Spring in Central Florida is not just a change of season — it is a transition point that determines how your land performs for the rest of the year. The decisions you make and the work you complete between February and May set the stage for growing season burns, wildlife nesting success, vegetation response, and overall property health.
Whether you manage 5 acres or 500, this checklist will help you prioritize your spring land management tasks and avoid the mistakes that cost time and money down the road.
Firebreak Assessment and Maintenance
If you maintain firebreaks on your property — and you should — spring is the time to evaluate their condition and make repairs before the growing season burn window opens.
Walk Every Break
Get on your firebreaks and inspect them on foot or by ATV. After a Florida winter, you will likely find:
- Vegetation regrowth encroaching from the edges, narrowing your effective break width
- Washouts or erosion from winter rain events, particularly on slopes or at drainage crossings
- Debris accumulation — fallen branches, leaf litter, and dead vegetation that has blown or washed onto the break surface
- Invasive species establishment — cogongrass, Brazilian pepper seedlings, and other invaders love the disturbed soil along firebreak edges
Take Action
- Mow or mulch regrowth to restore full break width. A forestry mulching pass can reset an overgrown break to clean conditions in a single operation.
- Repair erosion damage with appropriate water bars or turnouts to prevent future washout.
- Remove or mulch accumulated debris. A firebreak with six inches of leaf litter on it is not a firebreak.
- Flag and treat any invasive species before they establish a foothold.
The goal is to have all firebreaks in burn-ready condition by early April, before the growing season burn window opens.
Prescribed Fire Planning
If you are planning a growing season burn, spring is when the planning needs to happen — not when you wake up one morning and decide the weather looks good.
Confirm Your Burn Authorization
In Florida, prescribed burning requires authorization from the Florida Forest Service. Contact your local FFS office to confirm your authorization is current and your burn plan is on file. If you need a new authorization, start the process now — do not wait until April.
Review and Update Your Burn Plan
If conditions on your property have changed since your last burn — new structures nearby, changes in vegetation density, different fuel loads — update your burn plan accordingly. Walk the planned burn units and assess current fuel conditions.
Coordinate With Your Burn Contractor
If you use a contract burn crew, schedule your burn window well in advance. Good burn contractors in Central Florida are heavily booked during the growing season. Waiting until April to make the call may mean you do not get on the schedule until June or later — and by then, afternoon thunderstorms may have closed your window.
Check Your Preparation
Growing season burns require that your property is prepared. That means:
- Firebreaks are clear and adequate width (minimum 12 to 15 feet for most Central Florida burns)
- Fuel loads in the burn unit are manageable for the prescription you are planning
- Any mechanical preparation (midstory removal, fuel load reduction) has been completed and the mulched material has had time to settle
If your property needs mechanical preparation before it can be safely burned, schedule that work immediately. Forestry mulching done in February or March gives the mulched material a month or two to settle before a May or June burn.
Invasive Species Treatment
Spring is a critical window for invasive species management in Central Florida. Many invasive plants are entering their most active growth phase, making them both easier to identify and more susceptible to treatment.
Priority Species to Target
- Cogongrass: If you have it, you know it. Look for the characteristic white, fluffy seed heads emerging in spring. Treat with glyphosate or imazapyr before seed dispersal. Cogongrass is arguably the most damaging invasive grass in the Southeast, and spring treatment before seed set is your most effective timing.
- Brazilian pepper: Resprouts from previous management and new seedlings will be actively growing. Hand-pull small seedlings and treat larger stems with cut-stump herbicide application.
- Chinese tallow: This tree leafs out early in spring and is easy to identify. Girdle or fell and treat with herbicide before it produces its abundant seed crop in fall.
- Tropical soda apple: Look for this thorny nightshade in pastures, roadsides, and disturbed areas. Pull or treat before it fruits, as birds spread the seeds widely.
Document and Map
As you encounter invasive species on your property, document their locations. Even a simple map drawn on a printed aerial photo helps you track infestations over time and prioritize treatment areas. Systematic management is far more effective than reacting to whatever you happen to notice.
Wildlife Habitat Assessment
Spring is nesting and breeding season for most Central Florida wildlife. This is both a time for observation and a time for restraint.
What to Observe
- Turkey gobbling activity: If you hear gobblers on your property, note their locations. These areas have the habitat characteristics turkeys need and should be prioritized for maintenance.
- Deer fawning areas: Does will begin dropping fawns in late spring. Look for areas with moderate cover and good forage — these are the areas your habitat management is paying off.
- Ground-nesting bird activity: Quail, turkey, and other ground nesters are vulnerable during spring. If you observe nesting activity, avoid disturbing those areas until nesting is complete.
- Native plant response: Walk areas that were mulched or burned in the previous year and assess the herbaceous response. Are native grasses and forbs establishing? Is the diversity increasing? Are there areas where invasive species are outcompeting natives?
What to Avoid
- Do not conduct major mechanical operations (mulching, mowing) in areas with known nesting activity during the spring nesting window (March through June)
- Avoid disturbing known turkey nesting areas
- If you must do equipment work during spring, focus on areas away from prime nesting habitat — roads, firebreaks, and areas adjacent to structures
Timber Stand Evaluation
Spring is a good time to walk your timber stands and evaluate their condition.
What to Look For
- Growth response from previous thinning. If you thinned your stand in the past year or two, check diameter growth on residual trees. You should see noticeable crown expansion and increased caliper growth.
- Storm damage. Winter storms and occasional severe weather can damage timber. Walk your stands and identify any trees that were broken, topped, or uprooted. Damaged trees may need to be salvaged or removed to prevent insect infestation.
- Regeneration. In recently treated areas, check for natural pine regeneration. If you are managing for longleaf pine, look for grass-stage seedlings that may have established after mulching and burning.
- Midstory regrowth. Assess how aggressively the midstory hardwoods are resprouting in areas that were mulched. This helps you plan when the next treatment or burn is needed.
Equipment and Access Maintenance
Your roads, trails, and access points need attention every spring.
Roads and Trails
- Grade or blade roads that have developed ruts or washboard from winter use
- Clear any downed trees or debris blocking access
- Check culverts and water crossings for blockages
- Mow or mulch vegetation encroaching on road edges
Fences and Boundaries
- Walk your boundary fence (if applicable) and make repairs
- Confirm posted signs are visible and in good condition
- Check for encroachment from neighboring properties
Equipment
- Service your ATV, tractor, mower, or other land management equipment before the heavy-use season
- Check chainsaws, hand tools, and fire equipment
- Ensure you have adequate supplies of herbicide for the season
Create Your Calendar
The single most valuable thing you can do this spring is put dates on a calendar. Land management tasks that are scheduled get done. Tasks that are left to “whenever I get around to it” rarely happen.
Here is a suggested spring timeline for Central Florida landowners:
- February: Firebreak maintenance, invasive species assessment, contact burn contractor
- March: Complete any mechanical preparation (mulching) needed before growing season burns, begin invasive species treatment
- April: Finalize burn plans, continue invasive treatments, wildlife observation
- May: Growing season burn window opens, timber stand evaluation, food plot preparation for fall planting
Making It Happen
If this checklist feels overwhelming, start with the highest-impact items. For most Central Florida properties, that means firebreak maintenance and prescribed fire planning. These two tasks set up everything else.
And if your property needs mechanical preparation — midstory removal, firebreak creation, or fuel load reduction — before you can check anything else off the list, that is the place to begin. TreeShop can help you assess what needs to be done and get the mulching work completed while there is still time to prepare for the growing season.
The landowners who get the most from their property are the ones who treat spring as a working season, not just a waiting period between hunting seasons. Start now, and your land will show the difference by fall.