By the time Orlando's summer heat fully arrives, it's already too late to start preparing — the best results come from a garden that's ready before the first 90-degree week hits. Here's what actually moves the needle.
Get ahead of the water schedule
Spring is the window to test every irrigation zone before summer humidity and heat make problems worse. Walk the property, run each zone manually, and look for clogged heads, uneven coverage or dry patches that didn't green up with the rest of the lawn. A five-minute check now saves a brown, stressed lawn in July.
Mulch before the heat, not during it
Fresh mulch does double duty in Florida: it locks moisture into the soil and keeps root temperatures down during the hottest stretch of the year. Refreshing beds in spring, before the heat sets in, gives plants a real head start instead of playing catch-up.
Watch for early pest pressure
Chinch bugs and other warm-season pests show up early and spread fast once temperatures climb. Catching the first patches of thinning or yellowing St. Augustine in April or May is far easier to treat than a full-blown infestation in the middle of summer.
Plan your mowing height now
Raising your mowing height slightly going into summer helps grass roots stay shaded and cooler, which means less water stress and fewer bare patches. It's a small adjustment that pays off every week the temperature stays high.
If any of this sounds like more than you want to manage yourself, a seasonal cleanup or a recurring care plan handles all four of these before summer ever becomes a problem.
