February 2025
Your newsletter this month features what to do in the landscape, what's blooming now, upcoming workshops, and more!
Welcome to February in Your Central Florida Yard!
The warm weather welcome to February may have you itching to get outside and start your spring gardening chores. But what should you be doing (or not doing) right now?
Is it time for pre-emergent herbicide application? YES
Is it time for spring fertilizer? NO
Is it time to prune back cold-damaged plants? NO
Is it time to apply weed-and-feed? NEVER
If you are not sure what to do in your central Florida yard at this time (or any time) of year, contact your local UF/IFAS Extension Plant Clinic and we can help!
Also, consider getting yourself educated at one of our workshops. Make sure to check our event page for any updates and new workshops added.
Have you been staying up-to-date with our monthly podcast, Your Central Florida Yard? We are excited to share information to help you garden successfully, and if you are listener, we would love your feedback and ideas for episodes. Our latest episode is linked at the end of the newsletter and we have some fun episodes planned for this year. Subscribe, rate, and review if you enjoy it!
Let us know how we can help by contacting our Plant Clinic with your questions or visit a with a Master Gardener Volunteer at a local farmer’s market booth (see schedule of markets at the end of the newsletter).
Happy Gardening, Central Florida!
Celebrate Old-Time Shrubs for a Classic Central Florida Landscape
There are some old-time, classic central Florida shrubs that bloom in the fall and during mild winters. They offer nectar to butterflies, native bees, and/or hummingbirds who will happily visit your yard at a time of the year that other plants may have finished blooming. Consider planting them in your yard.
Your Central Florida Yard Monthly Checklist:
Your Lawn in February
If you are applying a pre-emergent weed killer (not weed and feed), apply it when the temperatures are consistently at least 65 degrees.
Continue to mow as needed, grass is still not actively growing.
Make sure that your sprinkler system is repaired and maintained.
Your Landscape in February
If you are growing roses, now is the time to prune them back, apply fertilizer and mulch.
It is a good time to refresh your mulch. Remember to keep it 2-3 inches deep, use an organic by-product mulch, and pull it away from the base of plants.
What’s blooming now?
Check out the February blooms at the UF/IFAS Extension Polk County Florida-Friendly Landscapingâ„¢ Demonstration Garden in Bartow.
Clockwise from top left: peach (Prunus persica), Panama rose (Rondeletia leucophylla), azalea (Rhododendron sp.), and spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis).
Gardening Workshops & Webinars
Join UF/IFAS Extension Polk County Gardening and Landscaping experts at our monthly workshops! For full workshop descriptions and to register, go to: http://polk countyextension.eventbrite.com
Lunch and Learn: Gardening in Florida for New and Part-Time Residents
Tuesday, February 18, 12:00 noon
Haines City Library
Register here
Blooms That Last: A Guide to Growing Flowering Perennials
Tuesday, February 25, 10:00 am
Public Library, Lakeland
Register here
SAVE THE DATE
Spring Plant Sale
Saturday, April 26, 8:00 am-11:30 am
Find us here this month:
Winter Haven Farmer’s Market
February 8, 2025
Lakeland Farmer’s Market
February 15, 2025
Lake Wales Farmer’s Market
February 22, 2025
The Nectary Nursery
February 22, 2025
Are you listening to Your Central Florida Yard Podcast?
The podcast from UF/IFAS Extension Polk County, Your Central Florida Yard is here to help you successfully garden in this unique part of the state. New episodes are out the first week of every month. For more information about the podcast, check out our blog post.
The latest episode, Gardening Journaling, is a fun and inspirational listen for the start of the year!
Find us here:
UF/IFAS Extension Polk County website
UF/IFAS Extension Polk County blog
Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest
Instagram
YouTube
UF/IFAS Extension Polk County
1702 US Highway 17 South
Bartow, FL 33831
863-519-1041
https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/polk
Gardening Questions?
Email the Plant Clinic: polkmg@ifas.ufl.edu
Anne Yasalonis
Residential Horticulture
Master Gardener Volunteer Program
Julie Schelb
Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program Coordinator