Pinellas County is the first “Bee City USA” county in the state of Florida. The “Bee City USA” program is a recognition program from the Xerces Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to invertebrate conservation. “Bee City USA” ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Work & Life
Between June 1st and September 30th, Florida experienced most of its annual rainfall. We love the rain because the plants are naturally irrigated, but sometimes, we wish to put the rain on a timer. Unfortunately, the rain also irrigates the ... READ MORE
Category: Lawn, Pests & Disease, Turf,
Plants should be looking good in full growth. If our yard has a well-balanced ecosystem, pests and diseases are usually minor. Birds need caterpillars to feed their young. Bees and butterflies are busy gathering nectar and pollen while ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease
Hi! I’m Karen Stauderman, a Commercial Horticulture Extension Agent for the University of Florida based out of Volusia County. Often in extension, we receive lots of questions on what to grow in Florida to make money or what may be successful ... READ MORE
Category: Agribusiness, Crops, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
A wide selection of St Augustine grass cultivars is available on the market. The wide selection brings about versatility. Some cultivars, such as Bitterblue, ProVista and CitraBlue, will do well in partial shade, while Floratam needs full sun. ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, Turf,
Asiatic jasmine is a common groundcover used in many local landscapes that can in fact make a nice turf alternative in selected sites. Actually, not related to jasmine – so don’t count on the flowers - Asiatic jasmine is a groundcover ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
Florida is full of options for growing fruits at home and an often overlooked option is the pomegranate. Pomegranates are best adapted to a Mediterranean climate with mild winters and hot, dry summers. This does not match Florida exactly but ... READ MORE
Category: Fruits & Vegetables
June 6th is World Pest Day. And what better way to “celebrate” the pests which eat our crops than to expose their wicked ways. We should be aware that, around the world, we all fight some of the same insect pests. The following are ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Fruits & Vegetables, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease
Recap of June First Friday with Florida First Detector Oak trees are important to our environment with various species growing throughout the world and 24 species native to Florida (90 in the U.S.). With the wide distribution of oaks, especially ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Forests, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension
On June 1, many local fertilizer ordinances start the "blackout period", a restricted time of year where no fertilizers containing nitrogen or phosphorus are to be applied. What does that mean for Polk County? It is important that residents ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn, Water