What happens after a class ends or a partnership begins? The Extension Effect is a series of interviews with community members and partners about how they put what they learned from UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County into action and the difference ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
At the Sarasota County UF/IFAS Extension Office, we've been cultivating a Food Forest to showcase the most productive, unique, and often underutilized fruits and crops suited to our distinctive southwest Florida climate. Through this ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Work & Life
This time of year, you may notice bursts of white-flowered shrubs along roadsides, trails, and other natural areas. If they have monarchs on them, too, the plant is likely saltbush (Baccharis halimifolia). Saltbush is a native shrub in the ... READ MORE
Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
It has been estimated that more than 99 percent of insects are beneficial to our existence. This means it is important to identify and protect the species that help make our lives and landscapes healthier. First, let's get one thing straight: ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Have you ever spent a morning in the garden and realized your back, knees, or shoulders got just as much of a workout as your plants did? If you garden, you probably don't think of yourself as exercising. You're just gardening. But when you're ... READ MORE
Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Community Volunteers, Crops, Farm Management, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Food Safety, Forests, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, Home Landscapes, Home Management, Horticulture, Lawn, Pests & Disease, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife, Work & Life
Residential and commercial turf areas throughout Florida are commonly infested with insects and other arthropods. While most of these organisms go unnoticed, several species can cause significant damage to turfgrass. Understanding pest biology ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Para muchos residentes de Florida, los mosquitos son parte de disfrutar del aire libre. Sin embargo, sus picaduras pueden ser más que una molestia. Los mosquitos pueden transmitir enfermedades como el dengue, el virus del Nilo Occidental y ... READ MORE
Category: 4-H & Youth, Clubs & Volunteers, Community Volunteers, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
By MGV Mike Archer Kids and wildflowers both use dirt to grow. Maybe that’s why they like it. Playing in dirt can ease stress and boost the immune system. Better still, making seed bombs turns playtime into a hands-on lesson on the ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Hurricane Isaias blew through the western panhandle on October 9, 2026. While we currently don't have a complete assessment of what tree species faired the best and worst from this storm, there are some preliminary observations that can be ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
As Florida's summer heat begins to fade, fall offers one of the best opportunities to add native plants to your landscape. Cooler temperatures, lower evaporation rates, and seasonal rainfall help plants establish strong root systems before ... READ MORE
Category: , Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife