Q & A

In Southwest Florida’s tropical climate, lawns thrive best with warm-season grasses that can handle heat, humidity, and occasional salt exposure. The most popular varieties include St. Augustine, Zoysia, and Bermuda.

• St. Augustine is a favorite for residential lawns — it grows quickly, forms a dense carpet, and performs well in both sun and partial shade.
• Zoysia offers a fine texture and rich color, making it an excellent choice for homeowners who want a lush, manicured look with moderate maintenance.
• Bermuda is durable and resilient, perfect for high-traffic areas or properties with full sun.

Each grass type has unique watering, mowing, and fertilizing needs, so selecting the right one depends on your property’s light conditions, soil, and level of care. At Gardens by Herb, we help homeowners choose and maintain the best grass for a healthy, vibrant lawn year-round.

Maintaining a healthy lawn in Southwest Florida can be more complex than it looks. Our region’s sandy soil drains quickly, making it difficult for grass to retain nutrients and moisture. The intense sun and heat can stress turf, especially during the dry season, while heavy summer rains can lead to fungus, root rot, and weed growth. In addition, pests such as chinch bugs and mole crickets are common threats that can damage lawns if not properly managed.

The key to overcoming these challenges is consistent, knowledgeable care — including proper mowing height, irrigation scheduling, fertilization, and pest prevention. At Gardens by Herb, we tailor lawn maintenance programs to the specific needs of Florida turf, helping homeowners keep their lawns green, resilient, and thriving year-round.

In Southwest Florida’s warm, humid climate, gardens can be vulnerable to a variety of pests and plant diseases. Some of the most common include aphids, whiteflies, scale insects, spider mites, and caterpillars, all of which feed on leaves and stems, weakening plants and reducing bloom quality. Chinch bugs and grubs can also damage lawns by feeding on grass roots.

Fungal diseases such as powdery mildew, leaf spot, and root rot thrive in high humidity and poor drainage conditions, while sooty mold often appears as a byproduct of insect activity. Preventing these problems begins with healthy soil, proper spacing for airflow, and consistent monitoring. At Gardens by Herb, we use environmentally responsible treatments and proactive maintenance to protect your landscape, ensuring your garden remains healthy, colorful, and resilient through every season.

Hard-cutting, sometimes called rejuvenation pruning, is an important part of keeping many shrubs healthy and full. Over time, shrubs can become overgrown, woody, or thin on the inside, which limits new growth and reduces flowering. A hard-cut involves cutting the plant back more aggressively — often by one-third to one-half of its size — to encourage strong new shoots and a fuller shape.

In Southwest Florida’s tropical climate, fast-growing shrubs benefit from this process because it helps manage size, improves air circulation, and removes older, less productive wood. When done properly and at the right time of year, hard-cutting revitalizes the plant, promotes healthier blooms, and keeps the landscape looking neat and balanced. At Gardens by Herb, our team understands the timing and technique each plant variety requires to recover quickly and flourish.

Bromeliads can create ideal conditions for mosquito breeding if not properly maintained. Their cup-shaped leaves naturally collect rainwater and organic debris, creating small pools where mosquitoes can lay eggs and larvae can develop. This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy bromeliads in your garden — it simply means a little maintenance goes a long way.

To prevent mosquito breeding, flush out the water in your bromeliads every few days, especially after rain, or treat the water with a safe mosquito control product such as a Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) tablet. You can also tilt or shake excess water from the plant’s center during regular garden care. With proper upkeep, bromeliads can be a beautiful and safe addition to your Southwest Florida landscape.

In Southwest Florida, the best time to trim palm trees is late spring through early summer, typically between May and July. During this period, palms are actively growing and can recover more quickly from pruning. Trimming at the right time also helps remove old fronds and seed pods before storm season, reducing the risk of breakage or debris.

It’s important not to over-trim — removing too many green fronds can weaken the palm and make it more vulnerable to disease or nutrient loss. A good rule of thumb is to only remove brown, dead, or damaged fronds, leaving plenty of healthy green ones intact. At Gardens by Herb, we use proper trimming techniques to protect the health, strength, and natural beauty of every palm we maintain.