Category: Horticulture

Vanilla orchid flowers

Growing Vanilla in the Home Garden

by Tia Saracino
September 3, 2026

Vanilla is one of the world's most valuable spices, second only to saffron, and many gardeners are surprised to learn that it comes from an orchid. In fact, vanilla is the only genus of orchid that produces an edible fruit. While more than ... READ MORE

Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Home Landscapes, Orchid, South Florida, Specialty Crop, Spices, Tsilvasy, Vanilla, Vanilla Extract
Soil test sample bags filled with soil.

What’s New on Ask IFAS: Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences (Jul.–Aug. 2026)

by Gillian McGuire
September 3, 2026

Iron Oxide Strip as an Innovative Diagnostic Tool for Soil Phosphorus Management By Lilit Vardanyan and Vimala D. Nair Phosphorus (P) is essential for plant growth and productivity. However, excessive application of P fertilizers has contributed ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Farm Management, Horticulture
Tags: Ask IFAS, Climate Change, Edis, Soil Health, Soil Testing, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences

You and your landscape maintenance company are a team

by Larry Figart
September 2, 2026

Working as a team This summer has been a tough year for landscapes in northeast Florida.  With the drought this spring, the late start to afternoon thunderstorms, and the hotter temperatures, many homeowners have had problems keeping their ... READ MORE

Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Duval, Fertilization, Figart, Landscape, Mowing, Pest Control, Turf, Watering
Several paper bags holding freshly picked, unblemished peach fruit.

What’s New on Ask IFAS: Horticultural Sciences (Jul.–Aug. 2026)

by Gillian McGuire
September 2, 2026

Specialty/Tropical Fruit Maprang (Bouea macrophylla Griff.) Fruit Trees: Botany and Commercial Cultivation in South Florida By Federico W. Sanchez, Jonathan H. Crane, and Bruce Schaffer Maprang (Bouea macrophylla Griff.), also known as ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease
Tags: Ask IFAS, Blueberry, EDIS Journal, Horticultural Sciences Department, Peach, Postharvest And Handling, Tropical Fruits, Weed Management In Ornamentals And Turf
Naples Botanical Garden Nursery Interior

Plant Science Major Spotlight: Edilzon Ramirez

by Eva Sailly
September 1, 2026

Edilzon “Edi” Ramirez has become a familiar face around Fifield Hall, home to several UF/IFAS departments and programs, including the Plant Science major, where he is a junior. Carrying homemade cupcakes, welcoming incoming students ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Clubs & Volunteers, Horticulture, Professional Development, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Edilzon Ramirez, Environmental Horticulture, Florida Landscaping, Horticultural Sciences Department, Plant Science, Student, Teaching, UF/IFAS CALS, Undergraduate

Why Your Windflower Is My Anemone

by Leon County Master Gardener Volunteer
August 28, 2026

By Camille Stein, Master Gardener Volunteer Fans of classic films may remember the Gershwin song "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," written by George and Ira Gershwin for the 1937 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film Shall We Dance. The song ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Tags: Anemone Blanda, Binomial Nomenclature, Black Eyed Susan, Botanical Names, Carl Linnaeus, Common Names Vs Scientific Names, Genus And Species, Grecian Windflower, How Plants Are Named, Plant Taxonomy, Rudbeckia Hirta
Propagating fig cuttings

A Gardener’s Guide to Plant Propagation, Part I: The Anatomy of Propagation

by Lauren Spaduzzi
August 27, 2026

Have you ever read instructions to “cut just below a node” or “include an axillary bud” and wondered exactly what part of the plant that meant? Understanding a few basics of plant anatomy can make propagation much easier to understand, ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Crops, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Central Florida, Florida, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruit, Garden, Gardening, Hillsborough, Hillsborough County, Horticulture, Master Gardener, Plant Anatomy, Plant Propagation, Propagation, Residential Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension

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