Central Florida is currently in one of the worst droughts we’ve seen in decades. Many areas have had months of dry soil, stressed plants, and watering restrictions — and then finally, a rainstorm arrives.
Most gardeners expect everything to bounce back overnight.
Usually it doesn’t.
After a long dry period, a single rain helps the plants you can see, but it doesn’t immediately fix the soil underneath them. In fact, this is one of the moments when gardeners accidentally cause the most damage — by rushing to fertilize, replant, or overwater.
Right now, your job isn’t to push growth. Your job is to help the garden recover.
What Drought Actually Does to Florida Soil
Florida soil behaves differently than most people expect.
During long dry periods, sand particles begin to repel water instead of absorbing it. You might notice irrigation or rainfall disappearing quickly, even though the ground is still dry underneath. At the same time, soil microorganisms slow down or go dormant. Roots shrink back toward the plant, and nutrients stop moving.
This means plants aren’t just thirsty — they temporarily lose the ability to drink properly.
So when rain finally comes, the moisture mostly wets the surface layer. The deeper soil where roots live may still be dry for days.
That’s why gardens don’t instantly recover after a storm.
What Last Night’s Rain Fixed — and What It Didn’t
The rain helped cool plant leaves and relieve heat stress. It washed dust from foliage and allowed some shallow roots to rehydrate. You’ll often see plants perk up within hours, and that’s encouraging.
But deeper soil moisture has not been restored yet. Soil biology has not fully restarted. Roots are still shallow and fragile.
Because of this, fertilizers won’t work well right now. Strong pruning can shock plants. Heavy watering can run straight through the ground without helping.
This is a recovery phase, not a growth phase.
What To Do This Week
First 2–3 Days
Do very little.
Let plants rest and rehydrate naturally. Avoid fertilizing, transplanting, or major pruning. If leaves are damaged, leave them for now — they still provide shade for recovering roots.
If you water, do it lightly and slowly. You are encouraging absorption, not flooding.
Days 3–7
Now begin helping the soil hold moisture again.
Add a thick layer of mulch around plants, two to four inches deep, keeping it slightly away from stems. Mulch prevents the next hot day from immediately undoing the rain’s progress.
Water deeply but slowly, allowing time for the soil to absorb. A gentle soak is better than frequent short watering.
You are rebuilding moisture storage, not just watering plants.
Week 2
At this point, roots usually begin expanding again.
Now you can begin gently restarting nutrient cycling. The goal isn’t to push rapid growth — it’s to help the soil system resume normal function after being stalled by drought.
Compost and organic matter are ideal because they rebuild biology. A mild fertilizer can also be used at this stage, not as a long-term solution, but as a temporary bridge while microbial activity returns.
Once the soil is active again, regular feeding becomes much less necessary — which is why older gardens often needed very little fertilizer over time.
Fire Season and Garden Safety
Drought doesn’t only stress plants — it increases fire risk.
Very dry mulch can ignite easily, especially near structures. Keep mulch moist near the home and avoid piling it against walls or wooden fences. Delay heavy trimming of shrubs until plants are rehydrated; stressed plants dry faster after pruning.
Healthy, hydrated plants are actually part of fire prevention. Living green growth holds moisture and slows ignition.
The Takeaway
One rainstorm feels like relief, but for a garden it’s the beginning of recovery, not the end of drought.
If you push growth too early, plants struggle. If you rebuild soil moisture first, plants stabilize quickly.
Central Florida gardening is less about watering plants and more about managing moisture cycles in the soil. When you work with that rhythm, the garden becomes far more predictable — even in difficult weather.
Your garden isn’t behind. It’s recovering.
If you want to understand why healthy soil eventually needs so little intervention, I wrote more about the older gardening principles behind that in What Victory Gardeners Knew.