include basil, black-eyed peas, cherry tomatoes, chives, mint, okra, parsley, peppers, and rosemary.

Frequently asked questions at Rockledge Gardens

Q. What is that black stuff on the leaves of my gardenia (or citrus, shrubs, etc.)?

A. That’s likely to be sooty mold — a black, powdery-looking substance that grows on the secretion of insects (known as “honeydew”). This secretion can be left by aphids, mealy bugs or scale and the cure is to control the insect. If you don’t see the insect on the affected plant, take a look above the plant as it could be that the insects are present on a plant above. Treat the infested plant with a horticultural oil spray, such as All-Season Oil Spray or Organacide or Insectidical Soap.

Q. Should I fertilize when I first plant?

A. It really depends on what you plan to fertilize with. Synthetic granular fertilizers can cause root burn to new transplants. A natural, slow-released fertilizer, such as Espoma brand, can be used with success at the time of planting. “Dynamite” is also safe to use at planting time.

Q. Why are my palm fronds yellowing and looking “frizzy”?

A. Palms are very heavy feeders, especially in our sandy Florida soils. It’s important to put them on a regular fertilizing schedule of every two months if you’re using a granular fertilizer. We recommend Leonard’s 11-4-11, since it’s a slow-released fertilizer with all of the micro-nutrients that palms require. Sierra blend Osmocote is also quite effective on palms and lasts up to six months.

Q. What is the best time of year to grow vegetables in Florida?

A. We have two main planting seasons for veggies in Florida — fall and spring. Most vegetables thrive during these months. There are also several cool-season veggies that carry through the winter, including lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and many herbs. One of the most important factors in good crop production is the addition of plenty of organic matter (such as compost or cow manure) at the time of planting.

Q. How far apart should I plant my plants?

A. Spacing of plants should be determined by the mature growth of the particular plant, as well as the effect that you are trying to obtain. If you are aiming for solid coverage, such as in a hedge, most shrubs should be planted 3 to 4 feet apart. Annuals and perennials can be planted much closer to give a full, solid mass of color (12 to 18 inches apart). Trees, on the other hand, need a lot of room for root development and canopy growth. Depending on the type of tree, a general rule would be approximately 20 feet apart. Keep in mind that crowded plants, including rose bushes, are more likely to develop insect and disease problems.

Q. One of my queen palms has died rather suddenly. The lowest fronds turned brown first and within a few weeks the entire palm was dead. What killed it, and what can I do to keep my other palms healthy?

A. The symptoms you describe are those of a new disease called “Fusarium decline.” This is a fungus disease that kills primarily queen palms, but occasionally also kills Washingtonia palms. There is no chemical cure or prevention for this disease; infected palms always die. Since this is a new disease there is still much about it that is unknown, such as how it is spread. The current recommendations of the University of Florida scientists who are studying this disease are: Do not plant another palm, especially a queen palm, where one has died. In addition, after pruning a palm, especially queen palm, sterilize your pruning tools by soaking them in a 25% bleach solution for 5 minutes before pruning the next palm. Remove dead palms as quickly and completely as possible.

Helpful Florida gardening resources

Florida Gardening — Florida Nursery and Grower’s Association website, developed with the homeowner in mind. Full of useful information for growing in Florida, with plant data and fun facts.
Featured Creatures — The University of Florida’s indepth information about pests, including how to recognize and control them.
Leu Gardens — One of the nicest botanical gardens in the country, right in our own backyard!
Buglady Consulting — This popular consultant to nurseries has created a page especially for homeowners about “good guy” and “bad guy” bugs.
William Wayne Interiors — Custom mosaic and tile work. William Wayne Interiors created the mosaics featured in the new Rockledge Gardens fountain and kiosks, and they display their Tropical Mosaics in our Rockledge Gardens “gallery.”
Espoma — The website of this supplier of natural gardening solutions has useful information about feeding and caring for plants.
Pamela Crawford's Side Planting Gardens — Lots of info about gardening in containers.
University of Florida’s “Solutions for Your Life” — Practical information about lawns and gardens, the environment and sustainable living, and personal health and safety.
“Through My Window” lets you combine a picture and “window” frame style to create one-of-a-kind handcrafted artwork for your home. The work is available in our garden accents shop, as well as online; Rockledge Gardens customers receive a 10% discount if you use this VIP code when you shop online: ROC010

Rockledge Gardens 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.