The Queen palm is a fast-growing palm and an elegant choice for landscapes in Jacksonville and throughout Northeast Florida. The long feathery pinnate leaves are not only beautiful but can create shade if placed in the right spot. Queen palms can be used to line the property or planted as single specimens to create focal points in your landscape design. This palm tree grows fast approximately two feet per year up to typically forty feet in height. Earth Works sells 15-gallon, 30-gallon, and field-grown Queen Palms year-round. We offer delivery and planting services year-round. Our knowledgeable and friendly staff can help you find the right palm tree design for your landscape.
If you are looking for a cold hardy palm tree that looks like a tropical palm, the Queen palm is a good choice. As they mature, Queen Palms shed their outer layers and reveal an attractive silver color on their trunk. The contrast of the light-colored trunk with the dark green palm fronds is a spectacular look that creates a tropical vibe when paired with a good landscape design in Jacksonville.
Queen Palm genus and species Syagrus romanzoffiana Common names: Queen Palm & Cocos Palm
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. Stop by our retail center or contact us online or by phone at 904-996-0712.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Our first full month of Summer calls for reminders of tasks to complete, which is the basis of the Earth Works July Tips for Lawn and Garden.
-Closely Monitor Plant Watering Needs. July Tips for Lawn and Garden could not be complete without a focus on watering. Manually adjust automatic irrigation watering schedules during frequent rainfall or install a rain sensor to prevent overwatering. The likelihood of rain increases in July, the second month of hurricane season. Too much water harms many of the landscape plants, the same as too little water. Monitor soil moisture in your gardening containers by pressing a finger into the soil as potted plants will dry out at a different rate than the surrounding soil. Excessive water will encourage fungus growth that can damage lawn and garden plants.
-Keep Weeds and Pests Under Control. Winter weed pressure on the lawn and garden has been replaced with a seasonal crop of Summer weeds species possibly arriving from birds, insects, and the wind from adjacent properties. Post-emergent herbicides are commercially available for ridding your lawn of Summer weeds that have already gotten a foothold in the lawn. Hand-pulling weeds requires much more effort and is less likely to rid your lawn of every last weed for the season. However, organic gardeners typically prefer hand pulling or letting nature take its course in many instances. Earth Works Lawn Fertilization and Lawn Pest Control provides weed and pest control, including some hand-pulling of weeds.
-Maintain Plant Fertilization Schedules, Including Reduction in Nitrogen Lawn Fertilization. July is a peak growing period for various plants with different fertilization needs. Many houseplants benefit from weekly balanced fertilization. Various heavy feeding plants in the landscape require monthly fertilization to grow and bloom to their full potential. However, we should likewise be mindful of reducing the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus applied to lawn turf in the rainy season. This reduces the likelihood of your fertilizer contributing to stormwater runoff pollution that Florida county Fertilizer Blackout periods aim to prevent.
-Stake Growing Plants That Need Extra Support. Wide varieties of plants benefit from staking up as Summers warmth and the ample water supply that July brings results in the rapid greening up and growing of plants that began in Spring. Periwinkles, Salvia, Pencil cactus, tomato plants, and hibiscus are examples of the wide variety of flowering plants, houseplants, vegetables, and shrubs that benefit from the support staking provides. Cages are also available and commonly used for vegetable staking but are available to support other plants in the landscape. Staking new trees to protect against their falling during high winds and hurricanes is also an important consideration.
-Flowering Deadheading. Removing dead blooms, so-called deadheading, makes for prettier plants while strengthening them by eliminating the effort and energy consumption put out to convert flowers to seed. Taking flower cuttings indoors is another method that removes the need for some of the deadheading.
-Prune Trees July is a great time to prune a wide variety of trees flush with new growth, some of which would be harmed by pruning at other times of the year. Remember the 3D rule of pruning: remove any dead, damaged, or diseased wood. Avoid over-pruning trees, such as so-called crape murder which results in weak new stem growth that has difficulty supporting their cascading flower clusters. Likewise, for palm frond pruning leave no less than a 9 and 3 configurations of the clock after pruning. Always be careful not to overdo it when pruning, as new growth benefits the tree’s health.
-Plant Summer Crops Due to the scorching heat that’s caused tomato plants to wither, most of the vegetables recommended for growing in July are root crops. These include beets, broccoli, cabbage, collards, lettuce, radishes, and turnips. Herbs and other specialty crops can be grown in containers placed in areas protected from the worst elements of Summer. Meanwhile, we hope you’ve enjoyed a bountiful harvest from your late Winter and Spring plantings. Also, review the recommendations for July plantings from the University of Florida.
-Replace cold-season annuals with warm-season varieties for Summer and Fall color. While some of us still have Dusty Millers standing tall from last Winter, most cold-season annuals, including violets and petunias, have long since withered. Warm-season annuals include Begonias, Caladiums, Gazanias, Marigolds, Pentas, Salvia, and Sunflowers. Plant these directly in the ground or containers for festive colors that brighten moods through the holiday season. For planting ideas see our July Container Gardening Recipe.
-Mulch flower beds The value of mulching wraps up our July Tips for Lawn and Garden. Mulch is helpful for more than curb appeal and protecting plants’ roots from the cold. During the summer, mulch in garden beds reduces solar radiation on the soil, helps maintain moisture, and reduces soil erosion. Pine straw used as mulch has the added benefit of quickly degrading and adding organic matter to the earth that’s typically in short supply and vital for healthy soil ecology.
-Keep detailed records of what did well in the garden. Before memories get fuzzy, keep detailed records of what did well this Spring & Summer to better plan for a future growing season. Some areas of the yard may receive too much or too little sun for your new plantings. With this knowledge, you can do better next year. What types of fertilizers and frequency of use worked best for your desired results? What kinds of pests did you encounter, and did your pest management methods work well or need tweaking given the same situation next year? Documenting the questions and answers that are important to your gardening effort will help you grow a more successful garden and landscape in the future.
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.
While preparing to enjoy Summer here are your June lawn and garden tips to make it even better in the lawn and garden.
JUNE WEATHER FOR JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA
Summer begins on the Summer Solstice, June 21, the year’s longest day. And June 1 is the official start of hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting an active season with 19 named storms. “The past six years have had more U.S. land-falling category 4 and 5 hurricanes than the past 50 years combined,’ according to New4Jax. Temperatures were average for May. However, the rainfall was two inches higher than usual. Nearly all of it fell in three days during the latter half of the month. The rainy season in Jacksonville begins in June, averaging 7.5 inches of rain, but last June racked up just under 10 inches of precipitation. How many inches will fall this June, and can your drainage system handle it if the storms bring as much rain in as short a period of time as they did last month? Frequent light rains are better than drought, followed by storm flooding. Plants can become heat-stressed during extended dry periods. Heavy and infrequent rain increases the likelihood of flooding and stormwater runoff carrying soil nutrients and fertilizers away, weakening your landscape and causing pollution downstream. Although area water restrictions limit lawn irrigation to twice per week watering, make sure the lawn is getting full coverage from the sprinkler heads. New plantings, transplants, and dry spots in the lawn require supplemental hand watering.
JUNE PLANTINGS FOR JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA Cool-season vegetables and annuals are out for the June planting schedule. However, our subtropical climate in Northeast Florida during the month of June is perfect for planting shrubs, fruit-bearing & flower trees, palms, and Summer & Fall blooming perennials. Matt, Rhonda, and Dennis are combing through availability lists of growers’ inventories to provide you with a big selection of planting options right for the season you visit the Earth Works garden center.
JUNE PRUNING & DRAINAGE SOLUTIONS FOR JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA You may have gotten a preview of drainage problems on your property during the heavy rains of May. Ensure no leaves, limbs, or debris clog up the gutters that are designed to drain water away from your home and other structures. Suppose your French drains and drain boxes have gotten covered or filled with dirt and debris. In that case, they need to be cleaned out before heavy rains. That will reduce the risk of flooding, and standing water, which quickly suffocates lawn turf and other vegetation and is a breeding ground for mosquitoes and fungus. Consider Earth Works typical drainage solutions and schedule a design consultation if necessary. If you are already having issues with insect infestations and fungi visit our garden center and speak with one of our garden center associates about our fungicides and other helpful products and how to use them.
Have gutters cleaned out to avoid drainage problems.
Remember that the five D’s of pruning are to do so when they are dead, dying, damaged, disfigured, or showing signs of diseased wood. Your Spring bloomers should typically already be pruned as they set buds on old wood. In contrast, Summer bloomers won’t set bloom until Winter or early Spring. Also, check your trees for boring insects that can weaken them and cause limbs or trees to fall in high winds. While a stately oak can live over 100 years, it can be weakened by nutritional deficiencies and insect infestations. As a result, they can become waterlogged and drop damaging limbs in bad weather.
JUNE FERTILIZATION & SOIL AMENDMENTS FOR JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA Non-native plants unaccustomed to area soil and climatic conditions benefit significantly from fertilizers with specific blends of macronutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, & Potassium) and micronutrients (calcium, magnesium, and sulfur). Plant lovers often complicate their landscape designs by mixing many varieties of plants and grouping them based on looks rather than nutritional needs resulting in more work and upkeep. Earth Works landscape designers work with clients creating designs that take into account what the homeowner wants and what the plants need. Sun, wind, temperature, and soil conditions make every landscape someone different, with microclimates varying significantly from one yard and region of town to the next. If you aren’t an avid gardener and don’t have the time to invest in your garden, a landscape design plan, installation, and lawn care services are for you. If you want to build on your gardening success stories or start anew, visit our garden center and bring your questions to our friendly staff.
JUNE POND CARE FOR JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA One essential item of June pond care is ensuring you have an adequate oxygen supply. Dissolved oxygen levels in pond water can reach dangerously low levels for fish as water temperature increases. Adding supplemental aeration can improve fish health and improve water clarity. “Aeration does not only enhance water quality by stabilizing pH, reducing alkalinity, preventing anaerobic conditions, and removing carbon dioxide, but can also greatly decrease the cost of pond treatments,” according to Hoffman’s Waterxscapes. There are many aeration kits on the market that Earth Works makes available for purchase at our pond store to improve your pond water quality. Learn more about the science of dissolved oxygen in ponds from our blog “Low Dissolved Oxygen: Koi Summer.”
The Jax Pond Tour hosted by Earth Works on Saturday, June 11 is your opportunity to get ideas for building a pond or water feature that suits you or possibly upgrading an existing one. The ponds are typically cleaned during the cooler months making June a great month to see Earth Works pond designs at their peak performance. Please bring your questions to the pond owners and consider their advice.
For comprehensive solutions to your specific lawn, garden, and landscaping needs, contact Earth Works of Jacksonville online 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. We proudly serve 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.
Spring has sprung as we are into April, our first month of Spring, as gardeners rush to tend to all our lawn and garden care needs here in Jacksonville and surrounding areas. Lawn and garden tips would not be complete if we didn’t start by encouraging you to make a plan for all you want to accomplish in the lawn and garden, pay attention to local weather, start planting and tending to fertilization, pruning, and pest control needs.
Making A Plan: Failure to Plan is Planning to Fail
While people acknowledge the need for an architectural design plan before building a house, the benefits of landscape design plans aren’t as readily appreciated. A home can collapse if not adequately planned. A tree planted in the wrong location can crush home and tear up driveways and water and sewer lines. Landscape planning should be as simple or complex as needed to accomplish your goals. Typically the more time spent thoughtfully considering the details of your landscape and creating a plan to implement means more enjoyment in your outdoor living space with fewer headaches and costly unwanted surprises.
Weather:Prepare for the worst and hope for the best Spring ever!
Jacksonville’s rainfall totals for March 2022 were something for the record books with 9.95 inches of precipitation, three times the average rainfall for the month. That was the 6th highest amount of rainfall for March in 150 years. March rains made up for the precipitation shortfall from the driest Winter (Dec.-Feb.) in a decade that temporarily at least dampened concerns over drought conditions and wildfires. However, the threat of drought is never far off in Northeast Florida, considering our well-draining sandy soils dry out fast.
In March, the cool nights prevented the fungus damage that would have followed from warmer nighttime temperatures later in the Spring and Summer. However, roses and many other plants in the area are exhibiting the black spot symptoms of fungus. Organic home remedies for Rose Black Spot fungus, Diplocarpon rosae include a combination of a tablespoon of baking soda, white vinegar, and horticultural oil in a gallon of water to use as a foliar spray. Diluted Hydrogen Peroxide solution such as one tablespoon (for 3%) or 1/4 teaspoon (for 35%) in a cup of water can treat Diplocarpon, and other fungi such as that found on milkweed weed leaves. Commercially available ready mix fungal treatments worth considering include Fertilome Liquid Systemic Fungicide.
Water As Needed
April’s average rainfall total is 2.93 inches. Abide by your municipal water restrictions, which in Duval County allows for twice-per-week irrigation during Spring and Summer with additional watering for new landscapes, and unlimited hand watering. Xeriscaping with native plants and those with low watering requirements conserves water, saves you time and money, and reduces concerns associated with high-maintenance plants requiring frequent watering.
Tend To Your Soil
Periodically have soil samples tested to know the pH and other factors that impact your plant’s ability to grow and flourish. Periodic soil aeration and nutrient enrichment with a top dressing reduces compaction and stormwater runoff, and increases plants’ nutrient uptake. Poor drainage conditions threaten the structural integrity of structures and increase the risk of fungus, root rot, and choking off the oxygen supply to beneficial microbes in the soil. Earth Works provides aeration and top dressing services, products, and a wide range of drainage solutions.
What Can I Plant in April?Essentially Everything!
Unlike other seasons which don’t provide optimum conditions for planting, the Spring season is Go Time for almost everything you’d want to plant or transplant. Plant your favorite perennials and include Spring annuals for an extra dose of seasonal color. The moderate morning low temperatures and afternoon highs provide the ideal conditions to safely plant palms, trees, shrubs, vines, and flowering plants, fruits, herbs, and vegetables.
Lawn and Garden Fertilization
Fertilize only when your lawn turf is actively growing. Our warmer temperatures of April are perfect for doing so. Consider our blog on the use of Weed and Feed products.
Fertilize ahead of June through Sept nitrogen fertilization blackout periods that are in place for many Florida counties. Duval County does not prohibit nitrogen fertilization during the rainy season. Still, it is less effective due to runoff resulting in water pollution, algae blooms, and fish kills.
Lawn Weed & Pest Control
Pre and Post emergent lawn pest and weed control products are part of our lawn care maintenance programs that do-it-yourself property owners and gardeners likewise do. There are separate categories of weeds, including cold and warm-season varieties and those that thrive in wet and-or dry environments that may be present at any given time on a property. The treatment protocols to deal with all these factors are complex. Likewise, the prevalence of lawn pests such as chinch bugs and sod webworms is weather and soil-condition-dependent. We strongly recommend homeowners consider professional lawn maintenance such as ours for your ongoing weed and lawn pest control needs.
Visit the Earth Works Garden Center for Saturday Sip & Shop from 10AM-3PM for more lawn and garden tips and speak with one of our designers over a complimentary beverage. And 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.
Earth Works Gardens hosts Jacksonville’s Saturday Sip & Shop gardening events each week during Spring 2022. Are you looking for a place to take your mind off of all the stress of the week? Relax with a drink while you shop and find your Happy Place at the corner of Beach and Kernan. Don’t miss out on this beautiful outdoor shopping experience at Earth Works Gardens. Grab a drink and do some shopping at Jacksonville’s Saturday Sip & Shop Gardening Event!
Find your happy place at Jacksonville’s Saturday Sip & Shop Gardening Event at Earth Works Gardens from 10AM-3PM.
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.
Earth Works invited all plant-loving gardeners in Northeast Florida to our Jacksonville House Plant Social held on Friday April 22, 2022. The event was billed as your opportunity to learn tips and tricks to green up your thumb and get exclusive event savings while mixing and mingling with fellow plant geeks.
Matthew Barlow gave a Houseplant Talk that is available in video below. We served appetizers, and drinks, and provided a 20% discount on all house plants for ticket holders. Tickets for the Jacksonville House Plant Social were $20 and available online and at Earth Works Gardens.
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.
Water lilies add beauty and ecological benefits to ponds and have been of cultural and religious significance for thousands of years. Water lilies were depicted in the art of the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs and among the images of gods worshiped by the Mayans of Central America. Water lilies have symbolic meaning in Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Considered treasures of Western art French Artist Claude Monet featured water lilies in hundreds of his impressionist paintings.
Due to water lily popularity groups exist such as the International Water Lily & Water Garden Society, which has been holding water lily competitions for decades. The next IWGS water lily competition is scheduled at their annual symposium this year at Naples Botanical Gardens with over 40 hybridizers from nearly a dozen countries expected to show hundreds of varieties. An award at the IWGS competition suggests great value for the new water lily cultivar.
Although water lilies contain a toxic alkaloid, as do elephant ears, it is neutralized when boiled. Known as Shapla in Bangladesh, where water lilies are the national plant, they are enjoyed in curry recipes. Water lilies believed medicinal benefits including regulating insulin levels and promoting liver health are the subject of ongoing investigation.
Water lilies are a food source for wildlife and provide protective cover, help cool water temperatures, and absorb water-polluting nutrients. Organic debris, including fish food, animal, and plant waste, accumulate in ponds and are broken down by nitrifying bacteria making nitrogen available to plants in a process called nitrogen fixation as part of the nitrogen cycle. “Excessive inputs of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) trigger eutrophication of the water bodies, which promotes the undesirable growth of algal bloom and deterioration of the water quality, and aquatic biodiversity,” according to the Plant Physiology and Biochemistry Journal. “Water lily (Nymphaea) is largely used as an ornamental plant for landscaping, and it has been documented that water lily possesses the potentiality in mitigating polluted aquatic environments.” These same scientists documented an increase in dissolved oxygen concentration in the aquatic environment attributable to water lilies. Dissolved oxygen is critical to animal life in ponds and in short supply as pond water temperature increases during the warm months making water lilies a beneficial addition.
Considering lawn and garden fertilization is a source of waterway pollution and fish kills how does one fertilize their precious marginals and water lilies without harming wet pets such as koi and goldfish? Slow-release tablets containing the necessary nutrition for plant growth and increasing bloom potential have been developed. We recommend slow-release PondMax – AquaBloom Aquatic Plant Food for water lily fertilization, which provides nutrients for plant health and flower formation. Simply press the Aquabloom Aquatic Plant Food tablets into the aquatic plant media or soil.
Although there are three genera in the water lily family Nymphaeaceae varieties typically marketed as Hardy & Tropical are of the genus Nymphaea and their hybrids. They reproduce via seeds, tubers, and viviparously. For starting your seeds, tubers, or transplants you’ll want and appropriate aquatic plant media or soil. Potting soil would be inappropriate. We recommend and stock Aquascapes Pond Plant Potting Media. It’s free of peat, compost, fertilizers, and pesticides that could cloud the water and harm animals in your pond. We additionally stock floating planters, which is a popular technique to stabilize the lily tuber and roots within the basking allowing the pad and flower portions of the plant to move about the pond.
We provide a stock of fully developed already blooming hardy and tropical water lilies sourced from Holt Nurseries for your viewing pleasure and purchase at Earth Works Gardens nursery in Jacksonville. Stop in and see them for yourself and take your favorites home.
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For all your water gardening needs and comprehensive solutions to your specific lawn, garden, and landscaping needs, contact Earth Works of Jacksonville online or at 904-996-0712 or visit us at the Earth Works Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville. We also build water gardens, provide hardscaping, 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.