South Florida is largely a tropical region. Its most defining characteristic is heat, freezes being a rarity. Temperatures during the night do not go down as much as it does in other parts of the state. With such a climate, most houseplants are outdoor plants in South Florida year round. The plant material is mainly tropical, a stark contrast to plant material found in other parts of the state of Florida.
The more southward you go, the more the soil changes. With some areas being very rocky while others are swampy, landscaping is usually a daunting task in this area. The mostly tropical climate makes South Florida a melting pot of landscape and lawn diseases and pest control issues.
Three major factors generally cause plant problems
• Disease
• Stress and
• Insects
Pest control and landscape diseases
Bugs and pests are a constant problem in South Florida. Cortada Landscape protects your lawn from these invasive bugs and pests. We have the best Pest control services in the state. Our licensed operator will assess your landscape and suggest a pest control and repellent program tailored specifically for your needs. We exterminate all pests currently on your landscape and prevent any future recurrences. As part of our assessment and implementation process, we ensure that the pesticides or insecticides used in the extermination will not harm your plants.
Plant diseases are caused by bacteria, fungi, and mold which thrive in a hot, humid climate. When diseases attack a lawn, it looks unhealthy and unsightly, and if left un-tackled may eventually kill it.
Lawn disease manifests itself in the form of uneven colored patches of grass. These patches can spread across the lawn if left unchecked. Our landscape supervisors inspect your lawn monthly, catching the disease just in time before it spreads. Once we identify the presence of disease on your lawn, we implement the necessary treatment to fix the problem. The treatment includes making irrigation changes, using appropriate fungicides and disease control measures to restore your lawn to health.
The identification of lawn pests is made through accurate diagnosis. We accurately identify the type of pest and the most appropriate products for treatment in various ways. The first course of action is cutting parts of the affected plant and taking it to our fully equipped nursery.
Stress
For plants, stress is mainly from nature, i.e., the adverse conditions or fabricated, i.e., the cultivation practices. Stress results in the weakening of the plant, which then attracts diseases and pests.
Stress causes fungus, which is among the most common problems for plants. This manifests itself as brown spots on foliage. Sometimes the root is also damaged by fungus, resulting in new growth dying off too.
Simply getting a fungicide and spraying it on your plans will not solve the problem. It is important that you find the root cause of the problem and tackling it. Factors such as nutritional requirements, fertilization, and irrigation are just a few among the things you as a landscape owner can ensure proper implementation. At Cortada Landscape, we relieve you of this stress and ensure that your landscape thrives under the highest standards of maintenance.
Insects
There are two groups of Garden Insects. These are
1. Chewing insects – comprising of caterpillars, hoppers, notcher weevil and cutworms
2. Suckling insects – including spider mites, aphids, whitefly and mealybug among others.
By the time you are noticing bugs on your landscape, they have already set base. Some of them are so small you cannot detect them; the damage they leave behind; however, is very detectable. Your best chance of keeping them at bay is regularly watering your plants and providing the right nutrition.
Weaker Plants More Susceptible to bug attacks
The attraction of bugs to a plant is not random. Much like how in the animal kingdom, where the weakest perish, insects target the weakest plant. The stressed-out plants send plant pheromones, which are then detected by bugs attracting bugs to them and any other healthier plants, close by.
Treatment options
One of the most recommended and effective treatments available are spraying your plants with neem oil. As a natural pesticide, it is the most effective and easily accessible to the landscape owner. It can also function as a miticide, fungicide, and insecticide.
For neem oil to be effective, you have to spray it consistently and at recommended intervals. This practice will ensure you cover the bugs’ production cycles, stopping their spread.
If you fail to follow the recommended spraying schedule, you will miss an essential part of eradicating the pests. Failing to follow through effectively creates an enabling environment for the pests to breed and spread across your landscape.
The most effective neem oil-spraying schedule is a total of six times, once every ten days. This can change depending on your nursery’s recommendations after assessment. The first spray may not have reached underneath the leaves of the plant. The other successive sprays will reach these hidden places. They will also exterminate any other insects that may have hatched since the first spray. It accomplishes this by smothering the bugs, halting their reproductive cycle, and sterilizing any bugs that survive the onslaught. Note that this option is very mild and has to be repeated often for results to be evident.
The best option of all is contacting Cortada Landscape. We use industry approved treatment options to eradicate any and every pest in your lawn and landscape. Our products are environmentally friendly, safe for both you and your plants too, ensuring they are not damaged afterward. Home remedies are rarely fail-proof in the end. Our treatment options, on the other hand, guarantee you complete eradication of your lawn’s or landscape’s problems be it pests, bugs, or diseases.
We best understand the trials and tribulations of landscaping in South Florida. As such, we have the right tools and expertise, enough to tackle any landscape related issues you are facing in your landscape in South Florida. Contact us for all your South Florida landscaping needs.