Rotating Extension Article

By: Daniel E. Mullins

Extension Horticulture Agent

Santa Rosa County

Late Season Gardening Questions

The season has changed from the hot, muggy days of summer to the cool, clear days of fall. With the weather change, gardeners are active once again and questions are pouring into the local Extension office. Following are some that are typical at this time of year.

Q. Is it too late to lay sod?

A. Sod can be laid year round in our area. Northern Gulf Coast winters are relatively mild and some root growth occurs even during our cool season. Obviously, sod should not be laid just ahead of a hard freeze.

Q. I would like to plant some flowers for winter color. Which ones can be established in the fall?

A. These flowers are hardy enough to be planted in the fall: petunia, pansy, China Doll carnation, Digitalis, snapdragon and Shasta daisy. You will find them offered as bedding plants at local garden centers.

Q. Is it too late to fertilize my lawn?

A. In North Florida, we do not recommend fertilizing centipede grass after August or fertilizing St. Augustine later than September. Fertilizing late in the year with a high nitrogen containing product can stimulate tender growth and result in winter kill.

Q. My banana plants have produced fruit. I don’t know when to harvest them or how to handle the fruit after harvest. Any advice?

A. Though not common, established banana plants sometime produce fruit in North Florida. Bunches should be harvested when the fruit is plump but before it turns yellow. Watch the weather and complete harvest before night temperatures drop to 50 degrees F. Hang them in a cool, shady place until ripening. The optimum temperature for ripening is 62 to 68 degrees F.

Q. I have been told that mole crickets are infesting my lawn. How can I control them?

A. Fall is not a good time to control mole crickets. By this time of year they are full sized adults, tough and very mobile. Depending upon the product used mid-spring to early summer is the best time for controlling them.

For the most complete information about mole cricket control in Florida visit http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/LH039 or contact your local Extension office.

Q. Is it okay to allow fallen leaves to remain on the lawn through the winter?

A. A few scattered leaves on the lawn would probably have no ill effects. However, don’t allow them to collect to the point that the grass is completely covered with one or more layers of leaves. Such a covering could retain excessive soil moisture, resulting in disease.

Q. My shrubs have become too large and need pruning. Can pruning be done in the fall?

A. This is the worst time of year to do major pruning of ornamental shrubs. Azaleas, camellias, forsythia, spirea and other early flowering shrubs have already formed their flower buds by now. Fall pruning greatly decreases the amount of flowering the following spring.

Also delay the heavy pruning of broadleaved evergreens such as hollies and summer flowering shrubs such as crape myrtles until late winter. Fall pruning of these sometimes stimulates new growth during the winter, which can be damaged by low temperatures.

Q. I am considering the establishment of a few pecan trees. What varieties are recommended for this area and how far apart should they be planted?

A. Recommended cultivars for dooryard planting in North Florida are Elliott, Stuart, Curtis and Moreland. Though they are planted at closer spacings in commercial orchards, plant them sixty feet apart in the home landscape. Note: Check the depth of the hole when transplanting young pecan trees. There is a tendency to set them too deep, which can result in stunting and eventual death. The upper most root should be even with the top of the ground or slightly below the ground when the job is done.