Tips for Maintenance

1. Irrigation

  • Use microirrigation or hand water whenever possible
  • Water early in the morning
  • Water when plants show signs of wilt or heat stress
  • Water more thoroughly less often

2. Fertilizer

  • If you are happy with your plant’s appearance, don’t fertilize
  • Use slow release fertilizer
  • Don’t fertilize before a heavy rain
  • Don’t use weed and feed products

3. Pest Control

  • Conduct regular scouting for pests
  • Remove affected leaves and plant parts and pick insects off by hand
  • Only 1% of all insects are pests
  • Spot treat with pesticide only if absolutely necessary

4. Weed Control

  • Hand-pull weeds
  • Spot treat with herbicide only when necessary; use a spray shield
  • Use organic weed killer

5. Pruning

  • Prune dead and broken branches
  • Maintain the natural plant shape
  • Overpruning can decrease flower production

6. Practices to Attract Bees

  • Limit cloth fabric and plastic sheets in your bee garden as these will limit bee nesting sites. If you use heavy mulches, keep some amount of area near the bee garden in a light mulch or relatively bare ground. Many native bees nest below the ground in tunnels or cavities like abandoned rodent nests and need bare or lightly covered soil. If you see a small mound of dirt with an entrance/exit hole on top, you may have a friendly resident!
  • Learn more: Attracting Native Bees to Your Florida Landscape