Vegetables

February Calendar

Average temperature High 74 Low 51

Rainfall 2.35 inches

Central Florida’s average last frost date; February 15.

What to plant

Vegetables: Plant through mid-month; beets, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, collards, endive, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, peas, potatoes, radishes, Swiss chard and turnips. After mid-month plant; beans, cantaloupe, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, luffa, peppers, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes and watermelon.

Flowers: Alyssum, aster, baby's breath, bacopa, begonia, candytuft, carnation, calendula, coneflower, coreopsis, cosmos, dahlia, delphinium, dianthus, diascia, dichondra, dusty miller, false heather, four o'clock, gaillardia, gaura, gazania, geranium, gerbera, Johnny-jump-up, lobelia, million bells, nasturtium, pansy, petunia, rose, salvia, snapdragon, Stokes aster, sweet pea, and yarrow.

Herbs: Anise, basil, borage, chives, dill, fennel, lemon balm, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, sweet marjoram, tarragon, and thyme.

Bulbs: African iris, amaryllis, Amazon lily, Asiatic lily, blackberry lily, blood lily, bulbine, caladium, canna, crinum, day lily, gladiolus, gloriosa lily, Louisiana iris, society garlic, spider lily, rain lily.

Lawn care

• Zoysia and Bahiagrass lawns turned brown due to cold; no special care is needed at this time.

• Mow zoysia lawn to recommended height of two inches and remove thick thatch.

• Those brown spots in lawns are likely weeds; remove and resod when grass is available.

• One way to control weeds is with regular mowing to reduce them to the height of the lawn.

• Cool season weeds can also be spot treated with herbicides as labeled for your lawn type.

• When previous brown patch disease has been noted, apply fungicide for lawns according to label instructions.

• Crabgrass preventers can be applied mid-month to stop annual warm seasonal weeds from germinating.

• Do not use crabgrass preventers if you plan to resod, seed or need runner growth.

• Seeding of ryegrass for a temporary lawn is over; most permanent lawns should recover soon.

• Tan to brown cold damaged blades can be left or raked from lawns as growth begins.

• Delay feedings of centipede and zoysia lawns until they regreen for spring in April.

• Inspect irrigation systems; check for clogged or broken sprinkler heads and adjust as needed.

• Check rain shut-off devices to ensure they are working correctly.

• Sod or plug new lawns; begin seeding after mid-month.

• Turf is hard to establish in shady sites; consider another ground cover.

• Take time to have a soil acidity test made and readjust the soil pH if needed.

• Aeration can help older and overfertilized lawns with compacted soils, nematodes or hard to wet soils.

• Service lawn care equipment before spring arrives.

Vegetable & Fruit Gardening

• Frosts and freezes have ended many warm season crops; remove declining plants.

• Prepare gardens by tilling in organic matter with sandy and previously planted sites.

• Hurry to plant the last of the cool season vegetables in early February.

• Start seeds of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants now to have transplants by March.

• Prune cold damage from tropical tree and shrub type fruiting plants as needed.

• Bananas and papayas may have been frozen and need heavy pruning or replanting

• Pineapples may yellow their leaves and need major pruning but the plants should survive.

• Prune all deciduous fruit trees and vines as soon as possible.

• Learn how to thin peach & nectarine trees to obtain the best production.

• Plant container gardens to enjoy vegetables and herbs on porches and patios.

• Fertilize, groom and harvest herbs to keep them producing, dry and store extras.

• Warm season vegetables planted in late February are likely to need cold protection.

• Support vining crops by tying the vines to a stake or trellis.

• Plant additional fruiting trees, shrubs and vines.

• Purchase new seeds for the garden early to obtain the best selections

• Check with your University of Florida Extension office for new and better fruit varieties.

• Pine bark fines can be used to help adjust the soil acidity for blueberry plantings.

• Feed all fruit producing trees, shrubs and vines in late February.

• Use fallen leaves to form pathways, add a mulch to gardens or make compost.

• Sharpen, shovels, hoes and pruners to have them ready for spring planting and plant care.

In the landscape

• Take an inventory of cold damaged plants that may need to be replaced.

• Prune cold damage plants when you cannot stand seeing the brown leaves and branches.

• Plants may continue to decline due to cold so keep the pruners handy

• Perennials may be dead to the ground but should begin growth with warmer weather.

• Prune all but late winter and spring blooming trees and shrubs as needed.

• Reshape overgrown and out of bounds plantings including hedges.

• Only prune seed heads, small stems and suckers from crape myrtles.

• Prune ornamental grasses to within a foot or two of the ground before growth begins.

• Remove declining fronds and fruiting stalks from palms; leave the good green foliage.

• Give all but climbing roses a first of the year pruning around mid-month.

• Trim climbing roses after spring blooms to only remove dead or out of bounds shoots.

• Look for Florida bulbs to plant at garden centers to obtain the best selection.

• Move poinsettias to the landscape on warm days and apply a slow release fertilizer.

• Begin landscape tree, shrub and flower feedings if needed for growth and foliage color.

• Feed container gardens every other week or use a slow release fertilizer.

• Replant declining container gardens.

• Start seeds of warm season annuals and long-lasting perennials.

• Maintain a mulch around trees starting a foot from the trunks; six inches from shrubs.

• Prepare new flower beds; add organic matter to sandy soil.

• Plant bare root and container grown trees, shrubs and vines.

• Begin every other week feeding of orchids by month’s end or apply a slow release fertilizer.

• Start compost piles from leaves and yard debris plus thin layers of soil and a little fertilizer.

• Divide and transplant perennials.

• Clean lily ponds to prepare for spring growth.

Foliage and house plant care

• Many outdoor foliage plants show signs of decline: remove affected portions as needed.

• Replace severely cold damaged foliage plants when the weather warms.

• Check previous indoor plant additions for mites and insects.

• Most holiday plants can be grown outdoors when the weather warms.

• Give Christmas and holiday cactus a bright spot in the home; water when they start to dry.

• Remove faded flowers and stalks from forced amaryllis bulbs; add the bulbs to the garden.

• When indoor orchid flowers fade, move the plants outside to a warm shady site.

• Groom indoor foliage to remove old leaves, faded flowers and declining portions.

• Trim indoor topiaries and tree like plants to control size and shape.

• Feed all container plantings.

What To Do In Your Backyard In November

November vegetable garden, Leu Gardens, Winter Park. 

Average temperature: High 79 Low 59

Rainfall: 2.32 inches

Daylight Savings Time Change on November 3, 2024

What to plant

Vegetables: Beet, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, Chinese cabbage, collard, endive, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, onion, pea, radicchio, radish, rhubarb, rutabaga, spinach, Swiss chard and turnip.

Flowers: Ageratum, alyssum, baby's breath, black-eyed Susan, bush daisy, calendula, California poppy, candytuff, carnation, cat's whiskers, chrysanthemum, cleome, cornflower, delphinium, dianthus, dusty miller, foxglove, gaillardia, geranium, goldenrod, heliotrope, hollyhocks, Iceland poppy, impatiens, larkspur, lobelia, ornamental cabbage & kale, pansy, petunia, phlox, salvia, shasta daisy, snapdragon, stock, sweet pea, verbena, viola and wax begonias.

Herbs: Anise, arugula, basil, borage, chive, cardamon, chervil, cilantro, coriander, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, lavender, lemon balm, lovage, Mexican tarragon, mint, nasturtium, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, sweet marjoram, thyme and watercress.

Bulbs: African iris, amaryllis, anemone, bulbine, crinum, day lily, rain lily, ranunculus, society garlic, spider lily and narcissus; refrigerated Dutch iris, tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and similar bulbs needing a cold treatment before flowering.

Grasses: Lomandra Breeze, Lomandra ‘Lime Tuff’ (or Tough), Miscanthus ‘Adagio’, Muhly Grass, Dwarf Fakahatchee, White Fountain Grass, Lemon Grass.

Lawn care

  • Many lawns have thinned due to September’s rain and the hurricanes, provide extra attention to help recovery.

  • Fall is a good time to sod or plug problem areas in lawns; delay bahiagrass seeding until spring.

  • Complete fall feedings with a low phosphorus fertilizer during early November.

  • Less water is needed during cool weather; reduce waterings to when the grass begins to wilt.

  • Lawn watering is limited to once a week in most areas when Eastern Standard Time returns.

  • Water lawns separately from trees and shrubs that need less moisture.

  • Repair and adjust sprinklers to water efficiently

  • Chinch bug and caterpillar control may still be needed during warm fall weather.

  • Your turf may not need a complete fertilizer with nitrogen. Have lawn soil tested by the University of Florida lab to ensure proper feeding.

  • Lawns low in potassium can be given extra winter protection with a late month application.

  • Brown patch disease can be severe in zoysia; treat this month or when first noted.

  • Apply herbicides for your lawn type if needed for broadleaf and sedge weed control.

  • Continue mowing at normal heights.

  • Aerate hard to wet, compacted and nematode infected soils.

  • Sow ryegrass in barren areas for a temporary lawn starting in late November.

  • Remove and compost fallen leaves on turfgrass.

  • Fill in shady problem spots with ornamental ground covers.

Landscape plantings

  • Renew mulches to keep height at 3” – 4” to help conserve water during the drier months ahead.

  • Most pruning should be completed this month to allow new growth to mature before winter.

  • Only remove declining fronds and flower or fruiting stalks from palms to maintain vigor.

  • Palm diseases may be spread by pruners; disinfect at least between palms.

  • Remove declining warm season flowers and replace with the cool season flowers.

  • Work organic matter into flower beds and replace soil in planters before planting.

  • Slow release fertilizers are the best way to feed flower beds and containers.

  • Extend chrysanthemum life; remove faded flowers, keep the soil moist and feed lightly.

  • Make sure poinsettias receive no nighttime light; keep the soil moist and feed monthly.

  • Established trees and shrubs need infrequent watering; moisten only during the dry times.

  • Flower beds need watering when the surface soil begins to dry to the touch.

  • Scale insects have been heavy this year on shrubs and foliage plants; use a natural pesticide oil or spray.

  • Leaf spots and die-back are normal on many trees and perennials as they prepare for winter.

  • Cooler months provide the ideal time to move small trees and shrubs in the landscape.

  • Check braces and supports added to new trees, palms and shrubs.

  • Hurricane season ends November 30; select small sturdy trees for new plantings

  • Remove limbs and weeds interfering with sprinklers.

  • Complete all tree, palm and shrub feedings by mid-month.

  • Collect and refrigerate favorite flower seeds in plastic bags and store in the refrigerator.

  • Hurry to create wildflower plantings that won’t flower until spring.

  • Reduce feedings of orchids and bromeliads in the landscape as the weather cools.

  • Divide perennials and bulbs

  • Form compost piles to recycle yard waste.

  • Be prepared to cover or move cold sensitive plants to a warm location.

  • Fill hard to mow and problem areas with shrubs and ground covers.

  • Clean birdbaths and prepare feeders for winter.

  • Reduce feedings of water garden plantings

Vegetable & fruit gardening

  • Remove declining crops and plant the cool season vegetables

  • Herbs like the cooler weather; begin new plantings and revive older ones.

  • Start seeds of broccoli, cauliflower, collards, onions and similar to produce transplants.

  • Cool season vegetables can be added to the garden until February.

  • Add a few vegetable plants to the garden each month to have a continual supply.

  • The dry season is here; water when the surface soil begins to dry to the touch.

  • Improve sandy soils with garden soil, compost, peat moss and composted manure.

  • Feed the garden every 3 to 4 weeks with composted manure or a general garden fertilizer.

  • Stake or trellis taller growing crops to prevent wind damage and pests.

  • Maintain a mulch between plants and rows to conserve water and control weeds.

  • Caterpillars have been feeding in the garden; hand pick or use natural controls.

  • Give bananas and pineapples a final fall feeding with a general garden fertilizer.

  • Many early citruses are ready to harvest; use the taste test to tell when they are ripe.

  • Feeding time for citrus and other fruit trees is over.

  • Water citrus trees once or twice each week during the dry times.

  • Add new citrus or other fruiting trees to the landscape.

  • Sow papaya seeds to over winter in containers.

  • Delay all fruit tree pruning until late January or February.

Foliage and house plant care

  • Plant narcissus and amaryllis bulbs in containers to begin growth for holiday blooms.

  • Remember, no nighttime light for holiday plants until they begin to bloom.

  • Water holiday cactus and kalanchoe when the soil dries to the touch; keep poinsettias moist.

  • Wash away dust and plant pests with a soapy water solution

  • Check and treat outdoor plants for insects before bringing them indoors.

  • Discontinue or reduce foliage plant feedings every other month.

  • Begin bringing cold sensitive foliage plants indoors.