In 2008, a devastating car accident left Princie Mikel, a retired nurse and grandmother in Duval County, “tore up from the floor up,” as she put it. After the crash, she had two broken hands, seven broken ribs, a crushed sternum, a skull ... READ MORE
Category: Health & Nutrition, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension
As afternoon storms become a regular occurrence, thoughts turn to the trees around our home. You may be wondering if they are safe, or if they can hold up against the wind of a thunderstorm, tropical storm, or even a hurricane. While there ... READ MORE
Category: , Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
We are in the middle of a very hot summer. As I was mowing the yard this weekend, I stopped to take a break in the shade of the swamp chestnut oak tree in my front yard, and started thinking about the topic for this blog. Immediately my ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
By early summer, many of us have pulled up our spent spring crops. No disrespect to okra or lima beans, but sometimes we just don't want to actively garden in the intense heat. So what can we do with our garden beds instead? We can grow ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
Here in Florida where the climate is subtropical, the line between houseplants and outdoor plants is often a little blurred. But just because we can grow some houseplants outdoors year-round doesn't mean we should. Did you know many of our ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
Even though hurricane season and afternoon storms are about a month out, now is the time to be thinking about the trees around our homes. There is no “risk free” tree however; there are strategies that we can undertake that can create ... READ MORE
Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
Is your lawn burning a hole in your wallet? Think about this: the average home in Florida uses 991 gallons of water every irrigation cycle! That's like running your dishwasher 50 times or keeping the bathroom faucet running for more than 8 hours...and ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, UF/IFAS Extension
A common question we get at the extension office has to do with little round balls falling out of trees Sometimes they are fuzzy, and sometimes they are smooth. The fuzzy balls falling to the ground are called woolly oak leaf galls. They are ... READ MORE
Category: Forests, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Harvesting: By early May, most of the cool season crops have been harvested. The peas have been suffering in the heat and succumbing to powdery mildew, so we harvest and pull up the plants. The lettuce has threatened to bolt, so it too has ... READ MORE
Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
Recently, someone emailed me photos of vegetable plants with cupped and deformed leaves Strange, deformed new growth on plants is a common symptom of herbicide damage, but she had not sprayed any herbicides near her garden. The most likely ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension