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 CitaBlue, will do well in partial shade, while Florotam 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
UF/IFAS Mosquito Experts I recently had the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues at the UF/IFAS Florida Medical Entomology Lab (FMEL) in Vero Beach, FL. FMEL Assistant Professors Dr. Eva Buckner, Dr. Yoosook Lee, and Dr. Lawrence Reeves ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, , Home Landscapes, Invasive Species, Natural Resources
For Dr. Suess fans everywhere, this title might have made you think of the Lorax. The quote "I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees for the trees have no tongues”. You might be curious about how this is going to tie ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease
Hurricanes June 1st is the first day of the 2023 hurricane season in the Eastern part of the United States. This season will continue all the way to November 30, 2023. Last year brought us two hurricanes (Ian and Nicole), which crossed the ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Disaster Preparation, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
If a weed is just a 'plant out of place', then nutsedge takes its job seriously. Yellow nutsedge is native to North America, but can be found worldwide anywhere it's warm. Purple nutsedge is not as well traveled, and prefers slightly warmer ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes