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
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
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
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
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
Is your fig tree losing its leaves? You likely have fig rust. Not to worry, many fig trees including the very common Brown Turkey Fig are quite susceptible to this annual fungal disease in Florida’s… Read More
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
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
Biochar is a stable form of carbon produced by burning organic matter (usually wood) under low oxygen conditions. It can be used as a soil amendment to increase the fertilizer holding capacity in soils, making… Read More
Blueberries are not easily grown in Florida soils because of high organic matter and low pH needs. The media for growing blueberries requires good drainage (total porosity of 50-85%), a pH of 4.2-5.5, and a… Read More
