As afternoon storms become a regular occurrence, thoughts turn to the trees around our home. You may be wondering if they are safe, or if they can hold up against the wind of a thunderstorm, tropical storm, or even a hurricane. While there ... READ MORE
Category: , Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
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
We are in the middle of a very hot summer. As I was mowing the yard this weekend, I stopped to take a break in the shade of the swamp chestnut oak tree in my front yard, and started thinking about the topic for this blog. Immediately my ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, the Master Gardener Volunteers of Sarasota County are marking the occasion in the most fitting way they know how — with plants! This July 4th, visitors to Twin Lakes Park ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
Last week, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) voted to extend the current Phase III “Extreme” Water Shortage Restrictions through October 1, 2026.Before officials enacted these restrictions earlier this year, we had ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Turf, Water, Work & Life
How Bad Is the Current Drought? Since the end of our rainy season in early fall, rainfall totals across west-central Florida have dropped dramatically. Local meteorologists report this has been one of the driest fall–winter periods in over ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Water
Darrow’s Blueberry (Vaccinium darrowii) is both a beautiful and edible edition to your garden! This time of year, the red, blue, purple, and green foliage plus the oncoming fruit crop really stand out. In shadier environments leaf color will ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables
Euglossa dilemma: Florida's Brilliant New Orchid Bee If you've spotted a dazzling, iridescent green bee darting through your garden, you may have encountered one of Florida's most fascinating recent arrivals — the Green Orchid Bee (Euglossa ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Wildlife, Work & Life
The Eastern Lubber Grasshopper Eastern lubbers are common in Central/Southern Florida. Eastern lubbers are common in Central/Southern Florida. This time of year, you may see many small black grasshoppers with neon yellow or orange markings. ... READ MORE
Category: Crops, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
At the Sarasota County UF/IFAS Extension Office, we've been cultivating a Food Forest to showcase the most productive, unique, and often underutilized fruits and crops suited to our distinctive southwest Florida climate. Through this ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Crops, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Work & Life