Just when many were wondering if global warming had taken hold of Florida,Mother Nature bites! Many areas in Central and North Florida experienced a hard freeze for several nights in late January and early February. In many locations temperatures dipped below freezing for up to 7 hours at a time with lows in the upper 20s. Amazingly, it even dropped below freezing as far South as Ft. Pierce for 3 hours one night with a low of 28 degrees.

Why is this concerning to homeowners? About half of landscapes in Florida are planted with tropical plants that cannot tolerate hard freezing. Those plants that were not covered during the freeze, especially tropical plants, have turned brown with freeze burn. In addition, many lawns have also been damaged from freeze burn and have turned brown as well.

What should homeowners do right now? Please don’t go renovating your landscape just yet – we are not out of the woods. There is still a chance for more damaging temperatures before the Spring. Pruning plants or replacing lawns now will promote new growth BUT will be very susceptible to damage in the event of another freeze. It is best to wait until the threat of frost has passed, beginning to mid March.

However, now is the time to start making plans for landscape renovations and re-designing for better plant adaptation. This simply means installing plants that will thrive in locations where other plants that were poorly-adapted to that site have failed (shade, wet or dry soil conditions, full sun, etc.).

It’s finally starting to feel like Fall in the Southeast. As the colder temperatures become more frequent, you should be aware of the effects on your lawn.

Why Does My Lawn Turn Brown and Yellow During The Fall and Winter?
As a homeowner, this can be very frustrating. You have a green, lush lawn and it begins to turn brown and yellow. Well, different grass types have different ways of surviving the Fall and Winter weather conditions.

Some grasses have natural “hibernation” periods that preserve energy for the spring. Zoysiagrass for example, will go dormant in the Fall and Winter months and turn yellow and brown. This is a normal reaction for this grass type under adverse conditions and loss of color is common.

St. Augustinegrass, on the other hand, usually maintains acceptable color and quality well into the cool season until frost occurs. A hard freeze often causes brown patchy areas.

Fall/Winter Lawn Tips:

• Mow your lawn about once very two weeks, even if it’s not growing, to keep weeds from seeding
• If a freeze occurs, avoid walking across the lawn and mowing until frost is melted
• Provide adequate irrigation – watering once per week is generally sufficient

Call us at 1-888-2MASSEY (262-7739) if you have questions about your lawn and what it should do during the Fall and Winter months. You can also sign up for a Free Landscape Analysis where we’ll provide you with recommendations and a plan specific for your landscape.