Gardening Tips

You can access the Florida vegtable gardening guide by clicking onthe link below.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VH021

February Planting

Bulbs to plant this month:

African Lily (Morea), Amaryllis, Aztec Lily, Caladium, Crinum, Dahlia, Dutch Iris, Gloriosa Lily, Gloxinia, Ixia, Kaffir Lily, Marica (Walking Iris), Morea, Spider Lily, Tritonia, Tuberose, Voodoo Lily, Watsonia and Zephyr Lily.

Bahiagrass Pastures:

Bahiagrass root growth increases with warming temperatures.  Don’t forget the Spring application of at least 60 pounds per acre of actual nitrogen with any other nutrients recommended by your soil test results.  You can apply more nitrogen later in the season if you need more grass.

 Fruit & Nut Tree Fertilization:

Apple, Peach, Pear, Persimmon Fig trees:  Should have been fertilized in February with 1.5 (one and a half) pounds of a 10 -10 –10 analysis fertilizer for each year of tree age until a maximum of 10 to 15 pounds per tree is reached.  Do not put more than 15 pounds of fertilizer per tree.

 Blackberry vines:  In late February bearing vines should receive one 0.3 (one third) of a pound of 10 –10 -10 analysis fertilizer.

 Blueberry bushes:  Once bushes are two years old, they can be fertilized with two ounces / bush of a camellia-azalea type of fertilizer.  Go easy on blueberries, they can be killed with too much fertilizer.

 Chestnut trees:  Apply one pound of a 10 – 10 – 10 analysis fertilizer for each year the trees have been set out, ideally this should be done in February.

 Citrus trees:  Hold off from fertilizing bearing trees until late Spring, when fruit is set.  Newly set trees should be fertilized in April (after danger of frost, look in April’s newsletter for information on citrus fertilization).

 Fig trees:  Once they leaf out, they respond better to a slow-release or organic fertilizer.  If you use complete fertilizer, put small amounts of a 10 -10 -10 analysis fertilizer once a month during the growing season.

 Grape vines:  Should be fertilized in late February with 1.5 (one a half) pounds of a 10-10-10 analysis fertilizer for every year of vine age (starting from the second year the vine was set out) up to a maximum of 4 pounds per vine.

 Pecan trees:  Apply fertilizer no later than March 15; at the rate of 2 (two) pounds of a 10 –10 – 10 analysis fertilizer for every year the trees have been set out, up to a maximum of 50 pounds per tree.  Zinc requirements for pecans are high, you might want to use a “pecan special fertilizer” which usually has 1% zinc in it.

  Landscape Tree & Shrub Fertilization:

Now is the time to fertilize with something like a 16-4-8 or a 12-4-8 analysis fertilizer in the landscape at the rate of 6 pounds of fertilizer per 1000 square feet of root zone area (drip-line area on trees). 

 Lawn  Fertilization: 

Now is the time to fertilize your lawn grass with a complete fertilizer at the rate of one pound actual Nitrogen / 1000 square feet.  For example, if you used a 16-4-8 analysis fertilizer, you would apply 6.25 (six and a quarter) pounds of that fertilizer per 1000 square feet of lawn area.