Carambola for a Taste of the Tropics
Star fruit, or carambola, is a unique tropical fruit we can grow here in central Florida. It may not survive very cold winters, but it will come back from the roots if it is killed… Read More
Category: Fruits & Vegetables
Irrigation Helps Young Peach Trees
Peach trees grow rapidly in their first few years and it is important to get the trees well established for best production. Irrigation and fertilizer are important components to good tree growth. In Florida young… Read More
Gibberellic Acid Overcomes Lack of Chill in Blackberry
Blackberry cultivars developed in Arkansas are popular but not well adapted to Florida conditions. Lack of winter chilling (temperatures between 32 and 45 F) causes poor and erratic budbreak in blackberry and limits consistent yields… Read More
Grow Your Own Yaupon Tea
Tea is made from the plant Camellia sinensis which was carefully guarded in China for centuries. Seeds were smuggled into India by the British in 1836 to break the Chinese tea monopoly. We can grow… Read More
Oak Leaf Compost for HLB?
Researchers have been working for years to find a treatment for the devastating Citrus Greening disease also known as Huanglongbing or HLB. Now in 2020 there are two promising new treatments that are showing exciting… Read More
Water Wednesdays Recap – Hydroponics
What is a hydroponic system? How does it differ from traditional growing of plants? How can we try it at home? Last Water Wednesday, we invited the Sustainable Ag and Food Systems Agent in Seminole… Read More
Water Wednesdays Recap – Growing Needs in Urban Agriculture
Preservation of agricultural land is crucial. Annually, one million acres of farmland are converted to nonfarm uses. Most of the conversion happens in metropolitan counties where four out of five Americans live. Urban agriculture is… Read More
Water Wednesday Recap – Water Gone Virtual
Do you know how much water you use on a daily basis? Have you heard of virtual water? Did you know that water is used to create nearly every product out there, including our food?… Read More
Strawberry Plugs vs Bare Root
Strawberry transplants in Florida are traditionally bare-root short-day cultivars produced in the north and planted in early October for November harvesting. Bare-root transplants are field harvested in such a way that leaves are removed, wounds… Read More
Perlite Not Good For Container Blueberries
Container production of blueberries is becoming more popular because it allows increased control of the rooting media. High organic matter and low pH are more easily maintained in containers than in Florida soils, but water… Read More