When to Fertilize Plants in Central Florida

"When should I fertilize?" is one of the questions we answer most often at the nursery. It's a good question, because timing matters as much as what you use. Fertilizing at the wrong time — too early in spring, too late in fall, or during a drought — wastes money, can burn plants, and in some cases contributes to water quality problems in our local waterways.

Here's the Central Florida fertilizing calendar, broken down by plant type.

The Basic Rule: Fertilize When Plants Are Actively Growing

Plants can only use fertilizer when they're actively growing. Fertilizing a dormant or stressed plant doesn't help it — the nutrients sit in the soil, leach away with rain and irrigation, and never reach the plant. In Central Florida, most plants are actively growing from roughly March through October, with a slower period from November through February.

The exception is cool-season vegetables, which grow actively in our mild winters and should be fertilized on their own schedule.

Lawn Fertilizing

Florida lawns — St. Augustine, Zoysia, Bahia — have specific fertilizing windows that are partly regulated by the St. Johns River Water Management District.

The general rule for Brevard County:

• First application: April, after the lawn greens up and starts actively growing
• Second application: June or July, during the peak growing season
• Third application (optional): September, to help the lawn recover from summer stress

Do not fertilize lawns from November through January. Fertilizing during the cool season pushes tender new growth that's vulnerable to cold damage, and the nutrients largely leach away unused.

Use a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer formulated for Florida lawns. Look for products with at least 50% slow-release nitrogen on the label.

Trees and Shrubs

Established trees and shrubs in a well-mulched landscape often need little or no supplemental fertilizer — the decomposing mulch feeds them naturally. If you're seeing pale leaves, slow growth, or poor flowering, a light feeding is appropriate.

• Spring (March–April): The main fertilizing window. Apply a balanced slow-release fertilizer as new growth begins.
• Summer (June–July): A second light feeding supports continued growth.
• Fall: Skip it. Fertilizing in fall pushes new growth that won't harden before winter.

Newly planted trees and shrubs benefit from a starter fertilizer at planting and light feedings through their first growing season.

Fruit Trees

Fruit trees are heavier feeders than ornamental trees and need a more regular program.

• Citrus: January, May, and September with a citrus-specific fertilizer
• Mango and avocado: Spring and summer only; hold off in fall and winter
• Other tropical fruits: 3–4 light feedings during the growing season (March–October)

Always water before and after fertilizing fruit trees. In sandy soil, nutrients leach quickly, and a dry application on dry soil can burn roots.

Vegetables

Vegetable fertilizing follows the planting calendar, not the calendar year.

• At planting: Work a slow-release vegetable fertilizer into the bed
• Every 3–4 weeks during the growing season: A liquid fertilizer or light side-dressing of granular fertilizer keeps production going
• Cool-season crops (October–February): Fertilize on the same schedule; our mild winters keep them actively growing

Container vegetables need more frequent feeding than in-ground plants — nutrients leach out of pots faster.

Common Mistakes

Fertilizing during drought. If the soil is dry and plants are stressed, hold off. Water thoroughly first, then fertilize a few days later when the plant has recovered.

Over-fertilizing. More is not better. Excess fertilizer burns roots, pushes weak growth, and contributes to algae blooms in local waterways. Follow label rates.

Using the wrong product. A lawn fertilizer on your fruit trees, or a high-nitrogen fertilizer on flowering plants, gives you the wrong result. Match the product to the plant.

Fertilizing too late in fall. New growth pushed by fall fertilizing is tender and cold-sensitive. In Central Florida it's usually fine, but it's still not a good practice.

Questions? We're Here to Help

Stop by the nursery at 3170 Grissom Parkway in Cocoa. We carry a full range of fertilizers for every plant type, and we're happy to help you put together a program for your specific landscape.