Fall landscaping advantages include air and soil temperatures, rainfall rates, plant physiology, and availability of landscaping products and services.
1. Warm days and cool Autumn nights are favorable for landscaping compared to the extremes associated with Summer and Winter. Likewise, Springs’ volatile temperatures commonly result in many plantings’ tender new growth’s demise. Moderate Fall temperatures also contribute to an enjoyable landscaping experience.
2. Warm Fall soil supports microbial activity and vigorous root development that strengthen plants ahead of Winter and prepare them to push out a healthy flush of Spring foliage. The frigid soil temperatures are typically associated with Winter shutdown microbial activity and plant growth, encourage dormancy, and prevent seed germination. Root zone temperatures are a vital component of the scientific study of plants. Still, it’s often a neglected consideration of the inexperienced gardener. “Fall planting means strong roots. 80% of a plant’s root growth occurs in the late summer and fall months,” according to High Country Gardens. “While you won’t see as much stem and leaf growth in the fall, the plants are busy growing new roots.”
3. Adequate amounts of rainfall for plant health without the harm associated with the rainy season is a crucial Fall landscaping advantage. The torrential downpours, thunderstorms, and landscape-damaging winds of the July through September rainy season pass with the onset of Fall. Rainy season’s high winds snap limbs and topple trees while flooding rains deprive the soil of oxygen and offer an invitation to root fungus and soil pathogens. And less heat equates to lower watering requirements to maintain your landscape plantings.
4. The plants we associate with landscaping, including trees, shrubs, annuals, and perennials, develop in association with environmental conditions that serve as part of the basis of our recognition of the seasons. “Seasonality refers to both a regularly changing environment and the biological responses conditioned by that environment,” according to the Journal of Experimental Botany. “Knowing how plants respond to the sequence of environmental changes through the year is therefore an important topic, not just for the plant sciences, but also because of the role of plants in daily life: this aspect of seasonality forms a bridge for public understanding.”
5. Garden Centers and landscapers are typically their busiest in Spring creating shortages of landscaping materials and longer wait times for landscape design installations. During the Fall, families focus increasingly on back-to-school activities and upcoming holidays. Less demand pressure in Fall increases the availability of landscaping and hardscaping materials, such as pavers that your contracted landscape company can install with decreased wait times.
Take advantage of Fall Landscaping weather by booking your Landscape Design Consultation today by contacting us at 904-996-0712. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions.
Earth Works proudly serves clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian or any storm, we’d recommend following these lawn cleanup tips for storms.
-Inspect trees and roofs for broken or fallen limbs. Remove them before doing other yard debris removal to avoid any double working. If significant damage is identified that you cannot safely deal with, consider contacting a professional tree surgeon.
-Cut up larger pieces of tree limbs with a chain saw and lopping shears. -Rake up sticks, twigs, and leaf debris. Don’t use lawn mowers for this as it can damage mower and mower blades, resulting in flying debris that causes personal injury and property damage.
-Mow the lawn after all debris is removed. Chopping up storm debris with a lawn mower can also leave large chunks of debris in your yard that can kill the turf as it can take months to deteriorate.
-After evaluating your trees, shrubs, and garden beds for potential plant damage trim or remove damaged growth. Make lemonade from lemons and consider replacing trees and/or refreshing landscape beds and shrubs with new varieties. Visit your favorite garden center for new and replacement plants. This could be a great time to schedule a design consultation and have Earth Works complete a landscape makeover.
-Separate yard debris from other household trash and containerize it if required by your municipal trash service. Some services allow large piles of rubble, whereas others need it all to be containerized to a specific size and weight. Refer to your local regulations and potential new pickup times after a storm. -Avoid piling yard trash up for trash pickup in an area that will smother your good turf, as in bad storms and hurricanes. Realize that it can take longer than usual for removal by your municipal trash service.
-Assess any drainage issues that occurred during the storm and consider drainage solutions appropriate for your circumstances. -Resume your regular irrigation schedule after giving the landscape time to dry out.
Take advantage of Fall Landscaping weather by booking your Landscape Design Consultation today by contacting us at 904-996-0712. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions.
Earth Works proudly serves clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
Earth Works Gardens is your destination to purchase and learn to grow and care for palm trees in Northeast Florida. Customers from Duval, St. Johns, Baker, Clay, and Nassau counties all shop at Earth Works Gardens when searching for quality palm trees. We have a large selection of palms suitable for the Jacksonville climate and the surrounding area. We have the right tree for you whether you’re searching for large, short, cold, hardy, tropical, or unique and low-maintenance palms.
Our knowledgeable staff can help you pick the right palm for the right spot. There are many palms to choose from, and if you are new to Jacksonville or the Northeast Florida area, it can be a bit daunting. Earth Works stocks palm trees of all types. Dwarf palms like the Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii) Tall, graceful Queen palms (Syagrus romanzoffiana) and robust showstoppers such as Mule Palms (xButiagrus nabonnandii) and Sylvesters (Phoenix sylvestris).
Although palm trees look very similar, a trained eye can identify the differences between all the varieties we can grow here in Jacksonville, Florida. One of the major distinguishing factors is leaf type. There are two leaf types that a palm can have, palmate or pinnate. Palmate leaves or fronds are broad and have a fan or hand-like shape. Pinnate leaves are longer with slender leaves that resemble feathers.
The next significant difference between palms is their trunks. Palm trunks vary greatly. Some are smooth, while others are bumpy, rough, or chunky. Some palm tree trunks are thick and wide, and others thin. Choosing a palm is a consideration of both the trunk and the foliage appearance that suits you. There is no right or wrong, just preference. All palms are beautiful in their own way.
Another thing to consider is the growth rate of the palm you are choosing. A slow-growing palm could be a good choice if you start with a large one because you would get immediate coverage for an extended period. If you started with a smaller slow growing palm, it could take years before the palm tree grew large enough to fill in the area you want to cover.
On the other hand, you could start with a smaller, fast, growing palm tree and achieve the coverage you need much quicker. It all comes down to how long you are willing to wait for the look you are trying to achieve. Sometimes figuring all this out can be a challenge. Earth Works staff are trained to help you decide which palm tree best suits your landscape.
Examples of moderate and fast-growing palms include: Queen Palms (Syagrus romanzoffiana), King Alexander Palms (Archontophoenix alexandrae), Sylvestris Palms (Phoenix sylvestris), Areca Palm (Dypsis lutescens), Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa), Dwarf Sugar Palms (Arenga engleri), Ribbon Palm (Livistona Dicipiens), Nitida or Carnarvon Fan Palm (Livistona nitida)
Queen Palms, Syagrus romanzoffiana
Once you know which palm tree you like, Earth Works can help you pick the right place to plant your new palm tree. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff helps customers design and layout their landscapes daily. Think about the areas in your yard where you might want a new palm tree and take some pictures of your property. Bring them into Earth Works and show us the space you’re working with, and we can help you make the best choice of palm for your space.
After you’ve purchased the palm trees for your new landscape Earth Works makes it easy and convenient for you to get them home and planted in the yard. Delivery and installation of palm trees is one of our specialties. We install palms all year round in Jacksonville, Florida. Our staff will coordinate with you to get your purchased trees to your home as quickly as possible.
If a sizeable field-grown palm tree is not what you need, we also carry many smaller container-grown palm trees in many sizes. Our garden center sells palm trees in containers ranging from 3-30 gallons. Most of these palms can fit in pick-up trucks, SUV’s and minivan’s. We even loaded a 15-gallon Pindo palm into the hatchback of a Porche a few years ago at the customer’s insistence!
If you’ve never strolled around our pathways at Earth Works Gardens, set a time to come and look at our palm trees. Not only do we sell palm trees, but we have many varieties planted on our property so you can see what they look like after they’ve been planted in the ground for many years. Our Garden Center is set up to show you what palm trees look like in the landscape here in Northeast Florida and Southern Georgia. Our landscape palms are of the highest quality and are sourced from growers we have been buying from for over twenty years. These unique and hardy palm trees are grown in Florida and selected to grow well in USDA zones 8-9b.
USDA Florida Plant Hardiness Zones
Large field-grown Palm trees are easy to grow and low maintenance. The only time they need much extra care is after planting. After Earth Works installs your new palm, it must be watered daily for the first thirty days, every other day for the second month, and about two or three times a week for the third month. If planted during the winter or when temperatures are consistently below seventy degrees, the palm trees should be watered, allowed to dry out completely, and then watered again. This schedule can vary depending on rainfall, soil conditions, and other variables. Also, consider our article on Proper Palm Tree Pruning.
It can take up to a year before a palm tree is fully rooted in your landscape. There are very few times that palm trees need a lot of extra water once they are established. Northeast Florida weather generally provides enough water for palm trees to grow and thrive. Exceptions would be times of extended drought, typically during spring months in Duval County.
Fertilization is important for any type of palm. Always choose a plant food that is formulated for palm trees. Palms require specific nutrients in higher ratios compared to other plants. The main one is Manganese. Manganese deficiencies can not only stunt the growth and make the palm trees look sick, but they can also become lethal if left untreated. Earth Works carries palm fertilizer and manganese supplements year-round.
If you have always thought about growing a palm tree in your yard and are searching for ‘Palm trees near me,’ come to Earth Works and speak with one of our Garden Staff. We always look forward to helping customers with their landscape palm tree needs. Our palm trees are stocked year-round, and we are always ready to help with any palm tree questions you may have.
For Palm Trees In Northeast Florida, comprehensive solutions to your specific lawn, garden, and landscaping needs, contact Earth Works of Jacksonville online or at 904-996-0712. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions.
Earth Works proudly serves clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
Autumn arrives on September 22, ushering in our Fall lawn and garden checklist of steps to get the most out of your lawn and garden. Here in Northeast Florida, we experience cooler temperatures and sooner than Florida communities further south, but this checklist is generally applicable for lawns and gardens throughout the state.
–Plant trees and shrubs as soil temperatures remain warm as air temperatures decline, putting less stress on new plantings and transplants. –Address any drainage and percolation problems that will damage or destroy turf. When the water table or zone of saturation is such that the soil is soggy the available oxygen supply to your turf is diminished which kills turf the same as if it was underwater in a flood. Soggy soil encourages fungus growth such as Take-All Root Rot below ground and a cornucopia of fungus species above grown that kill turf and other plants in the landscape.
–Aerate and provide top-dressing soil to your lawn in the Fall or Winter to improve percolation and replenish macro and micronutrients used and leached from your soil. Percolation reduces soggy soil conditions and improves plants’ ability to absorb nutrients. Top dressing with nutrient-enriched soil increases microbial activity such as that of Mycorrhiza fungi that convert nutrients to bioavailable forms for turf and other plants in the landscape.
–Prepare the ground for Fall herbs and vegetable garden beds, perennials, and Spring bulbs, adding compost and soil amendments specifically formulated for the growing requirements of your plantings. For the veggie beds consider planting Beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots cauliflower, collards, cucumbers, endive, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, onions, radishes, summer squash, and turnips.
–Refresh container gardening arrangements with Fall season color. Refer to our monthly Container Gardening Recipes for tips on what will do well each season.
–Rooting hardwood cuttings is best done in Fall. –Raise mower blades as less frequent mowing is required as warm season grasses prepare to go into dormancy. –Spread grass seed and lay sod as temperatures have moderated. Many will overseed with ryegrass to green and thicken up the lawn in Fall and Winter. –Keep your lawn turf thick, which can crowd out weeds and prevent weed seeds from getting sunlight that aids in their germination. Continue pulling weeds, and observing good cultural practices, and only then if necessary consider treating with herbicide. Always follow the herbicide manufacturer’s directions. Learn which weeds you are dealing with and their stage of development, which is critical to their treatment. Warm-season weeds will be dying back and replaced with cool-season weeds, which requires the right choice between preemergent and post-emergent herbicide application. –Apply Weed and Feed, commonly called Winterizer this time of year prior to turf dormancy. Remember that any preemergent herbicide component will prevent any new grass seeds from germinating. The appropriate NPK formulation for Fall Winterizers is high in potassium and low in nitrogen. Unlike, Spring when nitrogen benefits new growth that same growth in Fall would be threatened by Winter cold and stress the plant. Adequate potassium provided the grass while its still actively taking in nutrients provides warm season grasses greater protection from stress heading into dormancy. However, weigh the fact that herbicides in general stress St. Augustine grass when applying them as a component of your Winterizer. –Rake, mulch, or bag falling leaves to avoid leaf litter blocking landscape plants’ available sunlight.
For newcomers to Florida be sure to attend our Welcome to Florida seminar on Oct. 21, 2022, from 5-8 pm. Matthew Barlow, Earth Works Garden Center Manager will introduce Florida newcomers to need-to-know gardening and landscape information. Enjoy appetizers and drinks while you mingle with other Jacksonville transplants and get all your gardening questions answered.
$25 Cover Charge. Tickets can be purchased at Eventbrite or in-store.
Take advantage of Fall Landscaping weather by booking your Landscape Design Consultation today by contacting us at 904-996-0712. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions.
Earth Works proudly serves clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
Pond owners using simple pond leak test procedures can assess the leak’s source and make repairs without having to call in a professional. Pond leaks can be expensive but are undoubtedly stressful for pond owners. Calm yourself, though, and consider the following:
Note: Before doing a pond leak test, realize that regular water loss is associated with evaporation. Expect evaporation to increase during the warmer months. And realize that the most common cause for concern over pond water loss is evaporation. Evaporation increases due to various factors, including temperature, wind, and elements of water feature design, including the volume of water pumped across the pond stream (due to shallow water exposure effects of temperature & wind).
So you’ve ruled out evaporation and want to do a Pond Leak Test. Here are a few steps to follow.
Step 1: Do a visual inspection for any signs of water escaping the liner from debris piled up in your stream. Look for unusual wet spots, soft soil, and erosion that can signify a leaking underground connection or hose. Some pond owners include spitters for additional aeration that, when clogged, can cause water to leak outside the liner around where it’s positioned at the pond edge. Where appropriate, clean out debris from the stream and adjust rocks if it appears there is a blockage backing up water that is escaping over the liner edge. If you find low areas where water is running over the liner, raise the liner edge by backfilling with additional dirt under the liner. Water escaping along the stream is the most common source of leaks and is typically fixable by the pond owner.
Step 2: Fill the pond to its normal full level and then turn off the pump for at least 24 hours to determine at what level the leakage stops.
Note: If your pond is home to fish, you can keep them in the pond without the pump running if the fish load is small. However, you’ll need to provide them with supplemental aeration and monitor the water quality closely with a test kit. If you decide to keep your fish in the pond during the pond leak test, consider adding Aquascape’s Maintain product to further assist in keeping the water parameters safe. Otherwise, move your koi, goldfish, and other fish to a holding area such as a quarantine tank.
Step 3: Did the pond leak during the 24 hours with the pond pump turned off? If there was no further leakage with the pump off, skip to Step 4. Allow the leak-down to complete as the leak source will be at or below where it stopped leaking. Once the leak down is complete, inspect the liner at the water level edge for holes. Also, if the skimmer faceplate is in the zone where the leak stopped, check it as a possible leak source that may require resealing. Earth Works sells liner patches and sealant. If you found the leak and patched or resealed it, congratulations, you are done and can disregard additional steps.
Step 4: If turning the pump off stops the leak, then turn the pump on again and reinspect the stream and edge work and the seals where the liner is attached to the skimmer face plate and biofall filter spillway. If the leak is identified as one of the component seals, turn off the pump and reseal the leaking components with silicone and re-foam rocks if necessary. Then turn the pump back on and let it run for 24 hours to verify there is no leak. If the leak continues, move to the next step.
Step 5: With the pump running, begin digging to expose flex hose plumbing connections to the back of the biofall and skimmer. If you find no leaks at the plumbing connections, more digging out of the flex hose for inspection or running new lines will be required, which might be the point at which you will want to contact Earth Works for repair or a rebuild upgrade.
Book your Landscape Design Consultation today by contacting us at 904-996-0712.
Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions.
Earth Works proudly serves clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
Meet Earth Works Landscape Designer Patti Sanders. Her industry experience spans 30 years in retail management, with customer service as her priority. Patti holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Design in Landscape Architecture from NC State University. Patti has become an important part of our culture. She exemplifies it regularly with her positive attitude, integrity, and team spirit. Patti has been the Earth Works Employee of the Month both in January 2021 and August 2022. In Patti’s free time, she enjoys gardening, and arts & crafts, and has a shop on Etsy; dragonflylilydesigns. Family and faith are important to Patti. She is originally from upstate New York. And if you happen to be a Bills fan, she takes it to a higher level of excitement.
Enjoy this sample of videos featuring Patti Sanders Landscape Designer.
Book your Landscape Design Consultation with Patti today by contacting us at 904-996-0712. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions.
Earth Works proudly serves clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
Meet Pam Poe, Earth Works Landscape Designer. Pam is an avid gardener with a passion for art and design. As a lifelong learner, her related educational background includes an A.A.S. degree in Horticulture & Landscape Design. Plus, Pam is certified in Florida-Friendly Landscaping with the University of Florida IFAS Extension, and is certified with the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association, For nearly a decade Pam has worked in perennial gardens, garden centers, container design, garden maintenance, and landscape design. “I love learning about new plants and trends in design so I pursue continuing education classes whenever possible. I enjoy the challenge of helping my clients turn their landscape vision into an outdoor space they enjoy coming home to.”
The following are samples of Earth Works videos of landscape designer Pam Poe.
Booking your Landscape Design Consultation with Pam today by contacting us at 904-996-0712. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions.
Earth Works proudly serves clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
Earth Works Landscape Designer Jeff Melear’s passion for plants and turf has spanned his entire life, which led to his operation of not one, but two landscape companies in both St. Simon Island and Savannah, Georgia. Jeff’s thirty-plus years of professional landscape credentials include A.A.S Degrees in both Golf Turf Management and Landscape Design and Grounds Management from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC).
Outside of his landscape design career focus, Jeff’s life revolves around his two amazing children of 8 and 10 years old and his love of woodworking, serving in church, and Georgia Bulldog football. Know that Jeff Melear will see your project through and keep you informed throughout the consultation, design, and implementation process. Contact Landscape Designer Jeff Melear by phone at 904-996-0712 or email [email protected].
The following are samples of Earth Works videos of landscape designs by Jeff Melear.
Book your Landscape Design Consultation with Jeff today by contacting us at 904-996-0712. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions.
Earth Works proudly serves clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
Earth Works, Jason Duffney provides information in the following videos answering our pond equipment and supplies FAQs (frequently asked questions).
Aquascape Pond Equipment Accessories: Jason Duffney explains Aquascape Inc pond equipment accessories that can be included in your installation or that you can add yourself at a later date. These accessories include the Aquascape Dosing System, IonGen, Smart Control Receiver, and Lighting System.
Aquascape Bacteria and Water Clarity Products: Jason Duffney explains Aquascape Inc products that improve the health and water clarity in your pond. These products include Aquascape Beneficial Bacterial, Maintain, Clear, and the Aquascape QuickFix Pond Gummy.
Water lily Transplanting & Care in Northeast Florida: Jason Duffney explains the basics of water lily transplanting and care here in Northeast Florida whether you prefer to grow in a container or directly in the pond substrate. Earth Works provides high-quality water lilies year round along with specialty pots for growing them and fertilizer.
Our Five Key Pond Components: Jason Duffney explains our five key pond components to building and maintaining a healthy ecosystem pond. We pride ourselves on providing clients with healthy pond systems that require minimal maintenance.
Pond Filtration & Maintenance: Jason Duffney explains pond filtration and maintenance in this video focused on the skimmer, which is the mechanical aspect of filtration.
Pond Pump Troubleshooting: Jason Duffney explains the basics of pond pump troubleshooting focusing on the most common problems that a pond owner can check prior to calling us for a service call.
Operating the Aquascape SMART Control Receiver: Jason Duffney explains the operation of the Aquascape SMART Control Receiver used in adjusting the flow rates of variable speed Aquascape pumps.
Check back regularly as Jason provides more pond equipment and supplies FAQs here and on youtube.
Take advantage of Fall Landscaping weather by booking your Landscape Design Consultation today by contacting us at 904-996-0712. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions.
Earth Works proudly serves clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
August gardening tips in Northeast Florida come after the passing of summer vacations with children back to school, the arrival of afternoon thundershowers, and sweltering afternoon heat.
Vitex Deciduous 10-15 ft tall and wide Flowers Spring & Summer
Powder Puff Deciduous 10-15 ft tall and wide Flowers Spring, Summer & Fall
Lil’Gem Magnolia Evergreen up to 35 ft tall to 12 ft wide Flowers Spring & Summer
Crape Myrtle Deciduous 12-15 ft tall and wide Flowers Summer
Cassia Deciduous 8-10 ft tall and wide Flowers Late Summer & Fall
Bottlebrush Evergreen 10-15 ft tall and wide Flowers Year Round
Manager Matt talks in this video about a wide variety of trees available to buy and what to expect from each and their care needs.
Stake plants that need additional support for average growth and protection against bad weather. A few that come to mind include vegetables, roses, hibiscus, newly planted palms, and citrus trees.
Continue blowing and raking unwanted leaf litter off the lawn and out of the flower beds. Refresh pine straw used as mulch that, as it breaks down, adds much-needed organic matter to your soil required for healthy soil microbial action.
Deadheading flowers preserve plant energy for new growth and blooms. Otherwise, pruning in August should be based on the 4 “Ds,” which is to prune dead, dying, diseased, or damaged branches at this time. Prune Spring blooming plants soon after they bloom. Wait until winter to prune your summer bloomers.
Fill in patches of empty spots in your flower beds with new plantings or temporarily with other potted plants. Don’t stress the transition between your Spring and Fall flower beds at their prime. Enjoy the view. Consider our monthly container gardening recipes to spur your ideas on what to grow and display now and in the coming seasons.
August Container Gardening Recipe
Closely monitor your plant’s watering needs specific to their growing conditions and requirements in-ground, new plantings, transplants, potted container plants, and indoor plants. If your lawn and garden irrigation timer run on manual settings adjust where appropriate as the days are shorter, and precipitation and temperatures vary dramatically daily. Be wary of fungal diseases from overwatering or watering at the wrong time.
In August, all the major lawn pest threats can be at the peak of their lifecycle in our lawns. These pests include chinch bugs, mole crickets, and sod-webworms. Garden pests during August include Thrips & fungus are typically a higher threat for roses than many plants risk from mealybugs, spider mites, and scale. Sooty mold covering leaf surfaces naturally grows on the honeydew secretions of sucking insects. Regularly have a person-to-plant meeting with each plant, observing its condition to stay ahead of threats to their health. Our garden center managers can make a solid recommendation for specific pest needs with your pest & plan picture brought to us at the garden center.
If you haven’t planted seeds by early August, you can purchase seedlings of your favorite herbs and veggies at our garden center. In August, gardeners sow carrots, beans, beets, carrots, kale, lettuce, and spinach. We have weekly shipments of select herbs and veggies including heirlooms in season.
“Fertilization” is a complicated topic often oversimplified. In comparison, some houseplants may get weekly balanced feedings while the turf stays lacking in nitrogen fertilization due to some county fertilization blackout periods through August and September to protect lakes, rivers, and the ocean as wildlife habitats from algae blooms. Palms, typically deficient in iron, manganese, magnesium, and sulfur, can be supplemented with Palm Nutritional by Southern Ag. Azaleas and camellias can use a boost in August. Heavy feeders like birds of paradise would appreciate periodic composted cow manure dosing too. The water lilies benefit from Aquabloom Aquatic Plant Fertilizer that’s slow release and doesn’t harm other aquatic life. In the following video Jason Duffney discusses water lily transplanting and care.
Gardening is a labor of love that gives back what you put into it. August gardening tips wrap with a reminder to stop and smell the roses. Enjoy the fruits of your labor.
For comprehensive solutions to your specific lawn, garden, and landscaping needs, contact Earth Works of Jacksonville online or at 904-996-0712. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions.
Earth Works proudly serves clients in Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Nocatee, St. Johns, Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg, Green Cove Springs, Amelia Island, Fernandina, and St. Augustine.
