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Find Your Frugal: Save water, save money

September 8, 2022
With summer’s heat still simmering in Florida and in many parts of the United States, people may be tempted to water their lawns and take more showers. Beth Robertson, water conservation specialist for UF/IFAS Extension Polk County, is one of many UF/IFAS Extension experts statewide who can help you with cost-saving tips on water use. Only water when…

September First Friday with Florida First Detector

September 8, 2022
Recap of September First Friday with Florida First Detector On September 2, 2022, we dove into an overview of invasive species Florida. An invasive species is a non-native species that causes economic or environmental harm or harm to humans. It is estimated that invasive species cost over 1.2 trillion dollars annually in the United States.…

Florida-Friendly Landscape Management for Honeybee Conservation

September 8, 2022
We are increasingly aware of the plight of honeybees in our environment. Individual homeowners can aid honeybees and other pollinators by adjusting a few landscaping practices. Plant selection, insect pest management, and general mindfulness are important to helping encourage resilient pollinator populations.               Laurie Kromfolz examines Blanket Flowers, Gaillardia,…

Study shows fertilizer ordinances improve water quality, but timing matters

September 7, 2022
Local fertilizer ordinances do help improve water quality in lakes, but the timing of fertilizer restrictions influences their effectiveness. Researchers found that winter fertilizer bans were associated with the biggest improvements in nutrient levels in lakes. These findings can help inform community efforts to reduce nutrient run-off. A new University of Florida study has found that local…

Better with Butterflies: Buckeye

September 7, 2022
Welcome back to our monthly blog in which we discuss a few interesting facts about butterflies in general and a specific type of butterfly each month. Of the six known butterfly families, this month we will address the last two, the brush footed and skipper families. Brush footed butterflies are the largest of the families…

It’s Corn!- Growing the Florida Home Garden

September 6, 2022
More than a big lump of knobs and juice, sweet corn is a favorite crop for residential gardeners in Florida. Being native to the Americas, this plant has become a staple of our diet and the centerpiece of a good backyard barbeque. With corn in your garden, I can’t imagine a more beautiful thing! Planting…

Reclusive celebrity reptile spied in Florida!

September 6, 2022
Star spotted on Florida coasts! Heads up, fans of Florida’s celebrity nonnative herps! There’s a niche member of the scaly glitterati you may have missed in all the furor over Florida’s top-billing nonnative reptiles. Trendsetters you already know Naturally shutters click, flashbulbs pop, and bulletins arrive almost weekly about the exploits of the various enormous invasive…

St. John’s Wort – Wild Weeds

September 2, 2022
Wild Weeds – Weed of the Month St. John’s Wort Hypericum tetrapetalum St. John’s Wort (photo by Stacey Matrazzo) St. John’s Wort is an evergreen perennial shrub found in Florida. Blooms typically appear in late spring but can be found throughout the year. Flowers are bright lemon-yellow and showy, with four petals and four sepals. Stems…

Biological Control and Pesticides

September 2, 2022
Have you heard of biological control? This is when a live organism is used in the management strategy of a pest population. An example would be when ladybugs are released in a garden for aphid control. I was recently at the UF/IFAS Short Course for Aquatic Pests and I tried to describe to pesticide applicators…

Weekly “What is it?”: Gopher apple

September 1, 2022
Gopher apple plants have woody stems and expand via underground runners. They are mostly evergreen and composed of nondescript leaves year round. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension On first glance at a gopher apple, one might think there were live oak leaves dispersed across the dunes. On closer inspection, though, you’d find individual leaf…

Growing a Green Thumb; Starting with Seeds

September 1, 2022
There may be instances when you want to sow seed in containers instead of directly sowing into the ground or a raised bed. Some vegetables easily adapt to being transplanted. Starting seeds in smaller containers and then moving them up to a larger container or transplanting directly into the garden might be an option for…

Tropical Girdlepod (Mitracarpus hirtus)

September 1, 2022
Jay Capasso, UF/IFAS Columbia County. Marc Frank, University of Florida Herbarium. Paulette Tomlinson, UF/IFAS Columbia County. The University of Florida Herbarium recently identified tropical girdlepod (Mitracarpus hirtus) for the first time from Columbia County. This weed has been identified in 23 other Florida counties including many of those in the panhandle and north/central peninsula. The…
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