Missing rose buds, pulled up pansies, and damaged tree trunks are all signs that something has been visiting your garden while you are away. But what could it be? Most gardeners are familiar with leaf spots caused by fungal diseases or minor feeding damage by insects, but to see half a shrub or an entire flower bed demolished overnight indicates a different type of pest.
There are several mammals that visit home landscapes and may cause damage, especially in times of drought when natural food sources are limited. Because we provide water for our landscapes, our plants tend to have lush new growth at times when plants in natural areas have slowed growth because of a lack of water or other stressors that managed gardens do not face. So, it’s no surprise that herbivores will be attracted to our landscape for a midnight snack.
It is important to determine what is causing damage so that you can employ protective tactics if possible. Some things to look for to try to figure out who the culprit is are footprints, dropping, feeding clues (bite marks, scrapes, etc.), or other distinctive damage. For more details about how to tell the difference between damage caused by multiple pests see How To Identify the Wildlife Species Responsible for Damage in Your Yard.
Once you have determined what is causing the damage you can try some different strategies to deter future feeding. Some plants may be impossible to protect, but before you spend your money and time check out these recommendations by wildlife specialists at the University of Florida in How to Use Deterrents to Stop Damage Caused by Nuisance Wildlife in Your Yard
If you’ve considered starting a vegetable garden but are intimidated by the idea, this time of year is a great time to give radishes a try. Radishes are a cool season crop and will grow well in the mild winter climate of North Florida. The ease of growing this cool season vegetable also make them an ideal starter plant to get kids interested in gardening.
Radishes germinate with soil temperatures of 45-85⁰F and grow well when temperatures average 50-65⁰F, so October to November is a good time to plant in the fall. They develop quickly and are ready to harvest in as little as 3-4 weeks, so the quick results keep children interested.
Don’t have a garden area setup yet? No problem, grow radishes in a container! They take up very little space both in width and depth and can be easily grown in a modest sized pot. Radish seeds are small so should be planted very shallow, only cover with about ¼” of soil. Space plants about 6 inches apart and stagger planting dates through the fall and winter so that you can harvest as needed and still have a new crop coming on. For best flavor and texture, harvest when radish roots are ¾ inch diameter or less.
Bee visiting Monarda punctata. Photo: J. McConnell, UF/IFAS
If you are looking for a late summer blooming plant that attracts pollinators and survives in a tough spot, dotted horsemint (Monarda punctata) is for you! This native plant thrives in sunny, well-drained sites but will also tolerate moist garden spots. It grows quickly and blooms prolifically – attracting pollinators by the dozens. A plant covered in blooms is very showy and when you go in for a closer look, you’ll see unique flowers.
Dotted horsemint brings color to the summer garden. Photo: J. McConnell, UF/IFAS
This plant can get 3 feet tall by 4 feet wide but it is tolerant of pruning in the growing season to keep it tidy and encourage bushiness. Just be sure to prune it before it sets flowers, a good rule of thumb is to prune before the end of June.
Propagation is by division or seed. Few pests affect dotted horsemint.
Chocolate mint has fragrant, dark green foliage and works well as a groundcover. Photo: Julie McConnell, UF/IFAS
Mint is very easy to grow in the right place, sometimes a little bit too easily. It’s reputation for being aggressive is well deserved. As with any other plant you use in your landscape, you need to be sure you have the right plant for the right place and there just might be such a spot in your garden for mint!
Garden areas with part sun/part shade and moist soil are perfect environments for mint. Like most herbs, it does not require much fertilizer and there are very few insects that bother it. Because mint forms runners where it touches the ground it is an ideal plant to use in areas that need soil stabilization as the dense growth habit will prevent erosion and sediment runoff.
Mint grows rapidly in the right conditions and can spread further than a gardener might want. However, it is not difficult to manage with a little maintenance. Because the plant is herbaceous rather than woody, it can be pulled or trimmed with little effort. Another method to keep it in bounds is to chemically edge using an herbicide on the portions that are growing beyond the bed border. Just keep in mind that if you plan to use your mint in food or drink you should only use chemical products labeled for edible crops and follow all label instructions closely.
Mint flowers are attractive to pollinators. Photo: Julie McConnell, UF/IFAS
There are many different mints available such as chocolate mint, spearmint, and peppermint. Each has a slightly distinct flavor and may have different sized leaves or coloration. Mints are prolific bloomers and are attractive to pollinators such as bees and beneficial wasps.
Sometimes when we talk about the size of things we like to estimate and don’t worry too much about being precise, but there are times when as little as a half inch really is a big deal. When talking about landscape maintenance and pest management that half inch can be crucial.
Here are three examples of when less than an inch may be significant.
Bermudagrass lawn cut at half-inch different height. Photo: Julie McConnell, UF/IFAS
Mowing your turf. If you read Mowing Matters last month, you saw mowing height recommendations for common turf types grown in north Florida. We gave a range of heights, but besides referring to the handy chart, you need to pay attention to your specific site. If you begin to mow and the current setting is too low, shut down the mower and adjust the height.
In this picture you can see that just raising the deck up one-half inch prevented the entire yard from being scalped and put under additional stress. After less than a week of proper irrigation the scalped area recovered and the yard looked uniform to casual inspection.
Treating Mole Crickets. The common knee-jerk reaction to seeing adult mole crickets during a mating flight is to treat the lawn. However, when you see the adults they are past the stage of being susceptible to most pesticide treatments. It is also too early to target the next generation – after all you are witnessing mating flights, so time is needed for egg maturation, hatching, and nymph development and feeding before treatment will be effective. Depending on several factors such as temperature and soil moisture nymphs will become active anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months after adults are seen.
Adult and nymphs of mole crickets. Photo: Julie McConnell, UF/IFAS
Before applying any pesticides, be sure to scout for appropriate life stage (nymphs approximately ½ inch long) and action thresholds of mole crickets by performing a soap flush (details can be found here Mole Cricket IPM Guide for Florida).
Turf Irrigation. It is important to calibrate your irrigation system and make sure that each turfgrass zone is putting out a minimum of one-half inch of water uniformly.
Why this amount? Research has shown that in most Florida soils application of one inch of water will reach the top twelve inches of soil. Healthy turfgrass roots are typically found in the top 4-6 inches of soil, so by applying one half-inch of water per irrigation cycle you should deliver water to turf roots.
To see an example of how to calibrate your system watch this short video demonstration by Dr. Laurie Trenholm, UF/IFAS Turfgrass specialist.
