Quote:
Originally Posted by billethkid
keep in mind that most of the media lawns and shrubs are planted in is about one inch of top soil and the rest is sand.
We are trying to grow lush lawns and landscaped spectacles based on what we had "back home". It is not the same.
You are in essence trying to grow grass on a sand dune.
Nutient contents= zero.
Nutrition retention after applying treatment = zero.
The more rocks and non grass the better. And be sure to be aware of the cold hardiness of many of the tropicals...they look nice but do not survive the periodic cold spells we have in this area.
When mine die off I replace with local vegetation only and only that which can stand to go below 30 degrees for prolonged periods.
So far I have replaced every tropical that we first put in. When it stays in the twenties like it has a few of the past January montns they don't stand a chance. Covering protects from frost....no protection for freezing.
Good luck.
btk
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He nailed it. Florida sand = no nutrients.
How you treat your lawn depends upon the kind of grass you have. The major one is St. Augustine; you will see some bahia around; Zoysia seems to be popular in some neighborhoods.
There are subdivisions of St. Augustine, such as drought resistant Floritam, etc. Determine what kind you have.
The nutrients, supplements, weed suppressants and insecticides to be used will vary according to the grass. Some chemicals intended for one kind will kill the other kind.
If you really want to do it yourself, get with your county extension agent and become well informed before you start.
If you tire of doing it yourself and want to hire a company to apply fertilizers and insecticides, I recommend getting several bids. Too many people simply call on Massey because the see the trucks in the neighborhood. Frankly, I use Massey because when we bought the house there was already a contract in force, but I find them pricey.
With regard to plantings in the yard, my rule is that if it cannot withstand a freeze (not just frost) it doesn't belong in my yard.
You might want to leave the lawn to the professionals and confine your green thumb efforts to shrubs and flowers.
Enjoy!