When planting new plants, there are some key steps you can take to improve your plants ability to better tolerate the summer heat.

1. Choose the correct plants. When deciding which plants to install into your landscape, consider their watering needs before installing them and use that knowledge to choose the correct place to plant them. Always try and group plants with similar watering needs together. Upon fresh installation, your plants will need to be watered more than usual in order to become established. Remember, establishment means your new plants will need to put their roots out into your soil. You want to water deeply to encourage them to do this. By initially watering deeply, you will encourage your new plants’ roots to grow deeper and therefore become more drought-tolerant in the long run. Frequent, shallow watering only encourages fungal growth and shallow roots. An example of frequent, shallow watering is irrigation coming on every morning or evening for 15-20 minutes. This makes them less resistant to drought conditions. Deep watering can easily be achieved by hand watering. You don’t necessarily have to run your irrigation system for hours.
2. Amend your soil. South Florida soils are notorious for being comprised mainly of sand. Sand has virtually no water or nutrient holding capacity. This means that the water and/or fertilizer you apply will not stick around very long- quickly leaching through your soil layers. You can add amendments to your soil that will improve its ability to hold water and nutrients. We sell our Abell’s Mix soil, that contains a ready-to-use balance of ingredients plus a nutrient starter charge and beneficial bacteria- perfect for you to add into your planting areas. Please refer to our Installation Instructions for correct directions on how to do this. Use caution when buying “planting soil” or “potting soil” from other establishments. Soils that are too black and heavy often contain too much muck (100% decomposed organic matter) and can often keep your plants roots too wet when water is abundant or too dry (it will constrict and be difficult to re-wet) when water is less readily available. Soils labeled as “potting soil” are often very light mixes that will dry out rapidly and are almost impossible for you to keep moist enough to satisfy your plants' needs. In my opinion, one of the best things you can do to combat drought stress is amend your soil correctly.
3. Avoid the use of liquid fertilizers and choose a time-release/controlled-release one instead. When you use liquid fertilizers, it’s such a quick release of nutrients that plants take it up too quickly and will utilize it by pushing out very lush, too tender, new growth. This may seem like a good idea, but remember, South Florida has no dormant period. Plants grow year-round here. If you want your plants to have a healthy, long life, help them to grow strong by using a controlled-release fertilizer. Lush, new growth is extremely dependent on water because its stems and leaves grow so quickly and softly due to the quick rush of nutrients in the liquid fertilizer- they're not "tough" enough to effectively support themselves. Instead, choose a time-release/controlled release fertilizer that will release nutrients slowly to your plants so they are able to grow at a steadier rate thereby producing stronger, sturdier shoots and leaves. This will essentially give them the ability to withstand drought conditions more successfully.
4. Add mulch to your planting beds. By top-dressing with mulch, you are providing an insulation layer to help keep moisture in your soil where you want it. In addition, another great benefit is that as the mulch breaks down over time, the organic particles will make their way into your soil profile and add to the water and nutrient holding capacity that was mentioned earlier. Organic additions to your soil (in correct proportions) can help build a marvelous soil environment! Just remember to always keep mulch away from the stems of plants. Mulch should never touch the stems, this causes fungus and rot.

This year South Florida is experiencing colder than usual temperatures and we have received a lot of questions regarding “winterizing” plants. Here are a few tips to help your plants handle the cooler temperatures.

Keep your plants healthy all year by staying on a good fertilization schedule. The healthier your plants are to begin with the hardier they will be. Discontinue use of fast-release fertilizers between the months of October-March. You don’t want to encourage new growth that can be easily damaged in very cold weather.

A good 24-48 hours before you expect temperatures below 45°F, water your plants thoroughly. This will help to insulate their tissues. You DO NOT want to water your plants past 3 pm because it’s the moisture left on the leaves that can do damage.

If you have very delicate plants you fear will perish or get severely damaged- you may cover them with a cloth sheet provided there is not an excess of wind. Putting a cloth cover on a plant in very windy conditions may protect it from the temperature, but it will result in major mechanical damage from the sheets beating against the leaves. The sheets must be removed promptly the next morning- the moment the sun begins to rise.

We DO NOT advise insulating your planting beds with hay- it may help temporarily in the cold but you will have so many weeds once the warmer temperatures return that you will want to start the bed over just to eliminate the weeds. You can however apply fresh, clean mulch. This will help insulate the roots and keep your plants warm. We carry mulch certified by the Florida Mulch Council as having NO arsenic, NO construction debris and is comprised of completely virgin wood.

If you have plants you would like to save in containers, bring them into a garage or tuck them in a corner close to your house. Portable plants can easily be saved if they are of a manageable weight.

If you do have plants that get hit hard by cold, don’t be quick to assume they are dead. A lot of plants can recover come spring. They will just need to be trimmed and fertilized and they should flush with fresh growth. Unfortunately with some of the more delicate winter annuals like impatiens and begonias, if you see the leaves have “melted” (the cells in their leaves freeze and pop easily making them appear as though they have melted) they will probably not recover. I know a lot of South Florida gardeners get disheartened to see your babies get damaged in the unusual cold- but enjoy the fact we still have a lot more green than our neighbors to the north do. You can look forward to a beautiful spring!

We feel it is best to wait until after October 15 to plant your winter annuals. You want to wait for the worst of the heat, most intense sunlight and humidity to pass. Waiting for the correct time to plant gives your plants an optimum chance to look their best all season- which is everyone's goal. When planting, choose plants that are symmetrical, not too large or small and that are appealing to you. Plant them in good soil like our Abell's Mix Soil #9 and never apply any type of fertilizer except Nutricote 13-13-13. Keep in mind that when using our soil, the fertilizer is already incorporated into it for you, nothing additional is needed.

Mulching is fine but you always keep the mulch away from the stem and leaves. If the stem and/or leaves lay against the mulch, that provides the perfect opportunity for pathogens to attack your plant and lead to its early demise. If you have experienced problems in the past with your plants rotting early on, it may be wise to treat your bed with a product called Consan before planting your new ones. This product is a natural algaecide, bactericide, fungicide and its use can prevent pathogenic infection of your new plants.

We're so appreciative that you've chosen to purchase your winter annuals from us. It is our goal to provide you with the absolute best product of the highest quality for your money spent. We wish you a wonderful fall/winter season and happy planting!