The four-season maintenance calendars printed on the back of a fertilizer bag do not apply here. Palm Beach and Martin County run on a wet season and a dry season, and the landscape needs very different attention in each.
Dry season — November through April
Reduce irrigation run times, but water more deeply and less often
Confirm the controller matches current watering-restriction days
Complete structural tree pruning while growth is slow
Refresh mulch beds to a two to three inch depth
Apply the first fertilizer of the year in late February or March
Watch for cold-sensitive plants during rare cold snaps
Pre-storm — May
Finish all hurricane-prep canopy thinning by the end of the month
Remove dead fronds and seed pods from every palm
Clear limbs overhanging the roof, screen enclosure and driveway
Apply the pre-blackout fertilizer application
Check that fence posts and gates are solid before storm season
Wet season — June through October
Move to weekly mowing — growth outruns a bi-weekly schedule
Turn irrigation down or off during sustained rainy stretches
Observe the county fertilizer blackout period
Watch for fungus and chinch bug damage in the heat
Keep drainage swales and gutters clear ahead of each storm
Recovery — October and November
Apply the post-blackout fertilizer once restrictions lift
Repair storm damage to fences, beds and irrigation lines
Reset irrigation schedules for the coming dry season
Overseed or patch thin turf areas while temperatures moderate
Prune summer-flowering shrubs after they finish blooming
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South Florida turf grows on a different clock than the rest of the country. Here is the mowing frequency and cut height that actually keeps a Palm Beach County lawn thick.
