Spring Into Pruning: Tips for a Healthier Garden

Spring is the perfect time to shape up your landscape—and a little thoughtful pruning goes a long way toward keeping your plants healthy, blooming, and looking their best.

Pruning Basics for All Plants

What to Prune in Florida This Spring

🌸 Azaleas & Other Spring Bloomers

Prune right after flowering. These plants bloom on last year’s growth—cutting too late removes next year’s flowers.

🌼 Crape Myrtle & Summer-Blooming Shrubs

These bloom on new growth, so prune in late winter or early spring. You can even cut them back hard—they’ll still bloom beautifully!

💐 Hydrangeas

Most types bloom on old wood—prune before midsummer to avoid cutting off buds. Newer reblooming varieties are more forgiving.

🌿 Foliage Shrubs (like Loropetalum & Ligustrum)

These can be shaped almost anytime—just avoid heavy pruning in late fall when growth won’t harden off before winter.

🌳 Clipped Hedges (Boxwood, Podocarpus)

Shear frequently in early spring to maintain a tidy shape. Stop by late fall to prevent frost damage.

🌹 Roses

For repeat bloomers like Knock Out and Drift roses, prune in early spring to remove winter damage and shape the plant. For once-a-year bloomers, wait until after flowering.

🌼 Perennials & Annuals

Deadhead often to keep the blooms coming. Leggy plants? Cut them back by half to encourage stockier growth and rebloom.

🍊 Citrus Trees

Remove suckers from the base of young trees. Mature trees need little canopy pruning—only cut to remove freeze or disease damage, or to prevent crowding.

Now’s also the perfect time to bring in the pollinators—birds, bees, and butterflies are buzzing, and our wide selection of hardy perennials and dazzling annuals will keep them coming back all season long.

Hope to see you soon,

—Matt & Rhonda, Garden Center Managers

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lA Note from

Matthew Barlow

Do April showers bring May flowers? Maybe up North—but here in NE FLorida, we usually face dry conditions during late winter and early spring. Every year is a little different, but as the weather warms up, it’s important to keep a close eye on anything you’ve recently planted. If you haven’t checked your irrigation system yet, now’s the time. A little extra attention now can make all the difference in helping your new landscape take root and thrive.

Matthew’s Garden Tips

Essential Watering Tips for Freshly Planted Landscapes

Spring Plantings Need a Little Extra Love 🌿

It’s planting season in Northeast Florida! But even the healthiest new trees, shrubs, and flowers need consistent care to thrive—especially when it comes to watering. Nursery plants are used to daily water and need time to adjust to life in your yard.

Why Watering Matters

Sprinklers alone often aren’t enough. New plantings need targeted hand watering or a drip system to get their roots established and ensure long-term success

Watering Guidelines

When to Water Less

✔️ After heavy or frequent rain

✔️ In consistently damp soil

✔️ In deep shade or with drought-tolerant plants (though they still need help early on)

GARDENING PRO TIP

Water in the morning or late evening.

Never between 1–4 p.m. when most water is lost to evaporation.

Chad’s Lawn Care Advice

Lawn Watering Tips

With the arrival of daylight saving time, Duval County’s watering restrictions have shifted—and with spring heating up, it’s time to make sure your lawn is getting exactly what it needs to stay healthy and green.

Know Your Watering Days – Duval County Restrictions

Here’s a quick guide to the current watering schedule in Duval County, now that we’ve sprung forward:

Watering Guidelines for Established Lawns

A healthy lawn requires different amounts of water depending on the season and temperature. Here’s a simple breakdown:

Newly Installed Sod—Especially St. Augustine

New sod needs extra attention to take root and thrive, especially in Florida’s fluctuating spring weather. Here’s what to know:

• Week 1–2: Water daily, ideally in the morning. St. Augustine sod typically needs ¼ to ½ inch of water per day, depending on temperature and wind.
• Week 3–4: Water every other day.
• Week 5–6: Transition to your regular watering schedule based on season and temperature.
• Avoid mowing until roots are established (usually around week 3).
• Avoid foot traffic (and furry feet!) during this establishment period.

☀️ Hot and dry weather? You may need to water twice daily in the first two weeks. Cool and cloudy? Scale back a bit. 

LAWN CARE PRO TIP

If your lawn has just been sprayed for pests, weeds or fertilization, please keep children and pets off the turf for at least 2 hours, or until the grass is completely dry to the touch. This helps avoid irritation and ensures the product has been absorbed properly.

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Matthew Barlow

Garden Center Manager

Matt moved to Northeast Florida over twenty years ago after being bitten by the “plant bug” in a greenhouse in Houston, Texas. Since then he has been passionate about learning as much as he can about every plant he encounters. In his free time he relaxes in his backyard while tending to his vegetable garden and bonsai trees.

Matthew’s Garden Tips

Fertilizing Made Simple

Hey everyone, it’s Matthew from Earth Works! Let’s break down fertilization to help you feed your plants effectively.

Find the Right Fertilizer at Earth Works

We carry a wide range of organic, synthetic, hybrid, solid, and liquid fertilizers. Stop by and chat with me, Matthew—I’d love to help you find the perfect fertilizer for your plants!

Matthew’s Garden Tips

A Simple Guide to Spring Vegetable Gardening

Growing your own vegetables can be an incredibly rewarding experience, but in Florida’s sandy soil, it takes the right approach to be successful. Earth Works Garden Center Manager Matthew Barlow shares his lessons learned from years of trial and error, so you can grow healthy, thriving vegetables with confidence.

Best Vegetables & Herbs to Plant This Spring

✅ Tomatoes – Start early for best results

✅ Peppers – Bell, jalapeño, banana, and more thrive in warm weather

✅ Cucumbers – Perfect for trellises and raised beds

✅ Squash & Zucchini – Fast-growing and productive

✅ Green Beans – Easy to grow, bush and pole varieties

✅ Eggplant – Loves the heat and produces all summer

✅ Okra – A summer staple that thrives in Florida’s climate

Chad Lakin

Lawn Maintenance Operations Manager

Chad has been a dedicated member of Earth Works for nine years, serving as the Licensed Certified Operator. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, he brings extensive expertise in operations and maintenance. Chad attended the University of North Florida (UNF) and continues to play a vital role in ensuring efficiency and excellence at Earth Works.  

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Camellia japonica

Camellia japonica produces the larger, showier blooms most people picture when they think of a camellia. Flowers appear from late winter into early spring. Japonicas prefer partial shade and grow more slowly, making them a natural choice as a focal point or specimen plant. They can eventually get quite large, so give them room.

Camellia sinensis: the additional option that you can drink

Most people don’t realize that the tea in their cup comes from a camellia. Camellia sinensis is the species behind green, black, and oolong teas. The leaves are harvested, dried, and processed differently depending on the type of tea being made.

Unlike the ornamental varieties, Camellia sinensis is grown for its foliage rather than its flowers. It thrives in warm, humid climates with acidic soil, which makes Northeast Florida a reasonable place to try growing it. It won’t give you the big showy blooms of a japonica or sasanqua, but if you’re interested in a working tea garden, it’s a surprisingly viable option for this part of Florida. Camellia sinensis is hardy in zones 7 through 9, so Jacksonville’s climate is within range.

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Live Oak

The Live Oak is a classic Southern tree known for its sprawling branches and dense canopy, providing excellent shade for large areas. Its impressive longevity and resilience make it a staple in North Florida landscapes. With its ability to tolerate heat, drought, and strong winds, it is perfectly suited for the region’s challenging climate, adding both beauty and practicality to any shade garden.

Florida Flame Maple

Known for its vibrant red foliage in the fall, the Red Maple is a fast-growing tree that provides excellent shade. It thrives in Florida’s climate and can adapt to various soil types, making it a versatile choice for many landscapes.

By planting shade trees, you can significantly improve your garden’s resilience during the hottest months, making them a key component of your summer garden tips.

Ponds

Create a stunning centerpiece for your garden with a pond that not only enhances the aesthetic appeal but also cools the air through natural evaporation. By adding aquatic plants like water lilies and lotus, which are well-suited to Florida’s heat, you can keep the water cooler while also introducing vibrant colors and serene beauty to your landscape.

WATER GARDENS

Cultivating aquatic plants like water lilies and aquatic grasses around a water feature can create a beautiful, low-maintenance area in your garden.

Caring for St. Augustine Grass

St. Augustine grass is a popular choice for lawns in Florida, but it requires specific care to thrive during the summer. Proper lawn care in Florida involves understanding the unique needs of this grass type.

Watering St. Augustine grass needs deep, infrequent watering to encourage deep root growth, which is essential for surviving the Florida heat.

Mowing Set your mower to a height of 3.5 to 4 inches to keep the grass blades tall, providing natural shade for the soil.

Pest Control Chinch bugs are a common pest in St. Augustine grass. Regular monitoring and appropriate garden pest control measures are essential to prevent infestations.

By following these summer garden tips, you can maintain a healthy and green lawn even in the harshest conditions.

Choosing the Right Shade Garden Plants

Creating a shade garden is a smart way to utilize shaded areas in your North Florida garden. Shade garden plants thrive in lower light conditions and can add lush greenery to your landscape.

By selecting the right shade garden plants, you can create a cool, inviting space that complements the rest of your landscape.

Final Thoughts on North Florida Gardening

Successfully gardening in North Florida during the summer requires a thoughtful approach that includes the right plants, trees, and features to withstand the heat. From planting shade trees for Florida-friendly cooling to incorporating water features in the garden and providing proper lawn care in Florida, these strategies will help you create a thriving summer garden. By following these essential tips, you can enjoy a beautiful, resilient garden all season long.

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