June

Good cents!

Summer is here, school is out and now that your house is ready for the discerning eyes beckoned by the for sale sign out on the front lawn, you might want to make sure that the outside of the house looks as good as the inside! If it doesn’t, then you need to consider how important curb appeal is to getting potential clients inside the front door. It’s a buyers market at the moment, that means there’s a lot of houses but not a lot of buyers.

So, keep your lawn neat and tidy. Trim the bushes. Blow, sweep, weed and water. Do all you can to encourage house seekers to call your listing agent and set an appointment to see what’s nestled in the midst of your attractive landscape. Take a look at your yard and ask yourself if you’re impressed with what you see. If you’re not a small investment can yield a profitable return.

War of the roses

When you buy plants of any type, make sure they have clean, pest and disease-free foliage and a healthy root system. Careful inspection will help you avoid bringing home plants with problems. If you’re not sure, call us. Next, find the sunshine! Site your roses where they will get plenty of sun (4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight minimum, 8 is even better). Good air circulation is key to reducing disease, including powdery mildew, so avoid crowding and plant roses 3-5 ft apart. A well-drained soil that has been amended with generous amounts of organic soil amendments like compost, whether bagged or homemade, will give your roses a jump-start. Add additional soil amendments each spring and fall. Supply roses with a steady diet of good food. Roses like to eat! For the best blooms, fertilize on a regular basis throughout the growing season. For Florida, accommodate the high heat by reducing the amount by half, but not the frequency during

June, July and August. Fertilize a minimum of once a month. If you are dedicated and want big blooms, fertilize once every two weeks. Use a product with a formula of 15-0-15. In the heat of the summer, Water Daily! Enjoy!

Sum-Sum-Summertime!

Many people fail to do this at the start of the irrigation season. Once a year, give your sprinkler system a “tune-up” and be ready for the summer heat! Turn on each valve, one at a time, and carefully inspect your irrigation system. Look for wet spots that indicate there might be a leaking irrigation pipe. Most irrigation controllers have a backup battery that maintains the time and program during power failures. Typically it is a standard rectangular shaped 9-volt alkaline battery. Be sure to replace broken sprinklers with the same brand and model as the other sprinklers on the same valve circuit.