Driving around the neighborhood, it is evident that there is a lack of rainfall. Grass is turning brown, and some ornamental plant leaves are drooping and showing signs of wilting. In Florida, rainfall is not evenly distributed throughout the year. Florida gets most of its rain between June 1st and September 30th, while there are few rain events during the rest of the year. In St. Lucie County, we frequently experience low rainfall between January and April of each year. During months of low rainfall, it is recommended that plants be given supplemental water/irrigation. If plants are not given extra water during a drought, they will wilt and may not recover. There are plants such as Bahia grass with a deep root system that will bounce back readily from a drought after being intensely irrigated. On the other hand, Zoysia grass might not bounce back readily from a drought.
Plant Care Tips- Reduce grass mowing frequency during low rainfall and increase mowing height. Do not fertilize or prune plants, as these practices increase plant stress. Irrigate the ornamental plants thoroughly once per week during low rainfall.
For more information and plant, contact Grantly Ricketts, UF/IFAS, St. Lucie County Extension at gricketts@ufl.edu or by phone at 772-462-1660.
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