By Pam Brown, Horticulture Extension Agent If you have roses in your landscape, the spring chores of pruning, fertilizing and mulching need to be started now. What do we do first? Pruning is first ‑ choose three to four healthy large ... READ MORE
Category: Home LandscapesBy Pam Brown, Urban Horticulture Extension Agent The last two nights have brought freezing or near freezing temperatures to our area. Many of the plants that are used in landscapes in the Tampa Bay area can be vulnerable to these ... READ MORE
Category: Home LandscapesBy Pam Brown, Urban Horticulture Extension Agent Flowers in winter are one of the joys of living in Florida. They can provide a needed splash of color to areas where there is only green. During our winter, nights are cool with an occasional ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home LandscapesFrom the SWFWMD web-site http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/conservation/restrictions/sod_irrigation_calendar.html The Tampa Bay region continues to suffer from the effects of a three-year drought. The region is experiencing an extreme water shortage ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Lawn, Natural Resources, WaterAndy Wilson, Horticulturalist The University of Florida Bookstore has a great variety of books, flashcards, posters and other helpful references for the gardener on your gift list. Check out the selections here: http://ifasbooks.ufl.edu/merchant2/ Among ... READ MORE
Category: Home LandscapesAndy Wilson, Horticulturist Southern red cedar (Juniperus virginana) and sand pine (Pinus clausa) are two Florida natives that are grown commercially for both cut and potted Christmas trees. Both southern red cedar and sand pine can be planted ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
Weeping fig Ficus benjamina hedges are a common sight in the Florida Keys. If you have one in your landscape, it's a good idea to inspect it for possible infestation by a new pest first found in the U.S. in 2007. The ficus whitefly Singhiella ... READ MORE
Category: Pests & DiseaseAndy Wilson, Horticulturist The single most important thing to do to keep cut Christmas trees fresh is to keep the base of the trunk immersed in water at all times once it is brought into the home. Most research has failed to show any real ... READ MORE
Category: Home LandscapesThe Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced that a eucalyptus pest, Leptocybe invasa (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), of a genus and species new to Florida and North America was recently discovered in Broward County, Florida. "The ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Pests & DiseaseBy Pam Brown, Urban Horticulture Extension agent January can bring frost or maybe freezing temperatures and here in Pinellas County we have tropical plants in our landscapes, so these cold spells can be damaging. If you have plants outside ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes