EDITOR'S NOTE: A University of Florida faculty member and Nassau County Extension Horticultural Agent, Rebecca Jordi addresses some of the questions she receives about landscaping and gardening in northeast Florida, in GARDEN TALK. The Extension also offers helpful clinics throughout the year, providing assistance to local gardeners in the Amelia Island and surrounding areas of Nassau County, Florida.
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PLANT CLINICS -- The Nassau County, Florida Extension office will hold plant clinics on the following dates in 2009:
February 2, March 2 & 16, April 13 & 27, May 11, June 8 & 22, September 14 & 28, October 12 & 26, 2009.
The plant clinics run from 10am to 2pm, starting February 2, 2009, as noted above. Please bring your tired, diseased and pitiful-looking plants any time during the session to the Extension satellite office in Yulee, Florida. (Please be sure to place the sick plant specimens in a plastic bag to prevent spreading any potential diseases.) For more information call 904-548-1116, 904-879-1019 or eMail rljordi@ufl.edu .
Frozen Citrus, Florida
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JORDI: Protecting citrus from cold temperatures is important for current and especially future crops Citrus can grow in most parts of the state, but most types require protection when cold weather rolls in. Cold protection is achieved by trapping ground heat. While covering the entire tree is best, if your tree is too large, wrap the trunk with several layers of cloth. It is particularly important to protect the area where the scion was grafted onto the root stock. Either way, make sure the covering reaches all the way to the ground and is secured. Remember to remove it when the temperature returns to above freezing.
Newly pruned trees are much more susceptible to cold damage, so postpone pruning until spring. In North Florida, choose cold-hardy citrus varieties or keep the plants in containers so they can be moved to a protected area. With a little care, your tree can come through cold weather.
We will be conducting a citrus pruning class on January 20, 2009 at 1pm at the home of a Master Gardener in the Callahan area. This free class will give you some good pointers on best management pruning techniques to better equip you for pruning citrus trees in the spring. If you are interested in attending please contact the Extension office at 904-548-1116 (Yulee), 879-1019 (Callahan) or rljordi@ufl.edu. This information was taken from “Gardening in a Minute” which is produced by the University of Florida, visit http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/
QUESTION: I replaced some plants which I previously lost to cold damage. I do not want to make the same mistake of losing them again. How do I keep them from freezing in the winter? JD
JORDI: Nothing is more heartbreaking to a gardener than losing one of our treasures, especially one we have nurtured through the three seasons only to have it die in the winter.
So many newcomers think Florida will never receive freezing temperatures and we make the mistake of purchasing plants too tropical for our area. However, that does not mean we should not take the opportunity to have some portion of our landscape which can contain fragile plants. These plants are the ones for which we will go to great lengths to protect. It would be wise to consider keeping those areas to small, manageable plots.
When you know a frost or freeze is coming, it's time to protect the plants you've nurtured so carefully. Plants in containers can be moved into the garage or any other structure where heat can be supplied or trapped. In the landscape, low-growing plants may benefit from warmth held in the soil, and mulch helps to keep the heat in. Fabric covers, like cloth sheets or quilts, can also trap ground heat, as long as they extend to the ground and are anchored to prevent them from blowing off in high winds. A lamp or other heat source which is safe and appropriate for outdoors can provide added warmth under the cover.
Remember to remove covers early in the day once the danger of frost has passed. Do not be too discouraged if some of the leaves show tip or margin burns as this may be normal. You may be tempted to prune the plant after the freeze is gone but is might be better to wait until we know the chance of frost is over. Just exactly when that date may occur is up for discussion, but traditionally we have had few frosts between the middle of March and the beginning of April. For more information check out the following University of Florida publication: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG025 and “Solutions for Your Life” http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/hot_topics/
QUESTION: My Star Jasmine has leaves that are black at the tip to almost the center of the plant. I water then weekly, what could be wrong? PS
JORDI: I was glad you brought some samples of the plants to me so I could better determine what might be wrong with them. It is particularly confusing when there are so many plants we call jasmine.
Your plant is Star Jasmine, Jasminum multiflorum, which is also called Downy jasmine. This particular plant is a fairly easy plant to grow and maintain as it tolerates most any type of soil and light conditions. It is moderately drought tolerant therefore I suspect you are watering it too often. Consider cutting back on watering during the winter to once every few weeks. Check the soil to be sure it is not too dry. Never allow the roots to sit in water. Since we have seen damage on the leaves you might consider removing the plants from the pots and check out the roots. If they are soggy and dark black then remove the soil, wash off the roots to determine how much of the root system is still viable or able to keep the rest of the plant alive. If you think the plants have enough root system to survive then consider repotting them. Throw away the old soil, clean the pots with a mild solution of water and bleach. Dry the containers completely and replace the old soil with new, well-drained, sterile soil.
Good luck and keep me posted on their progress.
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Rebecca L. Jordi, Environmental Horticulture Agent III, 543350 U. S. Highway #1, Callahan, FL 32011. (904) 548-1116 or (904) 879-1019, http://nassau.ifas.ufl.edu
