Tag: gardening

The Landscape Order of Operations: Water. Test. Fertilize—if needed.

by Lauren Spaduzzi
July 15, 2026

A simple guide to diagnosing landscape problems before reaching for fertilizer. When plants start looking unhealthy, it's tempting to reach for a bag of fertilizer. Yellowing leaves, stunted growth, or poor flowering often seem like obvious ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching, Water
Tags: Central Florida, Fertilizer, Fertilizer Ordinances, Florida, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruit, Garden, Gardening, Hillsborough, Hillsborough County, Home Landscapes, Irrigation, Landscape, Master Gardener, Soil PH, Soil Test, UF/IFAS Extension, Vegetable, Vegetable Gardening, Watering Efficiently
Three kayakers on Phillipi Creek

8 Sustainable Adventures in Sarasota County

by Kate Sweeney
July 6, 2026

Are you stuck doing the same things for fun and looking for affordable ways to enjoy Sarasota County? Luckily, Sarasota County offers a load of sustainable adventures, from its beaches and parks to its sunny weather and countless attractions. ... READ MORE

Category: Work & Life
Tags: Beaches, Budget, Eco-friendly Activities, Farmer's Market, Gardening, Hike, Kayak, Nature Journaling, Pgm_Sustain, Photography, Sarasota County, Sarasota County Extension, Sustainability, Things To Do, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County, Wellness, Wildlife
a mixture of grass, grain and legume plants growing together in a field

Summer Cover Crops for the Home Vegetable Garden

by Beth Marlowe
June 30, 2026

By early summer, many of us have pulled up our spent spring crops.  No disrespect to okra or lima beans, but sometimes we just don't want to actively garden in the intense heat.  So what can we do with our garden beds instead?  We can grow ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Cover Crops, Duval, Gardening, IFAS, Marlowe, Vegetable Gardening, Vegetables
Landscape with pond

All About Rain Gardens

by joshuacriss
June 24, 2026

With all the rainy days in northwest Florida lately, you’d be forgiven for wondering if your property would be better suited to being one giant pond. More importantly, you may begin to wonder where all that runoff will end up. It will likely ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes
Tags: Agriculture, Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Extension, FFL, Florida Yards And Neighborhoods, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Franklin, FYN, Gadsden, Garden, Gardening, Gardening In The Panhandle, GI-BMP, Gulf, Holmes, Horticulture, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Office, Okaloosa, Panhandle, Panhandle Horticulture, Santa Rosa, UF, UF-IFAS, Wakulla, Walton, Washington

Knee High by the Fourth of July Nonsense

by Matt Lollar
June 23, 2026

I'm sure you've heard the old saying "Knee High by the Fourth of July" in reference to growing corn.  Well, it's just not true in this part of the country.  In fact, it doesn't hold much truth in America's Corn Belt either.  If we planted ... READ MORE

Category: Fruits & Vegetables
Tags: Agriculture, America, Bay, Calhoun, Corn, Escambia, Extension, Farm, FFL, Florida Yards And Neighborhoods, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Franklin, FYN, Gadsden, Garden, Gardening, Gardening In The Panhandle, GI-BMP, Gulf, Holmes, Horticulture, Independence, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Office, Okaloosa, Panhandle, Panhandle Gardening, Santa Rosa, UF, UF-IFAS, Vegetable, Wakulla, Walton, Washington

How to start a food forest in your central Florida yard

by Anne Yasalonis
June 15, 2026

The garden journey of a Master Gardener Volunteer is always fascinating. UF/IFAS Extension Polk County Master Gardener Volunteer, Jessica, shares how she started a food forest in her yard. To learn even more, take a listen as we chat with Jessica ... READ MORE

Category:
Tags: Anne Yasalonis, Ayasalonis, Central Florida, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Florida-Friendly Plants, Flowers, Food Forest, Fruit, Gardening, Jschelb, Master Gardener Volunteer, Native Plants, Polk County, Polk County FL, Polkgardening, Vegetables, Your Central Florida Yard Podcast
Featured image: Young explorers observing mushrooms with magnifying glass in forest. AdobeStock_ 1655868095 By Serhii, Photo used under license.

Don’t let the ‘summer slide’ slow down learning; experts share fun options to fuel young minds

by Lourdes Mederos
June 11, 2026

Summer break has arrived for kids. A time for fun, freedom and family vacation. It can also be a time when academic skills fade away. With nearly 3 million students enrolled in Florida public schools, University of Florida experts at ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Blog Community, Camp, Clubs & Volunteers, Events, Professional Development, Relationships & Family, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: 4-H, 4-H Camp To Go, 4-H Programs, 4-H Summer Camps, Adventure, Adventures, Backyard Fun, Bonnie Wells, Citizen Science, David Hafner, Español, Exploring, Gardening, INaturalist App, Learning Opportunities, Lynsey Occenac, Outdoor Adventures, Science, Spanish, STEM, Summer, Summer Slide, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Broward County, UF/IFAS Extension Martin County, UF/IFAS Extension Osceola County, University Of Florida, Vacation, Young, Youth

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