By Ralph E. Mitchell You would think from their image that pineapples originated in Hawaii. The pineapple, which is a type of bromeliad like Spanish moss, actually originated in the tropical Americas and the Caribbean. Explorers moved the… Read More
By Ralph E. Mitchell If you can get double-duty from a plant – why not! One such plant is the ornamental pepper. To me, almost any small colorful pepper can be ornamental, but there are some developed specifically… Read More
Updated 03/16/20 As we continue to monitor COVID-19 in Florida, I wanted to take a moment to update our UF/IFAS Extension community about our current status, best practices and next steps. Please call your local UF/IFAS Extension office… Read More
By Ralph E. Mitchell I sometimes like to grow a plant just to see if I can succeed in the effort. While I tried growing celery several years ago with average success, I did manage to grow some… Read More
By Ralph E. Mitchell For every pest, there always seems to be a pest of that pest – a predator, parasite or some type of beneficial organism – that suppresses any aforementioned pest to levels we can live… Read More
The annual Landscape Gardening Series sponsored by the University of Florida/IFAS Extension Charlotte County Master Gardeners will begin Thursday, January 23. Six sessions will be held on consecutive Thursdays at the Port Charlotte Beach Complex, 4500 Harbor Blvd…. Read More
By Ralph E. Mitchell Tired of growing St. Augustine and Bahia grass? Why not try a tropical relative that you can actually eat – sugarcane! Many homeowners already have this perennial tropical grass growing happily in a corner… Read More
By Ralph E. Mitchell While a name like bitter melon may make you think twice about eating this fruit, this Asian crop is very popular across the world and even here in the United States. Not to be… Read More
By Ralph E. Mitchell If tiny tomatoes smaller than the classic cherry tomato are of interest, then Everglades tomatoes may be what you are looking for! Apparently this wild tomato has worked its way into our summer vegetables… Read More
By Ralph E. Mitchell With the heat and rain of summer weather ramping up, some vegetable gardeners take the summer off and simply solarize their garden. However, if you wanted to go ahead and garden through the summer,… Read More
