Lawn care in Florida is a no-break activity. The state is pleasantly warm in winter and requires a relatively good amount of effort on keeping the lawn healthy. You can’t get careless just because it’s winter.
We prepared a quick guide answering the major questions about lawn care in Florida during the winter months. If you live in Florida, you must grab a cup of coffee and paying undivided attention to this.
1. Everything about watering the lawn in winter
The majority of states in America are covered with thick layer of snow and therefore, watering the garden isn’t much required over there. Not in Florida. Here you must water the lawn at least twice a week. In case, you’re experiencing a fairly wet week, reduce the frequency.
It’s important to water at the right time of the day. Never water the lawn between 10 A.M to 4 P.M. Try to do it early morning so that the water is adequately absorbed by the shrubs and plants while the excess of it gets evaporated. You can also opt for the evening time, but we recommend you to stick to the morning schedule.
For how long should you water the lawn? It depends on different months. Approximately, you must water your lawn for 10 minutes in February, 10 minutes in January, 16 minutes in December and 17 minutes in March. Make sure you notice the change in weather during December and March and adjust accordingly.
2. What’s the right height for the grass?
Just like there’s no relief from watering the lawn in Florida during winter, there’s no relief in mowing it either. Make sure you mow your lawn regularly and to the right height.
More the height, better it is (unless you go overboard and let a jungle grow in your backyard). Grass with more height has a deeper root system and is healthier. Therefore, you must not cut the grass too short. If you do that, all the nutrition and energy would be spent on growing the blades and root system will suffer, making the grass weak and unhealthy.
3. What kind of damage excess water can do to your lawn?
Florida weather gets unpredictable sometimes. Even though months of February are quite dry, sometimes there’s rainfall which may lead to excess water in your garden. It may also happen because of your negligence and excess of watering.
This is highly dangerous for your lawn and is a big no-no for lawn care in Florida. Stagnant water induces mildew and mold growth.
4. How dangerous is debris?
If there are dry leaves or twigs on your lawn, remove them immediately. If not taken care of, they will decay there and suck off the nutrition of your lawn. The grass won’t be able to get required amount of sunlight, as it’s covered with these decayed leaves and may also face mold growth.
5. What to plant?
If you want to plant some flowers in the month of February, go for pansies, dianthus, dahlias, star magnolia, violas and red maples. If you’re thinking of planting some trees, choose species that can withstand hurricanes like cypresses and oaks. It’s also a great time to plant fruit trees as this dry weather would help them focus on root growth.
If you already have fruit trees in your garden, prune them. Also, focus on pest control for trees are highly susceptible to pest attacks during this time. In case, you are running out of time and need quick assistance, you can call for lawn care professionals to give you a hand.
Lawn care in Florida during the winter season is a lot of work as compared lawn care in winter for other states of America, but if you pay prompt attention and be consistent, you will feel fantastic to have a great lawn in a lovely country.
Are you facing some serious issue with your lawn? Tell us. Maybe we can help!
