UF/IFAS Extension Duval County -

UNF Botanical Garden – Focusing on Sustainability Through Florida-Friendly Landscaping™

by Stephanie Means
January 9, 2026

Recently Rhonda Gracie, the University of North Florida Botanical Garden Horticulturalist and mastermind behind the gardens for the last decade plus, received the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ (FFL) Ambassador award. An FFL Ambassador is ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: 9 Principles, Botanical Garden, Conservation, Duval, Florida Friendly, Florida Friendly Landscaping, Gardening, Groundcovers, Mulch, UNF Botanical Garden

Mistletoe: A merry Christmas decoration or menace to trees?

by Larry Figart
November 13, 2025

For many people, mistletoe is a pest, while for others, it is a symbol of Christmas cheer. The origin of mistletoe as a Yuletide symbol came from the Norse and the Druids. Both had traditions that equated mistletoe with forgiveness and reconciliation. ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease
Tags: Christmas, Duval, Figart, IFAS, Mistletoe, Parasite

Selecting Firewood

by Larry Figart
November 12, 2025

For humans, gathering around fire is a unique social event. For thousands of years we have been gathering around fires to cook, hold ceremonies, and keep warm. Even though today we have the modern conveniences of central heat and insulated ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes
Tags: Duval, Figart, Fires, Firewood, Fuelwood, IFAS, State Forests

Thank You to Our Veterans–With a Touch of Green

by Beth Marlowe
November 12, 2025

Many of us reach out to veterans we know each November and thank them for their service. In September, 2023 a group of nurses at the Veterans' Affairs Outpatient Clinic on Jefferson Street in Jacksonville went beyond that. Noticing that ... READ MORE

Category: , Horticulture
Tags: Community Gardens, Edible Garden, Vegetable Gardening, Veterans

New Air Potato Beetle Species Release

by Tonya Ashworth
November 11, 2025

They are small but mighty. A new species of air potato beetle is being reared and released in Florida to wage war against the invasive air potato vine. First, a little background on the enemy. The air potato vine was introduced in Florida ... READ MORE

Category: , Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease
Tags: Air Potato Beetle, Air Potato Vine, Invasive Plant, Invasive Species

Homeowner’s Guide to A 30 Minute Fall Irrigation Tune-Up

by Stephanie Means
November 6, 2025

You've started to feel that welcomed North Florida cool-down, but your monthly water bill might still be reflecting the brutal summer heat. Many warm-weather grasses found locally, such as St. Augustine, Zoysia, and Bahia, will go dormant ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Florida Friendly Landscaping, Irrigation, Irrigation Calibration, Irrigation Tune Up, Saving Water

Growing Persimmons

by Duval MGV
November 6, 2025

When we think of fall fruit, often we think about apples, pumpkins, and cranberries This year why not add persimmons to the list. Fall is when their ripening, orange fruits are very noticeable. Not only are they available in the produce section, ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Duval, Florida Gardening, Gardening, Landscape, Native Plants, Persimmons, Trees

Your Lawn, Your Role

by George Richardson
October 3, 2025

Why Resident Participation is Key to Successful Turfgrass Pest Management Are you constantly switching turfgrass pest management companies, because you just can't seem to find the right one to solve your problem? Before you ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Home Management, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Turf
Tags: Fertilizing The Lawn, Irrigation, Lawn, Mowing, Turf, Turf Disease, Turfgrass, Your Lawn, Your Role

Time to Plant Strawberries

by Duval MGV
September 25, 2025

We all know Florida is a bit different than the rest of the U.S., and that difference extends to our gardening. More temperate regions plant strawberries in spring, but here, we plant them in September and October. Read on to find out why! Strawberry ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Duval, Florida, Florida Gardening, Fruit, Gardening, Strawberries

Garden Chores For Fall

by Duval MGV
September 22, 2025

September and October may be next to each other on the calendar, but they are quite different months for gardening here in northeast Florida September is a very transitional month. It usually starts off too hot, and often brings us tropical ... READ MORE

Category: , Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Edible Landscape, Fall Gardening, Fall Vegetable Gardening, Fall Vegetables, Florida Gardening, Veggie Gardening

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