The Neighborhood Gardener – June
Happy summer gardening!
Florida Weed ID
Knowing how to manage and prevent weed intrusion is an important part of integrated pest management (IPM). Gardening Solutions has an extensive list of common weeds, and identifying plant pests is the first step to managing them effectively. In this article, we share new videos from Dr. Chris Marble, UF/IFAS Weed Specialist, that can help you identify Florida's most common weeds. And if your weed isn't on the list we have plenty more resources for you! See the video gallery and more.
Salt-Tolerant Plants
This month we celebrate World Oceans Day! And with a longer coastline than any state except Alaska, Florida has a lot of miles to celebrate. If you're one of the many Floridians who lives within a couple miles of the ocean, you've probably had your heart broken by a plant that wasn't salt-tolerant enough. Our newest plant list of salt-tolerant plants has plenty of alternatives for you.
DIY Simple Microirrigation
Because Florida experiences rainy and dry seasons, our irrigation needs change throughout the year. For home gardeners with foodscapes, small raised beds, or newly planted trees, microirrigation systems can save a lot of trips with the watering can. In this tutorial, we'll show you how to set up a simple drip tube or soaker hose system.
Wendy's Wanderings
You probably have heard the quote, "The grass is greener on the other side of the fence." And you may have heard "The grass is greener where you water it." During a dry spring in Florida, both are true. Yes, the grass is greener where you water it, but are you watering the right way for your turf or do you need to irrigate at all? The second Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ principle is water efficiently. Drought-tolerant grasses go into dormancy during dry spells. They grow more slowly or turn brown until conditions are favorable for growth and that's OK. Wendy has tips on drought proofing your lawn.
MGV Book Club
Attention Florida MGV Book Club members! Mark your calendars for Friday, June 18th at 1:00 p.m. and join us for a live meeting with Jono Miller, author of "The Palmetto Book." This year we're asking members to pre-register for the Zoom webinar to enhance the security of our book club meetings. See the announcement at the top of this article for a link to pre-register and learn more about the book club.
Plant of the Month: Mangroves
A keystone species providing essential services, mangroves act as the base for the entire estuarine community. Occasionally referred to as the "kidneys of the coast," mangroves are magnificent filters and maintain necessary water clarity for offshore corals and near shore seagrasses. The 1996 Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act prohibits trimming or alteration of mangroves on publicly owned lands and sets specific limits for trimming or removal of mangroves on private property. Learn more about mangroves.
June in Your Garden
Flowering plants that can take full sun during the increasingly hot summer months include celosia, portulaca, vinca, pentas, and some coleus. In the edible garden, plant pigeon peas, sweet potatoes, and tropical vegetables. Numerous municipalities in Florida prohibit the application of fertilizer to lawns and/or landscape plants during the summer rainy season (June–September). See if such an ordinance exists in your area.
For more month-by-month gardening tips, check out the Florida Gardening Calendar. Three different editions of the calendar provide specific tips for each of Florida's gardening regions—North, Central, and South.
What's Going On?
If your Master Gardener Volunteer program or Extension office is having an event, be sure to share it with us.