We are in Hurricane Season now through November 30th. Are you ready? It is time to review your hurricane plan and read about disaster preparedness resources to help you implement your plans. These annual reminders and resource links are meant to help to inform you on how to better get through a natural disaster. …
Driving around the Treasure Coast, you should realize that there is an abundance of Mangoes. As an Extension agent with UF/IFAS Extension in St Lucie County, I have been asked questions such as: why my mango trees do not produce many fruits each year? Mango trees need to recuperate after each fruit-bearing season, therefore adequate…
You told us that finding Continuing Education Units (CEUs) in CORE is hard to find. We listened and created an online class for you! The class is available 24/7, 365 days a year, and costs only $30! The money from this class will be used to support the IPM Nursery Scout Training workshop offered every…
Why do we say “Get your calcium-rich foods”, “Get enough Vitamin D”, and “Eat low-fat or fat-free dairy products?” Why do I need to eat or drink calcium-rich foods and food containing Vitamin D? These two nutrients can provide health benefits to your body. Calcium helps build and maintain strong bones and teeth and helps…
RURAL AND FAMILY LAND PROTECTION PROGRAM OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT Apply by July 27 The Florida Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services has announced an application cycle for landowners to apply to the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. This is an agricultural land preservation program designed to protect important agricultural lands through the acquisition of…
Photo by Brenda Daly, MGVThere is no better month for pink flowers than June and no better flower than crinums for a vigorous, rich explosion of bright, blowsy, fuscia PINK! Many of our Duval County Master Gardeners are grew up around long stretches of crinums in childhood gardens. Those experts divide and share generously and…
Between June 1st and September 30th, Florida experienced most of its annual rainfall. We love the rain because the plants are naturally irrigated, but sometimes, we wish to put the rain on a timer. Unfortunately, the rain also irrigates the weeds, which tend to grow faster than our turfgrass, making it look unsightly. I have many weeds…
A new study from University of Florida and Kansas State University researchers found that bison carry plant-associated fungi in their saliva, with the potential to spread fungi across the prairie. The study raises questions about other grazing mammals and the role of the collection of microbes in an ecosystem. As some of North America’s earliest…
Branches and trees fell in west Pensacola during heavy rains and a tornado last week. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
The Pensacola area has had its fair share of rough weather lately. While the recent storms were not hurricanes, the rainfall totals rivaled many tropical storms, and the lighting and wind…
What do we really lose when we lose a tree? A thousand silent voices removed from the universal chorus. The tree is not a stand-alone unit, a single entity, a monument of stony bark, the tree is they. A connected symbiosis of lichens, fungi, epiphytes, ferns, mammals, birds, reptiles, and multitudes of insects. A mature,…
Dear King Phillip Thousands upon thousands of plants exist in the world. To better understand the thousands of plants, we use plant taxonomy to organize and classify different plant groups. You may remember the phrase from high school biology, “Dear King Phillip came over for good soup.” This mnemonic allows us (or me) to remember the varying levels of taxonomic classifications we…
As a commercial horticulture agent, I have been asked many questions about turfgrass. The following are some of the questions and answers. ■ Can I use an herbicide to control torpedograss in the St Augustine lawn? Ans: No herbicide is available to control torpedograss that will not injure St Augustine grass. ■ Is ProVista St. Augustine more resistant…
