Weeds thrive at this time of year. Doing a little weeding more often sure beats the monster job you’ll have if you ignore weeds altogether right now. It’s much easier to pull weeds when the ground is moist—so early evening, after the daily showers, is a great time to get out and weed a bed.

Fungus can become a problem during the rainy season. Be sure to shut off your irrigation system and let Mother Nature take over. If you begin to see brown spots in your lawn and landscape, we can let you know which fungicide will work best for you. (Neem Oil, an organic insect control, also helps to control some fungal diseases. It is especially effective on plumeria and fig trees.)

Spruce up your front yard and pool area with container gardens. Container plants are easy to maintain and provide an instant splash of color and excitement.

Remove any suckers that have grown below the graft of your citrus trees. These take energy from the tree and don’t produce desireable fruit.

Sooty mold may become a problem on your citrus, gardenias, and ixoras. This is an indication that there are insects present (most likely aphids, mealy bugs, or mites). The best control is a horticultural oil spray such as All-season Oil Spray, the organic insect control Neem Oil, or insecticidal soap. If you see ladybugs in your yard you’ve got the best insect control possible—they’ll take care of most of your populations of aphids, mites, and mealy bugs.

Avocados and mangos ripen to taste after they are picked. Watch your fruit and pick when they reach a good size but are still hard; they will soften and come to taste indoors.

Flowers to plant now include: coleus, begonias, purslane, vinca, pentas, lantana, blue wonder, bulbine, torenia, cuphea, salvia, gaillardia, caladiums, and New Guinea impatiens.

Vegetable and herbs to plant now include: basil, black-eyed peas, cherry tomatoes, chives, dill, eggplant, malabar spinach, mint, okra, oregano, peppers, rosemary, and thyme.