UF/IFAS Okeechobee County Extension Service

458 Highway 98 North

Okeechobee, FL 34972-2578

Phone: (863) 763-6469

E- mail:  dfculbert@ifas.ufl.edu

September 22, 2004

Feature Article - for release the week of September 26, 2004

Dan Culbert - Extension Horticulture Agent

Getting back to Green

Part of our hurricane recovery efforts should include a few steps to help our battered landscapes begin their road to recovery.  Today’s column will give readers a few pointers that can help get your Florida Yard back to some kind of normal.

Prepare for outdoor work

Before embarking on your Florida Yard cleanup chores, be sure that you are prepared for the sun (with sun block) and wear appropriate protective clothing, such as hats, long pants, and full covering on your feet.  I’ve been wrestling with bougainvillea and rose bushes – both of which are much easier to deal with when long sleeve shirts and gloves are worn.  Safety goggles will keep sawdust out of your eyes when using a chainsaw. 

Prevent Mosquitoes

It has been reported in the Stuart News that the Martin County Extension office is providing  insecticide for mosquito control.  We have been asked if our office is also giving it out -- We are not.  Our county health department is choosing to make the necessary applications with Pre-strikeTM and AltosideTM (products containing methoprene) for larval control.  They will also make aerial applications of dibrom (naled) when adult mosquito populations reach high levels in urban areas of Okeechobee, Basinger and Fort Drum.

 Mosquitoes will continue to be a problem in this area with all of our standing water.  Homeowners could reduce some mosquitoes around their homes by the purchase and use of larvicides and aerial sprays, but there will be a lot more than that coming in from water found in open areas.  Personal protection may be a better approach. 

Remember the 5Ds for mosquito protection: avoid being outside during Dawn and Dusk, use DEET-containing insect repellents, Drain any standing containers of water, and Dress with loose, light colored clothing.  (See my June 28 article for more on this topic.)

Limb removal and corrective pruning

If you have “leaners” that are worth saving, they can be staked and then add soil and water to cover exposed roots.  Contact our office to learn more details on what kinds of ties and stakes work best to prevent damage from rubbing support wires. 

By now, larger tree limbs have been cut and removed to the yard debris piles.  However, there may be some additional pruning that can be done to trees and shrubs to encourage healthy regrowth.  Be sure to look up in the canopy for “widow makers” – large braches that are hung up in branches that can cause injury if they fall. 

For smaller branches, look for new bud growth to show where pruning cuts should be made – they should always be cut back into living green wood.  Inspect bark for tears and rips and examine braches for evidence of twisted stems to help you decide where other cuts should be made.  Direct regrowth away from buildings and powerlines by choosing which bud will be the new terminal end for a stem.  Ask our office for the UF bulletin on pruning trees and shrubs, review this link, or call our Master Gardeners for additional help.

 Lawn Fertilization

Fall is normally a good time to apply a complete granular fertilizer to your lawn.  But with the recent hurricane and the flooding rains that we have felt, it is an even better idea to make this application to support new growth and prepare your grass for winter.  Choose a granular product that contains as little phosphorus (the middle number) as possible, such as a 15-0-15, and look for fertilizers that contain half or more of the nutrients in organic or slow release forms.  Apply at the rate of no more than 1 pound of actual nitrogen per 1000 square feet of turf area.  Better fertilizers may cost more, but will be less likely to wash away into canals and the Lake. Click here for more tips on turf recovery after a hurricane.

Landscape Plant Fertilization

As new growth begins to appear on trees and shrubs, you may find that landscape plants are also seeking nutrients to support new growth.  Don’t delay these applications too long into the fall months, as late fertilizer applications can encourage new growth into the winter months, making plants susceptible to freeze damage.   Plants located near areas where lawn grasses are being fertilized may not need additional fertilizers.   However, some of our specialty ornamentals would benefit from specialty fertilizers: dooryard fruit and citrus trees, palms, and acid-loving plants (e.g. gardenias, hibiscus, and azaleas) are those that are common in our area.

There are many other useful tips in dealing with storm recovery available from the University of Florida.  Individual fact sheets are available in printed from our office, or if you have a computer, look at our county Extension Disaster Recovery website at:  http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu/Hurricane%20Recovery.htm .  Farmers and businesses are invited to an information meeting about hurricane disaster recovery, to be held this Wednesday September 29th, from 9 am to 1 pm at the Okeechobee KOA.

If you need additional information for Florida Yard recovery, email us at okeechobee@ifas.ufl.edu.  Area residents can call us at 863-763-6469 or stop by our office at 458 Hwy 98 North in Okeechobee. You can visit Okeechobee County Master Gardeners on Tuesday afternoons from 1 to 5 PM on Tuesday afternoons.  

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References

Black, Robert.   Caring for Hurricane-Damaged Home Landscape Plants.  Gainesville: UF/IFAS Extension Service, Fact Sheet ENH 110. February 2000.  http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EP066

The Disaster Handbook   Gainesville:  University of Florida November 2003. http://www.disaster.ifas.ufl.edu/

Palmer, Dave.  Disaster Preparation & Recovery Information.   Seffner: UF/IFAS Hillsborough Co. Extension Service, September, 2004.  http://district4.extension.ifas.ufl.edu/disaster.htm   This website contains links to many good sources of information.

Trade names, where used, are given for the purpose of providing specific information. They do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of products named, nor does it imply criticism of products not named. The Florida Cooperative Extension Service - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin.  Florida Cooperative Extension Service / IFAS / University of Florida.  Larry A.  Arrington, Dean This page is maintained by  Dan Culbert   Hit Counter