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April Gardening
It's the Dry Times.

Everyone seems to be surprised how dry Florida gets every spring. Well, the truth is this is normal. Some years are drier than others but this is the time of the year for minimal rainfall and hot weather. So to put it bluntly - we have to get used to it.

One of the big problems is Florida’s water supply is getting lower each year. Some communities are on a one time a week watering restriction and it may get worst before the summer rainy season arrives.

Let’s face facts ---- there are more people in Florida than ever before, more lawns in Florida than ever before and more landscape plantings in Florida than ever before. Just about all need water. One big question is starting to pop up in the minds of many a horticulturist:

CAN GARDENING SURVIVE?

Sure it can -- but a pour on the water attitude is going to have to dry up. Gardeners must become water conscious. This could be as easy as grouping plants by water needs. We call it water wise landscaping. Here are the basics

Group plants with high water needs in just a few areas of the design. We call this the oasis area where watering may be needed every day or two. These should be some of the smaller areas of the design. Some of the plants may include the azaleas, geraniums, marigolds, foliage plants and vegetables.

Locate areas that need infrequent watering - maybe once a week during dry weather. We call this spot the transition zone. Some plants to grow here are the most common landscape shrubs, fruiting trees and the more durable annuals and perennials.

Leave plenty of room for the dry land plantings. This is called the fringe area where once the plants are established they are on their own. Some might include the feijoa, oak trees, southern magnolia, most palms and bougainvillea.

Keep lawns which are water users to the minimum. Most families would like a lawn but just enough for the kids to run and a space for family games. Make the rest of the landscape drought tolerant landscape plantings.

Get the help you need designing a water wise landscape with publications available from your County Extension Office.

Mite Time is Here.

Dry weather bring lots of problems and one of them is mites. They are very tiny arachnids usually hiding under the surface of leaves until populations grow quite large. They may be found on many plantings including tomatoes, peppers, roses, salvia, verbena, marigolds, pothos, dieffenbachia, pittosporum and camellias just to mention a few.

Mite
These are piercing-sucking pests that drain the plants of fluids and vigor. If not controlled the plant foliage turns yellow and the plant declines. You have to check early as mite multiply very fast. They turn over a new generation every 5 to 7 days.

When noted you might try to wash mites off the foliage. It’s an old technique that gives some control. But the most effective and low toxicity controls are the soap and oil sprays. Start when mites are first noted and apply these controls as instructed on the product’s label.

How Old is Old Enough?

That is what many gardeners are asking when it comes to their citrus trees. It appears with some varieties you have to wait years for good citrus production. Gardeners report navels are dry, grapefruit trees fail to flower and some citrus just has a poor taste.

You can blame most of these problems on a young tree. We really do not consider a tree ready to bear for 5 to 7 years. You sometimes get lucky and produce good fruits from young trees. The tangerine and tangelo trees are often good bearers at a young age.

Also after you plant a tree expect it to grow a little for the first few years. It may not flower at all. University of Florida recommendations suggest you remove the fruits for the first few year. It’s tough to do.

Just give your tree normal care and it will produce the fruits you want in time. Call you County Extension Office for a free citrus care guide.

April Plantings for Florida Gardens
Vegetables: Calabaza, cantaloupe, cassava, chayote, cherry tomato, cucumber, dasheen, eggplant, Jerusalem artichoke, jicama, lima bean, malabar spinach, malanga, New Zealand spinach, okra, pepper, roselle, Seminole pumpkin, snap beans, squash, Southern pea, sweet potato, tamarillo, yam and yard-long bean. Flowers: African daisy, ageratum, aster, balsam, begonia, black-eyed Susan, blue daze, browallia, bush daisy, cat's whiskers, celosia, cleome, coleus, coreopsis, cosmos, crossandra, dahlberg daisy, gazania, gaillardia, gerbera, goldenrod, impatiens, Joseph's coat, lantana, lisianthus, marigold, melampodium, Mexican sunflower, moon flower, nicotiana, nierembergia, pentas, periwinkle, porterweed, portulaca, purslane, salvia, sunflower, torenia and zinnia.