UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County -

New Invasive Turfgrass Pest: Pasture Mealybug

by Susan Haddock
July 15, 2026

There’s a new invasive insect that may invade your turfgrass…The Pasture Mealybug has been found in 15 south Florida counties in pastures including bahiagrass and bermudagrass pastures, other forage, and sugarcane. It has not been documented ... READ MORE

Category: Horticulture, Lawn, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Turf, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Invasive Pest, Landscape Insect, Landscape Maintenance, Landscape Pests, Pasture Mealybug, SW ProHort, SWProHort, Turfgrass Insect, Turfgrass Pest

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

How to Create a Drought-Tolerant Sandhill Yard in Central Florida

by Michael J. Masucci
July 13, 2026

Have you ever looked outside at your sunbaked patch of sandy soil in your yard and wondered why keeping turfgrass green fells like a full-time job? In Tampa and unincorporated Hillsborough County, urban development often leaves us with ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife

A New 4-H Resource for Florida Classrooms: A Land Remembered

by Shelby Fite
July 13, 2026

A New 4-H Resource for Florida Classrooms: A Land Remembered Florida’s story is deeply rooted in agriculture, natural resources, cattle, conservation, and the land. For many students, especially those growing up in urban or suburban communities, ... READ MORE

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Anvil Vs. Bypass: The Conclusion

by Alyssa Vinson
July 2, 2026

Welcome to the penultimate conclusion of the Anvil vs. Bypass Pruner saga. If you have not been fully engrossed over the past year, take a moment to revisit our previous blogs (The Saga Continues, Part Two, Part One) describing our methods ... READ MORE

Category:
Tags: Rooted In Tree Research, Show Us The Data!, Urban Forestry Extension

More Than a Tree Count: Understanding the Value of Urban Forests

by Alyssa Vinson
June 30, 2026

More Than a Tree Count: Understanding the Value of Urban Forests When people hear the phrase tree value, they often think of dollars. They picture property values, timber prices, or perhaps the cost of removing a large tree after a storm. But ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Urban Forestry Extension

Getting the Most Out of Compost in Your Home Landscape

by Tia Saracino
June 28, 2026

How to using compost in a home landscape?Compost can be applied to various garden and landscape areas, including vegetable gardens, landscape beds, turfgrass, especially before installing sod, flower beds, grow boxes, container gardens, and ... READ MORE

Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Lawn, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Central Florida, Compost, Fertilizer, Home Landscapes

The Heartbeat of Hillsborough: Celebrating Our 2026 4-H Award Winners

by ambernorris
June 25, 2026

Every thriving community has a heartbeat—driven by people who show up, step out of their comfort zones, and quietly work behind the scenes to make the world around them a better place. In 4-H, we talk a lot about the four H’s: Head, Heart, ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, , Events, Relationships & Family, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Florida 4-H, Geomatics Extension, Hillsborough County, Hillsborough County Extension Office, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences

Two Reasons Your Homeowner’s Insurance May Not Cover Hurricane Damage

by Lisa Leslie
June 22, 2026

It’s hurricane season, and before a storm is on the radar, it’s a good time to review your homeowner’s insurance policy and understand what it covers. Many homeowners impacted by Helene and Milton had damage claims denied. According ... READ MORE

Category: Disaster Preparation, Money Matters, Work & Life
Tags: Flood Insurance, Homeowners Insurance, Hurricane Deductible, Property Insurance

Summer Personal Finance Webinars

by Lisa Leslie
June 16, 2026

All are 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. EST. Cost = Free July 8, Trump Accounts 101: The Who, The What, and The How We will discuss Trump Accounts, a new tax-advantaged retirement savings account for children. We'll talk about how they're structured, ... READ MORE

Category: , Money Matters, Work & Life
Tags: Financial Management Classes, Personal Finance; Investing; Personal Finance Classes;, Retirement Planning

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