Tag: irrigation

Close-up of a lawn sprinkler spraying water across green grass during landscape irrigation.

Your Landscape Is Thirsty–But Maybe Not as Thirsty as You Think

by Margaret Stewart
September 25, 2026

As the weather cools in Northwest Florida, we pull out jackets, enjoy cooler mornings, and watch our landscapes begin to slow down. But there is one fall chore that is easy to forget: Change the irrigation schedule. That sprinkler timer ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
Tags: EPA WaterSense, Fall Irrigation, Florida Gardening, Florida Lawns, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Gardening In The Panhandle, Home Landscaping, Irrigation, Irrigation Management, Landscape Maintenance, Landscape Watering, Lawn Care, Northwest Florida, Panhandle Gardening, Seasonal Watering, Smart Irrigation, Turfgrass, UF/IFAS Extension, Water Conservation, Water-Wise Landscaping, WaterSense, Winter Irrigation
Professional lawn care worker mowing a healthy green residential lawn, with a landscaping service truck and maintained shrubs in the background

How to Choose the Right Green Industry Professional for Your Lawn and Landscape

by Margaret Stewart
August 24, 2026

Your lawn and landscape are an investment. A healthy yard can increase your home's value, save water, and make your property more enjoyable. But choosing the right company is important. The lowest price is not always the best value. A trained ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Home Management, Lawn, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Choosing A Lawn Care Company, Environmental Protection, FDACS, Fertilization, Fertilizer Certification, Florida Homeowners, Florida Landscaping, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program, FNGLA, Gardening In The Panhandle, GI-BMP, Green Industries Best Management Practices, Hiring A Landscaper, Home Landscaping, Integrated Pest Management, IPM, Irrigation, ISA Certified Arborist, Landscape Design, Landscape Maintenance, Landscape Professionals, Lawn Care, Lawn Care Professionals, Panhandle Gardening, Pest Management, Pesticide Licensing, Pesticide Safety, Plant Health, Professional Lawn Care, UF/IFAS Extension, Water Conservation, Weed Control
Center irrigation pivot in a perennial peanut hay field.

Growing More with Less: How UF/IFAS Is Helping Agriculture Reduce Fertilizer and Irrigation Use

by Kevin Korus
July 30, 2026

Introduction As Florida's population continues to grow and demand for food increases, farmers face the challenge of producing high-quality crops while protecting the state's valuable natural resources. Water conservation and responsible fertilizer ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Horticulture, Natural Resources, Water
Tags: Best Management Practices, Fertilizer, Irrigation, Water

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
Water Feature in Garden

Irrigating Your Landscape

by Joshua Criss
May 18, 2026

Irrigation is quite a controversial topic in horticulture. Far too often, clients come into the office with grass struggling or detrimental fungal concerns in their gardens.  The “go to” conversation concerns the cultural practices being ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping
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, Irrigation, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Office, Okaloosa, Panhandle, Panhandle Gardening, Santa Rosa, UF, UF-IFAS, Wakulla, Walton, Washington, Watering
Elevated tractor spraying a corn field. Photo taken 05-20-21.

What’s New on Ask IFAS: Agricultural and Biological Engineering (Mar.–Apr. 2026)

by Amanda Quintos
May 14, 2026

Agricultural and Environmental Implications of Information-Driven Irrigation Scheduling: Insights from a Field-Scale Study with a Gravelly Loam Soil in South Florida Young Gu Her, Sandra Guzmán, Ashley Smyth, Laura Vasquez, Qingren Wang, and ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Natural Resources, Water
Tags: Agricultural Sustainability, Irrigation, Soil Moisture Sensors, South Florida

Healthy Plants, Watering Restrictions, and Extreme Drought

by Julia Sirchia
May 14, 2026

In Florida, annual dry periods and drought conditions in the fall and spring are completely normal. But during periods of extreme drought and below-average rainfall, like the conditions we are experiencing this year, there are some cultural ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Water
Tags: Drought, Efficient Irrigation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Gardening In Drought, Horticulture, In Times Of Drought, Irrigation, Mulch, Pasco, Water, Water Conservation, Water Restrictions

Should You Water Your Trees?

by Julia Sirchia
May 7, 2026

Mature Trees   Mature trees, especially older ones, develop an extensive network of roots and can survive on rainfall exclusively. Some of these roots run very deep, which is why supplemental watering is usually unnecessary. Most mature shrubs ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Water
Tags: Drought, Dry Season, Efficient Irrigaiton, Home Landscape, In Times Of Drought, Irrigation, Pasco, Rainfall, Shrubs, Trees, Water, Water Conservation, Water Restrictions

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