West Central Florida's warm and sunny climate provides an ideal environment for cultivating a variety of edible plants. One underused tropical shrub that not only flourishes in this region but also adds a burst of flavor to your landscape is ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping
With varying levels of red tide lingering off the coast of Southwest Florida – from Tampa Bay to Naples -- some seafood eaters may wonder whether they can safely consume fish and shellfish caught in the Gulf. We talked to Razieh Farzad, a ... READ MORE
Category: UF/IFAS
If you’re perusing the produce section, you generally seek fresh, pleasant-looking fruit – the kind most consumers want to buy. Usually, that means you see few, if any, blemishes. Fruit bruising has many causes: compression, impact or ... READ MORE
Category: Agribusiness
Q. When is citrus fruit ready to harvest? A. Florida uses five indexes to determine maturity of citrus, including soluble solids, juice content, acid level, soluble solids/acid ratio and skin color. But, the home gardener can easily decide ... READ MORE
Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes
Stone crabs are feisty, fearsome predators, even cannibalistic! Two commercial species of stone crab coexist in the state of Florida, the Florida stone crab (Menippe mercenaria) and the Gulf stone crab (Menippe adina). These two crabs are managed ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural ResourcesGrowing shiitake mushrooms can provide a specialty product for small farmers and enthusiasts alike, either for alternative income or simple enjoyment. Growing Mushrooms are simply the fruit of a fungus. The mycelium is the vegetative part ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Crops, SFYL Hot TopicOysters on the half shell ready to eat! Photo Courtesy of Florida Sea Grant Making oysters a healthy and sustainable seafood choice is the goal of oystermen and seafood dealers across the nation and the state of Florida. New education programs ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Turf