Condo Gardening Tips

March 2007

By Gene Joyner, Extension Agent
Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension Service

This month you should do the first major feeding of the year on all outside landscaping. Also include turf fertilization and if you have a weed problem you can apply weed killers to turf areas to remove dollarweed and other troublesome weeds.

Many plants are going through a transition now from winter to spring and you may see increased leaf loss on larger trees as they shed last year’s old leaves and come out with their spring new growth. New growth is very attractive to many types of insect so be alert that for the next several weeks insect activity could be on the increase in your landscaping.

If you wish to install landscaping or change out areas that are not doing well, this is an ideal time to do it and many local nurseries have excellent inventories for you to choose from. Make sure any new plantings are irrigated or daily or every other day until they become well established and use mulches wherever practical in the landscape to help cut down weed competition for the upcoming season.

The Extension Service will be having condo field days this spring and one has been set already for Wednesday, April 18, from 9 to 11 a.m. at the 2000 Condo on Sloan’s Curve on Palm Beach. You should be receiving a flier for that towards the end of March. If not, contact my office and we can send one to you.

These walk throughs are excellent opportunities to inspect condo grounds and see typical problems and the solutions that I offer for correcting them. These are free walk throughs and everyone who attends generally has a very good time.

If you have questions about maintenance activities at this time of year or just need some help with a recurring problem, you can always call the Extension Service for free advice at any time. In the north and central county area dial 233-1750 or the south county 276-1260.