The Miami Herald > Living > Home & Garden > Gardening

Gardening

Logout

Member Center

Weather Forecast

Posted on Tuesday, 01.01.08

Interactive Garden Calendar

« Previous
Page 3 of 4
Next »

Vegetables to plant: Cantaloupes, mustard, okra, onions, pole beans, radish, snap beans, summer squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, watermelon.

Slideshow | What's blooming in March

What's blooming in April: Lychee trees; wild pine bromeliads; lobster claw heliconias; shaving brush trees and jacarandas

Watch for lubber grasshoppers to hatch; step on them when they're tiny and you can terminate many with one stomp.

Remain vigilant: Continued dry weather means spider mites are still around.

Replace impatiens with pentas, gillardias or reed-stem orchids, salvia or another hardier and less thirsty plant.

Weed around trees and shrubs and apply a new layer of mulch to a depth of 3 or 4 inches. Keep it from touching the trunks.

Vegetables to plant: Lima beans, pole beans, snap beans, Southern peas, summer squash.

Slideshow | What's blooming in April

What's blooming in May: Tabebuias; African tulip trees; jacarandas; royal poincianas; Texas wild olives; lignum vitae; apple blossom cassia; Bahama cassia; Cassia barkeriana; Rangoon creeper and forest bells (Tecomanthe dendrophila)

Prepare for the rainy season to begin and gardening to ensue.

Make cuttings of vines, shrubs, such as crotons, pentas and other woody perennials; snip off a few inches of new growth and remove the bottom leaves; plant in a 50-50 mix of peat moss and Perlite; place the containers in shade and keep the medium moist and out of wind. Drop the small pot and cutting into a plastic bag if you wish; zip the top or tie. Beads of moisture will collect on the bag at night. When droplets do not form, rewater the container. After several days or weeks, acclimate the cuttings by opening plastic for a short period each day, until leaves are able to withstand outside conditions.

Watch for May beetles that eat holes in leaves. Put out a white bucket half full of water and beetles will be attracted to the white, fly in and drown.

Thrips on gardenias will cause bud drop. These are tiny black insects that suck juices from unopened flower buds, including orchids. Spray with isopropyl alcohol three days in a row, or use a systemic insecticide.

Vegetables to plant: Black-eyed peas, okra, sweet potatoes, watermelon.

Slideshow | What's blooming in May

What's blooming in June: Marsh pinks; scarlet milkweeds; cocoplum; salvia; ruellia; porterweed and firebush

Plant trees. Planting holes should be (ideally) three times as wide as the rootball and just as deep, so the root crown (where the trunk flares at the base) is at the soil line. Once the tree is properly seated, shovel the fill back around the roots, watering in as you go to prevent air pockets. Make a saucer with excess soil so water will be held over the root zone. Mulch, and water well. Keep the root zone moist for several months.

Mulch newly planted plants, and refresh mulch elsewhere if needed.

Get trees pruned professionally for the hurricane season.

Fertilize plants that are growing rapidly or that are beginning to show some yellow leaves. Use the slow-release palm special and follow package directions.

Save 50% off regular home delivery subscription!
Click here.

Join the discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

Comments (0)