Early in my career as a forester I advised a homeowner to use a certain pesticide to treat an insect problem he was having. He called me back a week later to tell me that after he followed my advice, his plant was killed. How could that ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, Pests & Disease, Turf
Historically, nothing said spring had arrived any better than a flowering dogwood tree. It remains a favored tree in southern landscapes. Sometimes you may see an occasional dogwood in bloom in the local pine forests. However, it is very ... READ MORE
Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease
As we prepare our yards for a fresh start in 2023, perhaps one of our New Year’s resolutions can be to be to make some changes in how we maintain our landscape. By doing so perhaps we can save some money and have a healthier landscape ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, Pests & Disease
Which came first, the egg or the chicken? The world may never know for sure. There are, however, several young students who could tell you about their adventure hatching chicks. Duval County's 4-H Embryology Project began in February of this ... READ MORE
Category: 4-H & Youth, Agriculture, Curriculum
As February crosses into March, now is the time to fend off lawn weeds. It is not too early. A healthy stand of turf is the best protection against competition against weeds. But if you are starting with a less than prefect stand of grass ... READ MORE
Category: Lawn, Turf
While the National Arbor Day is always in April, many Floridians do not know that Florida’s Arbor Day is the third Friday in January. In 2022 that date is Friday, January 21st. This early date is perfect for planting trees in northeast Florida. ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
As a rule, trees in North Florida can be pruned any time of year. However, the winter months seem to bring out the pruning bug in many folks. Also, any information on pruning would not be complete without a word on pruning crape myrtle. Read ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
The Fourteenth State of the River Report (http://www.sjrreport.com) was recently released. The report addresses issues affecting the health of the St. Johns River. The report contains information that should be of interest to homeowners with ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, Turf, Water
We get a lot of questions from folks dealing with plant and pest issues in their landscape about “what to spray”, or “how to fertilize”. Often times we want the quick fix. What if there was more to having a thriving landscape than ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Horticulture
We don’t often think about the roots of trees until there is a problem. A forester friend of mine called it a “fencepost mentality”. Being underground, they are often out of sight out of mind. However, without well-functioning roots trees ... READ MORE
Category: , Home Landscapes, Horticulture