Seasonal Planting Guidelines, General tips and Things to look out for

Brendan Wilhelm Community Landscaping

Seasonal Planting and Florida

Nowhere in the country is better for seasonal planting than Florida. The warm, humid climate is ideal for cycling and consistent year-round ornamental gardens. For many new gardeners selecting the right plant for each time of year can be daunting. However, above all else, the objective should be to maximize curb appeal and improve property values. When choosing seasonal plant options, important factors are shade, projected sunlight, soil conditions, and drainage. Knowing every aspect of your lawn will go a long way towards choosing plants that will not only grow but thrive. 

• Keeping Track of the Seasons
• Timing your Planting
• Be Aware of Summer Heat and Winter Frost
• Plant for Colors 
• Use Organic Fertilizers and Minimize Pesticides
• Conserve Water
• Be patient 

When and How to Plant

When going about seasonal planting, the first thing you should keep track of is what season you’re going to plant during and how it will affect the choice. Try planting when the time is right, preferably in fall but prepare for summer heat and winter frost. Know when it’s going to get cold and prepare ahead of time with a sheet of cloth. Protecting against heat is tricky so prepare way ahead of time by planting ornamentals accustomed to Florida’s heat. For example, avoid planting flowers that grow in tropical islands as they won’t do very well when it gets sweltering. Our continental hot and humid climate is different from the tropics. It’s harder to grow plants from the tropics than grow plants from subtropical regions like the American southeast, south Africa, and Australia. It’s also important to note you’ll want to water more during the summer as plants are sensitive to heat.

By far, the most favorable time to plant in the year is definitely in the fall; there are no issues with heat or cold. Planting during fall gives your plants a strong foundation to prepare for summer. Timing is essential when embarking on seasonal planting as it will mean the difference between a beautiful garden or a yard full of decaying shriveled up plants. It’s essential to take your time planting because most will die within a few months of not being planted correctly. If you wish to plant during spring, try doing it when morning temperatures are not forecasted to drop low; 45 to 50 degrees is the crucial threshold. Avoid planting early in spring when it can still get cold as that will ruin the plants and cost you money. 

Cost savings and Care Techniques

Using environmentally friendly landscaping techniques like drip irrigation, mulching, organic fertilizers, and pesticides will not only go a long way towards ensuring the long-term quality growth of your ornamentals. It will also keep the local environment clean of dangerous pollutants and save on maintenance costs. Minimizing potential pollutants is instrumental in achieving this goal. Using organic fertilizers instead of synthetic based ones is great for promoting long term growth. Minimizing Water is also important; mulching and other water conservation techniques like planting Florida friendly plants that use minimal water is another great way of saving on your irrigation costs. 

GreenTech’s Guarantee of Quality

GreenTech is different from other local landscaping companies in that we try our best to prevent plant health care issues before they arise. It’s better to keep a problem from happening in the first place than using precious resources trying to solve it. GreenTech’s team of Sarasota-based horticulturists and other experts will work with you and assist you in this endeavor when it comes to seasonal planting of ornamentals and shrubs. If you have any questions about seasonal planting in SouthWest Florida, don’t hesitate to contact us.  At GreenTech, our specialty is not to solve problems but to solve the things that create problems in the first place.