Bundle up--yourselves, and your plants! 

We are experiencing unseasonably cold temperatures, the likes of which we haven't seen in our community since 1989.  This situation should be expected every ten to twenty years, and with proper maintenance and warning we can work together to give your landscape the best chance of survival through these freezing nights.  Minor cold damage (brief freezes, nightly temperatures in the mid- to high-twenties) will impact the leaves of some plants, wicking away moisture from leaflets.  It is important to keep your plants well hydrated prior to frost and freeze, then turn off your irrigation systems when temperatures drop to those levels.  Catastrophic cold damage (temperatures in the teens and low twenties for over three hours) can incur root damage and possibly death in some plants.  

The maintenance team at Michael A. Gilkey, Inc. understands the challenges that arise when caring for properties within four temperate zones.  Our clients will see a variance of up to 15 degrees, from Siesta Key to Lakewood Ranch and all points in between.  Those properties that are especially vulnerable are those with low-lying areas or wide open spaces.  Our professionals will do everything possible to protect your plants from damage during this sensitive time.  Please contact us with any questions about your landscape or irrigation system.

The tropical landscape for this resort-style home on South Casey Key was designed using drought-tolerant, salt-tolerant, Florida-Friendly plant materials.  This approach is the first step to any pro-active maintenance regimen.  The challenge here lies within the timing.  The homeowners are semi-seasonal residents, occupying this home for one or two months at a time. The professional maintenance team at Michael A. Gilkey, Inc. makes every effort to ensure the property looks its finest when the clients are there to enjoy it.  Carefully tuned trimming, fertilization, annual planting and upkeep schedules are in place so everything is in full show for the clients' maximum benefit.

As predicted, the first three weeks of winter have been cold and wet.  With the forecast calling for more of the same, here are a few helpful tips to ensure the health of your lawn and landscape.

A half-inch of rain is more than enough water to sustain St. Augustine and Zoysia turf during the winter months.  This is equivalent to running your irrigation once every 10-14 days.  Save yourself some money by turning your irrigation clocks off when we have these weekly rain events.  Shrub zones on your irrigation controller can be completely shut down for the next two months. 

Be sure to cover any cold-sensitive plants with frost/freeze cloth or old bedsheets on nights frost or freeze is forecast.  Avoid the use of plastic sheeting for covering plant materials; these coverings act as a magnifying glass at sun-up and can burn plant leaves.  Please contact us if you have questions regarding a plant's sensitivity to cold.   Most importantly, if you are running your irrigation, make sure your controllers are shut off on nights of forecasted frost or freeze.

Though frosts or freezes are frowned upon here on the Sun Coast, they can be of some benefit to your landscape on two fronts:

1. Frost/freeze can greatly reduce over-wintering insect pests that would typically flair in spring; and

2. Frost/freeze can kill or retard certain weeds in your turf (e.g. carpetgrass), weeds for which there are currently no chemical controls available.

So there is a silver lining to this weather! Stay warm, and Happy New Year!

--Ken G. Kiger, Licensed Horticulturalist / Pesticide Applicator

Michael A. Gilkey, Inc. Landscape Maintenance Division

Subtropical Plants (Hibiscus varieties, Ixora varieties, Allamanda, Jatropha, etc.)

Most Palms (Phoenix and Cabbage Palms are exceptions)

Most Native Flowering Plants (Durantas, Firebush, etc.)

Seasonal Annuals (Pansies, Impatiens, etc.)

Please contact our office with any questions about your specific plant palette.