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Protecting Citrus from Cold Weather

December 28, 2022
    Frozen satsuma citrus during January 2014 ice storm in NW Florida. Credit: Larry Williams In North Florida, it’s wise to select the more cold hardy citrus varieties. Kumquats and Satsuma mandarins are the most cold hardy of the edible citrus choices. In our area, it’s important to purchase citrus trees that are grafted onto…

Freeze Protection: What to Do?

December 28, 2022
For pets, do not leave your animals outside for a long period of time, even if they typically live outdoors. Treat your pets how you would like to be treated. If you are cold, they are cold. If you must leave pets outdoors, reinforce their shelter with straw or blankets. Plants: Cover what you can…

Mindfulness at the Holidays

December 27, 2022
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Well, it’s supposed to be anyway according to all the hoopla. In reality the holidays are stressful. We all feel stressed from time to time and that’s very normal. However; the holidays bring on a whole new set of stressors. There are meals to plan, budgets to…

Make Your Holidays Bright

December 27, 2022
The holidays can be a festive and beautiful time of year for many, but for others, it can be a very sad, nostalgic, and lonely time. The holiday season can bring about a range of different emotions. We are all different and experience our lives in our own unique way. Here are 10 tips…

Better with Butterflies: Them and Us

December 27, 2022
Welcome to our last butterfly blog of the year. This month I want to summarize all the things we have talked about in the last 11 blogs to encourage you to get involved in protecting these delicate creatures. Butterflies are as essential to our survival as we are to theirs. Many plants cannot produce without…

Grow a Little Olive Tree

December 26, 2022
One tree I meant to mention but forgot about in my previous post trying to convince everyone to consider alternative, non-pine Christmas trees is the humble olive. The one I bought three or four years ago is still going strong despite my shockingly poor husbandry. (Among other sins, I let two codominant trunks persist the…

Caring for Landscape Plants After a Freeze

December 26, 2022
Selecting the right plant for the right place is important for many reasons, including maintaining healthy plants through a cold spell. Resident of Lake County, Florida live in plant hardiness zones 9A and 9B. Plants adapted to 9A can service temperatures as low as 20-25 degrees for short periods while those in 9B can tolerate…

Start Healthy Holiday Traditions

December 25, 2022
Families and friends cherish holiday traditions because they have a way of bringing us closer. They often reflect our values and beliefs and provide a time to relate and communicate with one another. This quality time helps solidify relationships while enjoying and celebrating the holiday season. This year kick your traditions up a notch by…

Cold Protection for Citrus and Winter Vegetables

December 24, 2022
Northwest Florida, in the next few days, is set to receive some of the coldest weather in recent years, with lows ranging from 18 ºF to 28 ºF three to four nights in a row. This has the potential to impact our home garden citrus and winter vegetables such as radish, cabbage, kale and parsley.…

Cold Protection – Frequently Asked Questions

December 24, 2022
Common misconceptions about weather in central Florida Many residents new to central Florida think they live in the tropics.  This is not always the case, as most of central Florida, including Lake County, is in a subtropical environment.  Each year occasional freezing weather is likely to occur. Susceptible plants to freezing temperatures Tropical plants, warm…

Celebrate plastic-free: Expert shares tips to minimize holiday waste

December 23, 2022
Plastic is seemingly everywhere these days, including many items we see or use during the holidays.   Maia McGuire Maia McGuire, UF/IFAS Extension associate director for Florida Sea Grant, is an expert on plastic waste and microplastic pollution. She says there are ways to cut down on plastic usage during the holidays. Below, she offers a few…

Pass the Torch – Plant Torchwood

December 23, 2022
Torchwood is a very unique and under-utilized native tree that occurs mostly in South Florida and the Florida Keys. It also occurs in Mexico and the Caribbean.  It can also grow on the East Coast of Florida to 9B, around St. Augustine. Torchwood (Amyris elemifera), is the natural host plant of the Schaus Swallowtail, which has been on…
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