Read the latest publications from the Department of Environmental Horticulture for July and August 2025. In this post, you can click on the title of interest to go to the Ask IFAS page and download the document in PDF format. Stay informed about the latest contributions from UF/IFAS experts!
Documents on Turfgrass
Growing Turfgrass in the Shade
By A. J. Lindsey, J. Bryan Unruh, Kevin E. Kenworthy, and Marco Schiavon
Many landscapes have shaded areas that can drastically affect turfgrass growth depending on the duration and intensity of shade. Moreover, the amount of shade present in a landscape varies over time as trees mature and seasons change. Portions of a lawn may have full sun, heavy shade throughout the day, or partial shade and sunlight. The amount of sunlight needed by lawn grasses varies by species and, in some cases, by cultivar within species. It is important to follow specific management practices that can encourage better turfgrass performance in shade.
Establishing Your Florida Lawn
By A. J. Lindsey, Marco Schiavon, and J. Bryan Unruh
This publication is intended for Florida homeowners and landscape maintenance professionals to help them successfully establish lawns via seed and vegetative propagation. Vegetative propagation includes sodding, sprigging, and plugging. Although propagating vegetatively is labor-intensive, all warm-season grasses can be planted by this method. Seeding is usually the easiest and most economical method of planting grasses. However, not all warm-season grasses can establish from seed, and seed establishment requires a longer period to have complete grass cover.
Selecting a Turfgrass for Florida Lawns
By A. J. Lindsey, Marco Schiavon, J. Bryan Unruh, and Kevin E. Kenworthy
A lawn not only elevates the land’s aesthetic and economic value, but it also creates a recreational surface, controls erosion, filters pollutants, supplies oxygen, and decreases temperatures in urban settings. This publication is intended for Florida homeowners, landscape maintenance professionals, builders and developers, and Extension agents to help select the best turfgrass species for their situation. Florida turfgrasses vary widely in their adaptive abilities, so choose your turfgrass species wisely. This publication provides information and guidelines to assist in your selection.
Documents on Raising Specific Plant Species
Kratom: Botanical Insights and Cultivation Practices for a Conspicuous Medicinal Tree Species
By Mengzi Zhang, Annabella Lyndon, Brian Pearson, Christopher McCurdy, Abhisheak Sharma, and Jianjun Chen
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a member of the family Rubiaceae, a group of plants known for producing diverse bioactive metabolites. Arguably, the most popular member of the Rubiaceae family is coffee (Coffea arabica), which yields seeds (coffee beans) that contain bioactive metabolites, including the central nervous system stimulant caffeine. Unlike coffee, kratom is a facultatively deciduous tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. Other species closely related to kratom include M. hirsuta, M. diversifolia, and M. parvifolia. This publication offers educational insights into the horticultural aspects of kratom based on empirical scientific research for anyone interested in cultivating it.
Container Flowers for Central Florida: Trial Results and Recommendations
By Nicholas Rabanal, Hannah Moribe, Chi D. Nguyen, and Heqiang Huo
Florida’s unique climate provides an extended growing season ideal for cultivating a wide variety of container flowers. This guide offers a comprehensive approach to successful container gardening, offering valuable insights into creating vibrant container gardens in central Florida. The publication highlights container trials conducted at the UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka, Florida, evaluating the performance of four flowering varieties—snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus), stock flowers (Matthiola incana), pansies (Viola x wittrockiana), and China aster (Callistephus chinensis)—under central Florida’s unique climate conditions. The results demonstrated that these species could thrive in containers with proper care and management, making them suitable for home gardeners and commercial growers alike.
Document on Herbicide Treatments
By Yuvraj Khamare and Chris Marble
Weeds are a costly and continual threat to ornamental nursery profitability. Due to a lack of labeled postemergence herbicide options, growers typically rely on timely preemergence herbicide applications for weed control, among other methods such as hand-weeding. In some cases, costs can be reduced and weed control can be improved by making changes to the equipment that is used to apply preemergence herbicides, or by potentially changing the herbicide formulation that is used. This publication was written for nursery managers to provide an overview of the types of herbicide equipment that are commonly used in nursery production. This publication also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each equipment type. It highlights the considerations regarding herbicide formulations and how they may impact different aspects of weed control and ornamental plant tolerance.
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