Category: Pests & Disease
August 2024 First Friday with Florida First Detector
August 5, 2024
Recap of August 2024 First Friday with Florida First Detector In August, we focused on invasive pests of ornamental plants. While we covered a lot during our Final Friday webinar, we barely scratched the surface of invasive species as it relates ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Crops, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Lawn, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Professional Development, Turf, UF/IFAS Extension,Tags: Biosecurity, Early Detection, FFD23-24, FloridaFirstDetector, Invasive Species, Ornamental Plants, Ornamentals
What is a nativar and why use them in the landscape?
August 4, 2024
What is a nativar? A nativar is a cultivated variety of a native plant. Nativars have the same drought-tolerance and local adaptations as straight natives, but may also have improved form or other traits desirable for urban landscapes. A ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS ExtensionTags: Central Florida, Cultivar, Florida Native Plants, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Garden, Native, Pollinator, Tsilvasy
Respect for Wasps
August 2, 2024
I respect the fact that wasps can sting when threatened or disturbed. But I also respect the fact that they are beneficial. Every time I’ve been stung by wasps, I either accidentally disturbed a nest that I didn’t know was there or ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease, Pests & DiseaseTags: Beneficial Insects, Paper Wasp, Wasp Nest, Wasp Sting, Wasps
New Air Potato Beetle Available!
August 1, 2024
Invasive Air Potato The air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera) is an invasive vine in Florida, originally hailing from Africa and Asia. It was introduced to Florida in the early 1900s, likely for its ornamental uses. However, the plant quickly became ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease, Pests & DiseaseTags: Air Potato, Beetle, Biological, Control, Ecology, IPM, Management, Pgm_Chemicals, Pgm_HortRes, Sustainable
Bulimulus Snails: Ghoulish New Florida Residents
July 31, 2024
The ding of my phone recently alerted me to a message from one of our vegetable growers in Martin County. He noticed a proliferation of snails climbing his papaya trees and wanted to know what they were. He shared a photo (at right) showing ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Pests & Disease,Tags: Agriculture, Bulimulus, Commercial Horticulture Digest, Green Industry, Invasive Species, Martin County, UF IFAS Extension
Dragon fruit workshop spurs excitement and collaboration for a robust industry in Florida
July 31, 2024
Dragon fruit is a heart-healthy superfood, low in calories and fueled with plenty of fiber and antioxidants - and it’s in high demand among consumers worldwide. An increasing number of consumers are growing this fruiting cactus vine ... READ MORE
Category: Agribusiness, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS ResearchTags: Dragon Fruit, Jonathan Crane, Romina Gazis, Super Fruit, Superfood, U.S. Department Of Agriculture, U.S. Dragon Fruit Industry, UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County, UF/IFAS TREC Plant Diagnostic Clinic, USDA National Institute Of Food And Agriculture, USDA-NIFA Specialty Crop Research Initiative
Weed of the Month: Torpedo Grass
July 30, 2024
If the FBI had a most wanted poster for weeds, chances are torpedo grass (aka bullet grass and creeping panic) would make the cut. Introduced as a forage crop for cattle when J. Edgar Hoover was just a lad, it has become one of the worst invasive ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS ExtensionTags: Invasive, Lawn, Pests And Disease, PMU, Weeds
Basics of Landscaping in Florida–Free Webinar–English on 8/15/24 & Español en 8/22/24
July 29, 2024
During this webinar, learn basic concepts about developing sustainable landscapes in Florida, such as planting the right plant in the right place, keeping plants the proper height, and following mowing and pruning best practices. ENGLISH CLASS WHAT: ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Events, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Home Management, Horticulture, Lawn, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Professional Development, Turf, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, WildlifeTags: (MGV), Alachua, Basics, Best Management Practices, Best Practices, Bilingual, BMP, BMPs, Book, CEU, Cflandscapes, Commercial Horticulture, Continuing Education, Continuing Education Unit, Event, FFL, Florida Friendly, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Free, Free Book, Free Class, Grass, HOA, Home, Home Landscape, Homeowners Association, Horticulture, Hwooten, IFAS, Intro, Introductory, Landscape, Landscape Basics, Landscapes, Landscaping, Master Gardener, Mow, Mowing, Orange, Ornamental, Ornamentals, Ort, Plant, Plants, Prune, Pruning, Residential, Seminole, Shrub, Spanish, Tree, Trees, Turf, Webinar