News & Updates

HomeAll PostsNews & Updates

Pinellas County is the “Bee’s Knees”

June 15, 2023
Pinellas County is the first “Bee City USA” county in the state of Florida. The “Bee City USA” program is a recognition program from the Xerces Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to invertebrate conservation. “Bee City USA” designation can apply to a city or county, and there is even a “Bee Campus USA” for schools. To qualify, a…

What’s Bugging My Plants [Diagnosis & Resources to Help]

June 14, 2023
    Photo by Juliet Johnson of Mandarin Garden Club member’s garden in June 2023 Plants should be looking good in full growth. If our yard has a well-balanced ecosystem, pests and diseases are usually minor.  Birds need caterpillars to feed their young. Bees and butterflies are busy gathering nectar and pollen while they are pollinating our…

St Augustine Grass- Did You Know?

June 14, 2023
A wide selection of St Augustine grass cultivars is available on the market. The wide selection brings about versatility. Some cultivars, such as Bitterblue, ProVista and CitraBlue, will do well in partial shade, while Floratam needs full sun. Many people would like the option to purchase St. Augustine and found out that seeds are not…

The Start of a Marigold Flower Field Trial

June 13, 2023
    Marigolds are commonly used in decor as garlands, necklaces and wreaths during Hindu weddings or in Hispanic celebrations such as Day-of-the-Dead (Nov. 1st). Hi! I’m Karen Stauderman, a Commercial Horticulture Extension Agent for the University of Florida based out of Volusia County. Often in extension, we receive lots of questions on what to grow…

Horticulture Happy Hour: Pomegranates and Grenadine

June 13, 2023
Florida is full of options for growing fruits at home and an often overlooked option is the pomegranate. Pomegranates are best adapted to a Mediterranean climate with mild winters and hot, dry summers. This does not match Florida exactly but they do have decent cold tolerance and some varieties can produce a good crop. However,…

Jazzy “jasmine”

June 12, 2023
Use Asiatic jasmine as a turf substitute in the landscapeAsiatic jasmine is a common groundcover used in many local landscapes that can in fact make a nice turf alternative in selected sites.  Actually, not related to jasmine – so don’t count on the flowers – Asiatic jasmine is a groundcover that is versatile and even…

Common Crop Insects Pests Worldwide

June 12, 2023
June 6th is World Pest Day.  And what better way to “celebrate” the pests which eat our crops than to expose their wicked ways.  We should be aware that, around the world, we all fight some of the same insect pests.  The following are the 10 most common plant crop pest insects worldwide.  You may even…

June First Friday with Florida First Detector

June 9, 2023
Recap of June First Friday with Florida First Detector Oak trees are important to our environment with various species growing throughout the world and 24 species native to Florida (90 in the U.S.). With the wide distribution of oaks, especially in the Eastern U.S., it is important that we protect these trees from invasive pests…

Invasive Species Workshop: Thrips parvispinus and Lebeck mealybug

June 9, 2023
Have you heard of Thrips parvispinus and Lebeck mealybug, two of the newest invasive pest species to impact horticulture in Central Florida, and are interested in learning more? The Mid-Florida Research and Education Center will be hosting an invasive species pest alert update for Thrips parvispinus and Lebeck mealybug on Wednesday, June 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.…

All About Saturated Fat

June 8, 2023
Saturated fat is a type of dietary fat that can be harmful to your heart and blood vessels. Not all fats are the same. Saturated fat is found in foods such as pork, lard, lamb, beef, poultry skin, shortening, whole milk, and butter. Saturated fats can also be found in coconut oil and palm oil.…

Strong People Strength Training Program

June 8, 2023
Strength training is not just for bodybuilders – it’s for everyone! Come join us and learn how to properly use dumbbells and have fun too! Our strength training classes are designed for mid-life and older adults. Classes include resistance training, balance training, and flexibility exercises. This is a 6-week program that meets 2 times each…

Mosquitoes, Open Containers, and Rain … Oh My!

June 7, 2023
UF/IFAS Mosquito Experts I recently had the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues at the UF/IFAS Florida Medical Entomology Lab (FMEL) in Vero Beach, FL.  FMEL Assistant Professors Dr. Eva Buckner, Dr. Yoosook Lee, and Dr. Lawrence Reeves are impressive experts in the field of medical entomology which is the scientific study of mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases.  They…
Copyright © 2025 by ThemeREX. All rights reserved.
to top