Tag: pests

South Florida Soils

Anyone that has ever put shovel to earth in South Florida knows that our “soil” is actually rock. The rock is a type of limestone known as Miami Limestone, or oolitic limestone, and is not coral as many people think. Limestone Gables didn’t quite have the right ring to it, so we stuck with Coral…

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American Coot or Common Gallinule?

Hey there, fellow nature explorer! Let’s talk about a couple of feathered friends you might run into around wet and watery spots in Pinellas County: the American Coot and the Common Gallinule. You can catch them chilling by lakes, ponds, and marshes, rocking their snazzy red or orange beaks. Now, these two birds might seem like they went…

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Fall Lawn Care

October marks the end of most fertilizer restrictions in the Tampa Bay area. Most “summer bans” restrict the application of nitrogen and phosphorous from June 1st through September 30 during the rainy season. During the summer ban other nutrients such as potassium, magnesium, manganese, and iron can be applied. These other nutrients help turfgrass with resilience…

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The Effects of Food Insecurity

Written by Samantha Walter-Cano, Edited by Olivia Zugay Human Rights Month: Food Insecurity With the rise in prices and the impact of COVID-19 over the past few years, access to food has become harder for many around the world. This December is Human Rights Month, and one of the most basic rights in our world…

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The Peanut Butter Challenge—It’s Good to Go Nutty!

Every year in October, people all around Florida go nutty for a good cause.  It’s the Peanut Butter Challenge—an annual food drive to fight hunger. Throughout October, people are encouraged to donate unopened jars of peanut butter to participating UF/IFAS Extension offices throughout the state. Once the jars are collected and tallied, they’re distributed to…

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What is Integrated Weed Management?

If you have read anything to do with pasture management you have probably come across the phrase Integrate Weed Management. So what does this phrase mean and how can you utilize it in your pasture management program? Integrated weed management is both an economically and environmentally sound approach to weed management. This approach involves scouting, prevention,…

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One of the Easiest Garden Beds to Build

Building a garden bed can be daunting to say the least. But here at UF/IFAS we are total nerds about all things gardening and we have some tips on building a garden bed this season.    A raised garden bed is simply a structure built to grow plants above the existing soil on a…

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Florida Land Steward Update, September 29, 2023

PARTICIPATE IN THE LONGLEAF PINE RESTORATION SURVEY Longleaf pineThe Forest Landowners Association is conducting a survey of private landowners in the Southeast to gain insights into the complexities and challenges of longleaf pine restoration on private lands and identify potential opportunities to mitigate these challenges. This survey is for anyone who owns or manages forestland in the…

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Post-Hurricane Landscaping Tips: Pines in Decline

Florida is no stranger to the powerful forces of hurricanes that sweep through its landscapes, leaving devastation in their wake. Hurricane Idalia, Ian, and Irma have all drastically impacted our local landscapes in recent years. While immediate attention is often focused on the visible damage (ex. uprooted trees, down limbs, etc.) caused by these storms,…

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