If you want a magnolia, try a ‘Little Gem’

While you will not normally see magnolias in natural areas in Charlotte County, they are a popular flowering tree and are widely planted.  Almost every commercial site has one or two magnolias planted, and many homeowners want one.  The cultivar known as ‘Little Gem’ is a very common variety suitable for our area.  Magnolias are slow-growers and it will take many years for a ‘Little Gem’ to attain its full potential height of around thirty-five feet tall.  The good news is that this variety begins to bloom when it is a couple of years old and barely four-foot tall! We are pushing the natural range of magnolias a bit here in Charlotte County, but they are perfectly hardy all the way down to zone 10a.  So, if you really want a magnolia, ‘Little Gem’ is a good selection.

The normal sized southern magnolia is a huge tree growing over sixty-feet tall.  The leaves are even large – shiny green and up to eight inches in length.  The flowers are enormous as well measuring up to a stunning twelve-inches wide.  The creamy-white flowers are also fragrant and are followed by large, reddish seed pods.  As this tree is stately and needs some space to grow, the normal southern magnolia may not be the best choice for a residential lot.  However, there are over one-hundred varieties of southern magnolias, and ‘Little Gem’ is one cultivar that will definitely fit most yards with the “relatively dwarf” features of reduced stature, four-inch leaves and six-inch flowers. 

Now ideally, this southern magnolia prefers acidic soil – something that we are often lacking in our residential fill soils.  Peaty, moist soils will help ‘Little Gem’ do well in full sun and hot weather.  This tree will tolerate slightly higher pH soil, but truly alkaline soils may cause it not to thrive – check the soil pH before you plant.  Partial shade can be tolerated in somewhat drier conditions.  If plenty of root growing space is provided, this magnolia can be considered moderately drought tolerant.  And speaking of roots, be careful of circling roots and correct them in the root ball at planting so that they do not become girdling roots.

If you look around, some of the magnolias planted are not growing to their fullest capacity in our area.  Site evaluation, tied to good establishment and aftercare, go a long way to ensuring the success of ‘Little Gem’.  So, if a magnolia is a must have in your landscape, check your soil pH and locate yourself a ‘Little Gem’.  For more information on all types of flowering trees suited for our area, please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer.  Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.  Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.

Resources:

Gilman, E. F. & Watson, D. G. (2014) Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem: Southern Magnolia.  Magnolia grandiflora.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS. 

Christman, S. (2006) Magnolia grandiflora.  Floridata.com, Tallahassee, FL.

The Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Guide to Plant Selection and Landscaping Design (2010).   The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS. 

Magnolia grandiflora (2016) http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/img/logoFL.jpg - Florida Plant Atlas. 

A new twist on a common plant

One neat characteristic of some plants is that they come in more than one variety.  When a common green plant comes in a variegated form (white and green or cream and green), this change can jazz up its interest and maybe even cause it to be used it in a different, more ornamental planting situation.  Such is a cultivar of St. Augustine grass called Stenotaphrum secundatum 'Variegata'.  Imagine a St. Augustine grass stripped green and white reminding you more of a common spider plant or variegated liriope.   Now, while you could probably have a whole lawn of this if you wanted, it is so ornamental, that using it in hanging baskets or in decorative pots really fits the bill.

I first heard about variegated St. Augustine grass years ago from a local nurseryman and I was intrigued.  I did imagine a whole lawn of it, but thought it might be more manageable in pots.  I obtained some sprigs of this cultivar about six years ago and have been growing it ever since.  But before I discuss the uses and propagation of variegated St. Augustine grass, I thought that I would look back at the interesting history of this common warm-season turf and how we ended up with it in Florida.    The literature indicates that St. Augustine grass is native to the Gulf of Mexico area, the West Indies and even Western Africa.  As it is very salt-tolerant, St. Augustine has traveled around the tropics and was found in Uruguay, Brazil, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Bermuda and even South Carolina prior to 1800.  St. Augustine was later found in 1840 in both Australia and New Zealand.  By the 1890’s, St. Augustine was introduced into Florida as a turf grass and a pasture grass.  With a few exceptions, St. Augustine is a sterile grass that will not normally produce viable seeds, and as such, is propagated by vegetative means.  The first sterile strain was found in South Africa and was an early unnamed cultivar.  ‘Floratine’ and ‘Bitter Blue’ were some of the first named cultivars developed.    ‘Floratam’, the well-loved cultivar developed by both Florida and Texas Experiment Stations, was released in 1972.  There are other recognized cultivars including dwarf types. 

Variegated St. Augustine grass is just one of those cultivars discovered that had an ornamental appeal and was propagated by horticulturalists.  It roots easily from sprigs with sections of stolon – above ground running stems – where nodes are located.  In a pot, the variegated St. Augustine develops a nice clump of foliage with runners spilling out of the container again reminding one of a spider plant.  Variegated St. Augustine is a natural for hanging baskets, and will provide an ornamental feature throughout the summer.  Overgrown pots of this ornamental turf can be divided into sections and started in new pots.  Variegated St. Augustine, planted in combination with other ornamental annual plants, can make a large planter the center of attention.  Full sun is the preferred location for best color and growth.  St. Augustine grass does best with supplemental watering, so make sure to keep this task in mind.  Occasional applications of a liquid fertilizer during the growing season will keep these wonderful container plants in good shape.

Again, one of the biggest questions is where do you find it?  While this plant may be available from local family-run garden centers, there are many on-line sources for variegated St. Augustine grass – just do a quick search.  Once you have some established plants, you will have plenty to share with your friends and neighbors!  Try this stunning, easy-to-grow ornamental grass today!  For more information on all types of ornamental plants suitable to grow in our area, please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer.  Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.  Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.

Resource:

Duble, R. L. (2016) St. Augustine Grass.  Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A & M System.

Wow-watermelons!

Florida is blessed with weather that allows commercial growers to grow watermelons from December to April.  In fact, Florida is the leading producer of watermelons in the United States.  Many gardeners may consider growing their own watermelons in their backyard.   Proper timing, planning and culture will result in plenty of these spectacular fruits!

Watermelons are related to cucumbers as well as squashes, gourds and pumpkins.  These rapidly growing annual vines have tendrils, hairy stems and yellow flowers that can eventually develop into a watermelon.  The fruit can be various shapes from round to oval, green, with or without stripes, and weigh upward to fifty pounds.  The delicious, sweet flesh is red, pink or yellow and is ready to eat in eighty to one-hundred days.  Some watermelons are seedless and some are seeded and this depends largely on genetics.   Watermelons require a good deal of room as their vines are expansive – up to twenty-four square feet per plant!  Good types of seeded watermelons for Florida include ‘Sugar Baby’, ‘Mickeylee’, ‘Jubilee’, ‘Crimson Sweet’ or ‘Charleston Grey 133”. 

In our area, watermelons can be planted as early as February keeping in mind the possibility of frosty weather and the need for protection.  Another opportunity to plant will come in August or September.  Plant by seed or transplant, being careful not to disturb the roots of transplants.  Select a watermelon growing area in full sun with well-drained soil enriched with compost and standard vegetable granular fertilizer as recommended on the label – watermelons are heavy feeders!   As a rule-of-thumb, space plants thirty-six inches apart in rows eight feet apart.  Provide the proper amount of water, keep the area weeded and look out for pests as needed.  Proper watering will help sustain the growth of the rapidly developing melons.  Don’t be too impatient about picking the ripe watermelons as ripeness can be detected.  Where the melon touches the soil, there will be a pale green to white spot.  When the melon is fully ripe, this spot will change in color to a cream-color or yellow.  A second ripening clue is to look for the tendril (a vine-like curlicue) closest to the melon.  When this tendril turns brown and withers, the melon should be ripe enough to pick. 

It is a good practice to rotate your watermelon crops to new sites each season to avoid pest build-up.  You can also grow “seedless” watermelons.  This type of watermelon requires that you plant a pollinator in addition to the seedless variety for proper development.  Varieties to try include ‘King of Hearts’, 'Supersweet', 'Genesis', 'Crimson Jewel', 'King of Hearts', and 'Tycoon'.

Watermelon are garden treasures that will surely make you want to try growing your own!  For information on all types of vegetables suitable for growing in Southwest Florida, please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer.  Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.  Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.

Resource:

Watermelon (2016) Gardening Solutions – The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS

Maynard D. N. (2003) Growing Seedless Watermelon. The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS

McAvoy, G. (2016) Vegetable Gardening – Vegetable Profiles. The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS – Hendry County

Stephens, J. M. (2015) Watermelon, Seedless—Citrullus lanatus The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS

Rice is nice, but can I grow it?

Sometimes I like to try to grow a plant simply to say I have grown it.  Take for example rice.  Rice is a staple grain grown throughout the world - Florida included.  You can grow rice in your backyard just as novelty or as an annual ornamental grass. 

Most rice varieties are grown in water.   These “wet rice” varieties are adapted to grow in fields of standing water called paddies, but can be grown in normal backyard soils as long as plenty of water is supplied.  Another type called “upland rice” can be grown in normal garden soil conditions.  Rice needs to be grown in a full sun area and will require a minimum of three months to go from seed to harvestable rice.  I have grown a variety called ‘Blue Bonnet’, an upland rice, and ‘Carolina Gold’, a wet type.  ‘Blue Bonnet’ grew vigorously and produced large plants with significant seed heads.  I really did not have enough moisture to grow ‘Carolina Gold’ as a paddy rice, but it still grew and produced under the drier conditions I was able to provide.  Once the seed heads are full and golden in color, they can be cut and bundled by hand for drying.  This in itself makes a nice fall dried grass arrangement for a vase.  Actually threshing and gathering the resulting rice grains is difficult at best.  A final meal of rice was more than I could accomplish. This was purely experimental and just for the fun of it. 

Perhaps curious gardeners or children might try growing rice small-scale in a simple eight-inch pot.  Using normal sterile potting medium available at any garden center, plant several rice seeds per pot, water it in and place the pot(s) in some type of pan that can be filled with two to three inches of water. Maintain the pan water of at least one to one and one-half inches on through the growing season.  Thin the plants so that you have three good rice plants per pot.   Place your rice-growing unit on a sunny lanai or other such screened-in site to keep mosquitoes out of the water-filled pan.  Hopefully, by the end of summer you will have something to show your friends and neighbors, and can brag about your rice-growing skills.

Probably your biggest question is where can I get rice seed?  The ready-to-cook rice found in grocery stores will not work.  However, a quick Internet search will produce a surprising number of sources with several varieties to choose from.  While it may seem to be an ambitious task to grow your own rice, it will amaze and educate you at the same time.  For more information on all types of gardening questions, please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer.  Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.  Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.

Resource:

Eames-Sheavly, M. (1996) Rice- Grain of the Ancients.  Cornell Cooperative Extension, Cornell University.

Cuckoo for cocoplums

When a native plant moves its way into the mainstream nursery trade, that says a lot about how ornamental and successful it can be in your landscape.  The popular cocoplum is a native of South Florida that is a common hedge plant in the warmer parts of Charlotte County.  More plum, than coco, the cocoplum offers a premier evergreen plant that is sure to please. 

The cocoplum is definitely a plant better suited to warmers areas of Charlotte County.  Being a plant listed for hardiness zone 10b and south, the cocoplum can be damaged by frosts and freezes where damage to the leaves can occur at twenty-eight degrees F.  I saw this happen several years ago when a large commercial planting was put in and a hard freeze leveled it to the ground in Port Charlotte.  Some of these cocoplums survived as they were protected in a microclimate and actually grew back bigger and better.   I had one cocoplum in Port Charlotte about the same time and it also froze to the ground never to be seen again.  As such, unless you have a protected area, limit the cocoplums use to the immediate coast which better guarantees a moderating climate.  Many sites in Punta Gorda and along through coastal Englewood seem to be appropriate environments.  In addition to being better suited to warmer coastal areas, many cultivars of cocoplum are well adapted to salty conditions.  This adaptation ranges from the cultivar called ‘Horizontal’ with high salt tolerance to ‘Red Tip’ which is less tolerant.  Cocoplum, as a group, is also very wind resistance and does well in coastal conditions. 

The rounded to elliptical leaves are shiny dark green above and yellow-green below.  New leaves are coppery-pink in color and some, notably ‘Red Tip” have reddish new leaves.  Small, greenish-white flowers are followed by plum-like fruit that range in size from three-quarters to over one-inch is length.  The edible fruit is pink, white or purple with a juicy flesh most often sweet with a unique flavor.  The flesh surrounds a relatively large pit.  In addition to fresh-eating, people have made jams and jellies from the fruit. 

While the cocoplum could be trained into a small tree as some can grow upwards to fifteen feet tall, it is mostly used as a very dense and attractive hedge.  Easily pruned to shape and size, cocoplum can be  trained into one nice formal hedge.  ‘Red Tip’ or ‘Green Tip’ are good choices for hedges.  For groundcover purposes, the cultivar call ‘Horizontal’ is better adapted with slow growth and better salt and drought tolerance.  Rooting at the nodes as it spreads out over the soil surface, this cultivar hugs the ground.

To develop a hedge from cocoplum plants, space the individual specimens anywhere from forty to sixty inches apart on center for best development.  It will take at least a year for the hedge to develop and take form.  Prune to develop this hedge at least once per year.  Remember to prune the hedge so that the top is narrow and base is wide for best results.

In the correct place, the cocoplum is an excellent and interesting plant well suited to dense, tidy hedges.  For more information on all types of shrubs suitable for our area, please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer.  Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.  Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf .  

Resources:

Brown, S. H. (2011) Chrysobalanus icaco.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS – Lee County.

Landscape Plants (2011) Chrysobalanus icaco, Cocoplum.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS.

Caldwell, D. (2016) Hedging by Pruning. The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS – Collier County.

Blooming in a neighborhood near you!

Was it a vision of heaven you saw or a jacaranda tree in full bloom?  The spectacle of a large jacaranda tree flush with lavender-blue blooms and newly emerged feathery leaves can make your eyes focus like a laser beam on this South American native.  A nice tree hiding in plain sight the rest of the year, you cannot help but love this large flowering woody ornamental. Blooming intensely for more than thirty-days a year, the Jacaranda is a top ornamental flowering tree.    Even the fallen flowers are attractive!

Jacarandas are blooming right now in Charlotte County and surrounding areas.  The massive clusters of flowers are arranged in pyramid-shaped panicles up to a foot long and made up of hundreds of blossoms.  These flowers will be followed by large, woody seed capsules up to three inches long.   Complementing the flowers are twenty-inch long delicate, feathery leaves.  Jacaranda is what is called “briefly deciduous” referring to the short period of time (generally late winter to early spring) when the leaves have dropped, but before it flowers and develops new leaves.

Try to secure trees for planting that have been grafted or rooted from cuttings.  These will tend to bloom quicker than those from seed which may take years to produce flowers – perhaps up to twenty years!  Growing up to forty-five feet tall with a similar width, this dome-shaped tree is best for landscapes that can provide the room needed.  Plant young trees in full-sun areas with well-drained soils well away from hardscapes as large surface roots could be a problem in the future.  Keep clear of poorly drained planting sites as they may encourage root rots to develop.  While fairly drought-tolerant once established, the Jacaranda is not salt tolerant, so stay away from unprotected coastal areas.     The dappled shade provided by the Jacaranda is ideal for patios, but can be messy (the leaves and flowers) near pools.  Steer clear of multi-trunked specimens as they are brittle and weak-wooded and can split at extreme crotch angles when exposed to strong winds.  However, a structurally well-trained and properly pruned Jacaranda can have stronger wood and be better prepared for windstorms. 

The Jacaranda is another Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ recommended tree worth investigating!  For more information on other flowering tree suitable for our area, please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer.  Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.  Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.

Resources:

Gilman, E. F. & Watson, D. G. (2014) Jacaranda mimosifolia: Jacaranda.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS.

Brown, S. H. (2012) Jacaranda mimosifolia.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS – Lee County.

Scheper, J. (2006) Jacaranda acutifolia.  Floridata.com, Tallahassee, FL. 

That other turfgrass, zoysia

Two universal truths about lawns – there is no perfect grass, they all have their advantages and disadvantages, and lawns go from order to disorder over a period of time unless you step in and make corrections while they are small.  St. Augustine grass and Bahia grass are popular lawn subjects, but many people are looking at Zoysia grass.  This relatively new grass to the neighborhood offers a different texture and improved overall performance compared to past Zoysia cultivars thanks to breeding efforts.  Is Zoysia grass for you?

Let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of using Zoysia as turf grass.  Zoysia can be maintained on less nitrogen than St. Augustine grass, has a very dense growth habit, and can be mowed fairly low – two to two and one-half inches in the case of ‘Empire’ Zoysia, a common cultivar.  On the flip side, it takes as much water as St. Augustine (and will go dormant and turn brown without water), is susceptible to hunting billbug (an insect pest) and can develop a fungal disease called large patch. Nematodes also apparently love to damage Zoysia grass.   For the most part, these disadvantages can be managed.  Zoysia is established with either vegetative plugs or sod.  There is no need to apply fertilizer until thirty to sixty days after establishment.  Then, the use of a turf fertilizer such as a 15-0-15, 14-0-26 or its equivalent, with a fifty-percent slow release nitrogen formulation, can be applied.  Apply this at a rate of up to one pound of actual nitrogen per thousand square feet per application totaling three to four pounds nitrogen per one-thousand square feet per year.  Don’t forget to review our Charlotte County Fertilizer Ordinance - please see here - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/hort-fertilizer1.htm .  Mow when the grass blades are three to four inches high so that you remove about one-third of the grass blade.  Water so that you apply one-half to three-quarter of an inch of irrigation per event.  This amount of water will reach eight inches down right where most of the roots are located.

As mentioned above, hunting billbugs, a tiny weevil, are perhaps the most common Zoysia grass insect pest.  Most of the damage occurs from fall to spring with symptoms including damaged stems and rhizomes causing patches of turf to die in an irregular pattern.  Large patch is a fungal disease that is also most common during the cooler part of the year.  Large patch causes yellow patches to develop which turn brown and can expand to several feet in diameter.  While there are fungicides to control this disease, cultural practices such as not using excessive nitrogen during seasons most conducive to this disease, and limiting irrigation to early morning so that the grass can dry out.  Mow diseased areas last and wash grass clippings off before mowing disease-free areas. 

‘Empire’ Zoysia is the most popular Zoysia in our area and the cultivar most likely to be found at garden centers and sod farms.  Good color and successful performance on sandy soils and competitive growth make ‘Empire’ an appropriate choice.  Keep in mind that ‘Empire’ is not very shade-tolerant, so check your site for light conditions.  Zoysia offers a different texture that our other common warm-season grasses do not provide.  That other turfgrass, Zoysia is becoming more popular all the time!  For more information on all types of turf questions, please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer.  Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.  Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.

Resources:

Unruh, J. B., Trenholm, L. E. & Cisar, J. L. (2013) Zoysiagrass for Florida Lawns.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS,

Elliott, M. L. & Harmon, P. F. (2014) Large Patch the University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS,