Tag: compost

Close-up of a red fallen leaf covered in feathery white fungal threads, held in a hand.

All These Leaves: Turning Fall’s Bounty into Leaf Mold for Your Garden

by Leon County Master Gardener Volunteer
October 20, 2026

By Mary Janik, Master Gardener Volunteer All. These. Leaves. What should we do with all these leaves?! It’s a common complaint in autumn. Folks rake ’em, bag ’em, burn ’em, compost ’em, and leave ’em. Or, you can make leaf ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Forests, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Tags: Composting, Fall Gardening, Fallen Leaves, Fungi, Leaf Mold, Master Gardener Volunteer, Mulch, Organic Matter, Soil Health

Meet the Crew Beneath Your Crops

by Molly Jameson
August 4, 2026

"The health of soil, plant, animal and man is one and indivisible." – Sir Albert Howard, An Agricultural Testament (1940) Farmers are intrinsically tied to the soil beneath their fields. Where others see dirt, greenery, and maybe a few worms, ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Natural Resources
Tags: Beneficial Nematodes, Compost, Cover Crops, Green Manure, Nutrient Cycling, Panhandle Agriculture, Soil Ecosystem, Soil Food Web, Soil Health, Soil Life, Soil Microorganisms, SV Ag Update, Topsoil

Getting the Most Out of Compost in Your Home Landscape

by Tia Saracino
June 28, 2026

How to using compost in a home landscape?Compost can be applied to various garden and landscape areas, including vegetable gardens, landscape beds, turfgrass, especially before installing sod, flower beds, grow boxes, container gardens, and ... READ MORE

Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Lawn, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Central Florida, Compost, Fertilizer, Home Landscapes

Got Compost? Meet the Black Soldier Fly.

by Evan Anderson
June 26, 2026

The goal of a good compost pile is to turn dead plant material into humus, the black or brown material that is formed when organic matter is decomposed. Many organisms play a part in breaking down this organic matter, from microscopic bacteria, ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Tags: Beneficial Insects, Black Soldier Fly., Compost, Composting, Insects, Panhandle Gardening, Soldier Fly
Spent tomato leaves add mulch underneath a Seminole pumpkin vine.

Chop and Drop Gardening: Turning Plant Waste into Healthy Soil

by Lauren Spaduzzi
May 29, 2026

Nature doesn’t waste nutrients, and your garden doesn’t have to either! What is ‘chop and drop’ gardening? Chop and drop gardening involves ‘chopping’ plant material, and then ‘dropping’ it in place, where it decomposes naturally ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Central Florida, Chop And Drop, Compost, Florida, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Garden, Gardening, Home Landscapes, Mulch, UF/IFAS Extension, Vegetable Gardening
A shovel pierces the surface of an open pile of on-farm compost. The pile is a mix of composting vegetative debris and soil.

Compost on the Farm: Composting in Piles and Windrows

by Yvette Goodiel
March 5, 2026

Why compost on the farm? Across ornamental nurseries, vegetable fields/greenhouses, and livestock operations large and small, use and production of compost is considered a best practice. Composting keeps materials out of the landfill, prevents ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Farm Management, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Commercial Horticulture Digest, Compost, Martin County, Small Farms, Soil Health, UF/IFAS Extension, Using Compost On The Farm
young hands, cradled by older hands, hold a pile of soil with a young plant growing from it. [credit: pixabay.com, shameers rk]

UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County Launches New “Master Waste Reduction Educator” Program

by Randy Penn
February 6, 2026

Be part of Sarasota County’s first-ever Master Waste Reduction Educator Program! UF/IFAS Sarasota County Extension is launching the inaugural Master Waste Reduction Educator Program. This immersive, six-week experience is designed to empower ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Composting, Master, Master Waste Reduction Educator, MWRE, Pgm_Waste, Recycle, Waste Reduction
Tazón blanco lleno de guacamole, rodeado de chips de tortilla.

Los expertos de UF ofrecen consejos prácticos y sin estrés para desperdiciar menos, ahorrar dinero y disfrutar de las festividades

by Luz Bahder
December 1, 2025

Creado por Lourdes Mederos, gerente de relaciones públicas en español para el Departamento de Comunicaciones de UF/IFAS. Las fiestas son sinónimo de buena comida, grandes reuniones y mucha gratitud, pero también pueden convertirse en ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Conservation, Food Safety, Health & Nutrition, Home Landscapes, Home Management, Money Matters, Natural Resources, Relationships & Family, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Abono, Agente De Extensión En Ciencias Del Consumidor Y De La Familia, Año Nuevo, Antelación, Brenda Marty-Jimenez, Cenas, Cocción, Cocinar, Comida, Compost, Compostaje, Descongelar, Descongelar Las Aves De Corral, Desperdicio, Enfriar, Español, Festividades, Fiestas. Festividades, Ingredientes, Intoxicación Por Alimentos, Josey Pearce Keener, Lista, Métodos Seguros, Mica McMillan, Navidad, Planeamiento De Las Comidas Durante Las Festividades, Planificar, Planifique Su Menú, Presupuesto, Presupuestos, Productos Avícolas, Seguridad, Seguridad De Los Alimentos, Sobras, Sobras De Alimentos, Spanish, Técnicas Adecuadas De Descongelación, Temperatura, Temperaturas Recomendadas, Termómetro, UF-IFAS, USDA

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