Tag: drought

As days grow shorter, your landscape naturally needs less water

by Brad Buck
November 17, 2025

Even though daily deluges of Florida’s summer rains are in the rearview mirror, your lawn still can look lush, even with less water. Irrigation accounts for more than half the average U.S. water bill, but you can preserve this precious ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: 'Skip A Week', Calibration, Deep Roots, Don Rainey, Drainage, Drought, Fall, Irrigation, Jackie Lebouitz, Julie McConnell, Laura Vásquez, Lawns, Residential, Saving, Soil, Southwest Florida Water Management Districtement District, Turfgrass, UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County, UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County, Water Restrictions, Winter
a view of kids playing on synthetic turf

Scorching temps from California turf raises questions about artificial turf, xeriscaping in humid states like Florida

by Lourdes Mederos
July 30, 2025

While artificial turf and rock-heavy xeriscapes are marketed as low-maintenance, drought-resistant alternatives to traditional lawns, research by University of Florida scientists shows it comes at unexpected environmental and public safety ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Crops, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn, SFYL Hot Topic, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Artificial Turf, Drought, Drought-resistant, Enrvironmental Horticulture, Environmental Costs, Florida Law, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Heat, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Marco Schiavon, Natural Turf, News, Public Safety, Rock-heavy Xeriscape, Surface Temperatures, Synthetic Turf, Traditional Lawns, Turfgrass Science, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, Weeds

Drought Tolerant Native Plants for Central Florida

by Tia Silvasy
May 5, 2025

In the late spring when it starts to get hot and dry in Central Florida you may notice some plants wilting and others thriving. This is a good time to consider remove plants that are not well suited for your landscape and replace with drought ... READ MORE

Category: , Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Central Florida, Drought, Hillsborough County, Hurricane, Native Plants, Salt, Tsilvasy

Drought Tolerance: The Amazing Plant Adaptations

by Taylor Clem, PhD
June 26, 2024

Here comes the drought stress... June first marks the beginning of Florida’s rainy season – although, it has not been that rainy lately. In fact, we've already received a couple of burn ban notifications from the Florida Forest Service. ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Beautiful, Demonstration Garden, Drought, Drought Tolerance, Drought Tolerant, Florida Friendly, Florida-Friendly Landscapes, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Flowers, Landscapes, Right Plant Right Place, Water Efficiently

Parched Plants: Planting for Drought Tolerance

by Alyssa Vinson
June 12, 2024

Parched Plants: Planting for Drought Tolerance Once plush, springy, and verdant, leaves unfurled to collect the gift of sunlight. Leaves dancing in their daily rhythm, magically transforming sunlight to sugar, sighing softly in the twilight, ... READ MORE

Category: , Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Tags: Climate Zone Change, Drought, Dying Plants, Florida Friendly Landscape, Horticulture, Manatee County, Plant Selection

World Environment Day: June 5

by Kate Albertus
June 4, 2024

World Environment Day 2024: Land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience World Environment Day 2024 is celebrated on June 5, marking the 51st anniversary of this global holiday. This year’s theme is “land restoration, desertification ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation
Tags: Climate, Climate Change, Conservation, Deforestation, Degradation, Drought, Environment, Pgm_Sustain, Restoration, UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County, World

Water Conservation During Drought

by Tia Silvasy
May 27, 2024

When it's hot and dry out it is important to think of water conservation. In Florida, more than 50% of our potable water is used for lawns and landscapes in residential housing. The goal is to keep our plants alive, while conserving water. ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
Tags: Central Florida, Desalinization, Drinking Water, Drought, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Hillsborough, Landscape, Lawn, Population, Potable Water, Tampa, Tsilvasy, Water Conservation

New UF/IFAS professor to combine AI and plant breeding; teach tomorrow’s AI innovators

by Brad Buck
May 24, 2022

As a child in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Carlos “Charlie” Messina knew he wanted to help people produce food worldwide, while also preserving the environment. But learning about agriculture in a big city wasn’t easy. Fortunately, his ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: #aiatuf, Agricultural And Biological Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Buenos Aires, Charlie Messina, Crop Models, Drought, Flood, Genomics, Horticultural Sciences, Jim Jones, Meteorology, Plant Breeding

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