What’s with the name? A common issue, when growing your own tomatoes in Florida, is blossom end rot (BER). With Blossom end rot, tomatoes begin to rot while still on the plant, opposite of where the stem is… Read More
Keeping it Green If you are a gardener and you have lived anywhere else, you realize pretty quickly that Florida is different. The weather, the bugs and a whole lot of other gardening issues add to the difficulty…. Read More
That unsightly black stuff When a black film we call sooty mold visits your plants and covers the leaves you can be sure of at least one thing. You have an insect problem. Most of you have seen… Read More
Not how we do it up North? When it comes to gardening, Florida is just different. Northern gardener bite their lips and try not to scream when they first try their craft in Florida. It’s not that great… Read More
Love and Hate Facebook gardening groups will light up at the mention of Mexican Petunia, Ruellia simplex. Comments like “Worst weed ever!”, “My favorite plant!”, “Invasive! Pull it out quickly!”, and “It’s so easy to grow, I love… Read More
Silent Invaders When we think of things as being invasive we often imagine something like water Hyacinths covering every inch of a waterway or acres of Brazilian Peppers blocking out the sun where nothing else will grow. Invasive… Read More
Sharpen your gardening skills! Highlands County Master Gardener Class is getting ready to start. Every year, the last Saturday in January, the class begins. The classes are every Wednesday after opening day until the last Wednesday in March…. Read More
UF/IFAS Extension office in Highlands County hosted a Basics of: Backyard Chickens Workshop last week and it went splendidly!! While a smaller crowd attended, there is always room to grow- especially with this program. Topics I covered… Read More
“Water, water everywhere….” Goes Coleridge’s Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner. He may as well have been talking about Highlands County lately. Lots of rain and more on the way. Mosquito hordes procreated in all the standing water… Read More
OSHA guidelines for outdoor workers: OSHA recommends employers train workers on how to protect themselves about the importance of eliminating areas where mosquitoes breed on the work site. In addition, OSHA suggests employers provide insect repellents and protective clothing and encourage their use. Some… Read More
