Spring!!

Even though in other parts of the country people are still shivering, here in Southwest Florida spring has definitely arrived.

If you have any plumeria in your yard (you may know them as "frangipani"), you may have noticed the tips of the branches glistening, and little "claws" starting to emerge. They are waking up from their winter dormancy and soon people will not be wondering anymore why you have those dead-looking sticks in your yard, but will marvel at the gorgeous blooms.

However, to achieve maximum results, NOW is the time to fertilize your trees! My personal favorite is a timed-release granular 13-13-13 fertilizer, available at garden centers as ‘Dynamite’. And rather than sprinkling it around the base of the plant, poke a few inch-wide holes in the soil around the base and pour a tablespoonful of fertilizer in each. It will prevent the weeds from stealing most of the plant-food! With this method there is no run-off – making it an environmentally responsible method.

This will fertilize your plants for the entire growing season; and I supplement it only with some horse manure when I can get my hands on it.

Enjoy your spring!