Let nature help you
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… Read More
Category: Fruits & Vegetables
Backyard sweet tooth
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… Read More
If you like bitter melon, it is easy to grow
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. … Read More
Tiny, but tough – the Everglades tomato
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… Read More
Southern peas – a summer vegetable and a cover crop
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… Read More
Coffee – a great ornamental small tree, and maybe, a bean or two!
By Ralph E. Mitchell Coffee is a favorite beverage for much of the world. In addition to this attribute, coffee plants can also be considered ornamental and novel in regards to your backyard landscape. Small… Read More
Tiny, but mighty – the lychee erinose mite
By Ralph E. Mitchell Pest problems can come on a large or small scale. Think of the myriad of microbes that can bring us to our knees. A flea may be tiny, but look at… Read More
Our native grape – the muscadine
By Ralph E. Mitchell The first time that I tasted a muscadine grape was in Georgia. It was a pleasant difference from what I was used to, namely northern bunch-type grapes. The thick skin and… Read More
Oh nuts!
By Ralph E. Mitchell I was out in our Demonstration Garden at the East Port Campus on Harbor View Road in Port Charlotte this morning and smelled a floral fragrance of some type –a honey-like… Read More
All hail kale!
By Ralph E. Mitchell I am going to have to repeat myself, but in addition to not liking red beets as a youth, I also did not like kale. It was probably in the manner… Read More