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
The secret that farmers once depended on There's a secret to making your garden grow that farmers have long known, but that has escaped many home gardeners today. In Florida’s Heartland, where the soil is mostly sand, this technique is as ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS![young hands, cradled by older hands, hold a pile of soil with a young plant growing from it. [credit: pixabay.com, shameers rk]](https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/wp-content/blogs.dir/40/files/2026/02/2026_Waste_plantHandsSoil_pixaayShameersRkCROP1650x470.png)
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
If you are looking to start a community garden, or improve an existing one, check out these helpful resources from UF/IFAS. The Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide – This is an excellent guide that covers all different topics of gardening ... READ MORE
Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture
As we transition from the dog days of summer into (hopefully) the cool weather of fall, it is a great time to consider the nutrient levels of your garden soil. One of the best things you can give your garden is the foundation of healthy soil, ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
Did you know that a lot of what we toss in the trash or chuck out in the yard could be recycled right at home? That’s right! Around 30% of the stuff we throw away is food scraps and yard waste. Think banana peels, coffee grounds, grass clippings—the ... READ MORE
Category: , Home Landscapes
As cities across the nation increasingly embrace composting as a sustainable solution to food waste, the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is proud to offer access to leading experts in the field. ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Events, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Instead of sitting in a lecture hall, a group of UF students enrolled in Environmental Science Lab (EVS 3000L) spent the day surrounded by compost bins, a biodigester, and garden plots at the Experiential Learning Laboratory (ELL). Ann Wilkie, ... READ MORE
Category: UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching
When we turn the page into a new year, the motto is often “out with the old, in with the new.” But what if we actually kept the old and transformed it into something really useful? That’s exactly what happens with composting. Instead ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Natural ResourcesWhen Dr. Ann Wilkie created the UF Student Compost Cooperative (SCC) in 2009, her goal was to promote sustainability at the campus level. Over the next 15 years, the SCC grew to welcome the wider UF community. It also provided garden plots for ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching, Work & Life