Category: Lawn

Pasture mealybugs on grass

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

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
Spent tomato leaves add mulch underneath a Seminole pumpkin vine.

Chop and Drop Gardening: Turning Plant Waste into Healthy Soil

by Lauren Spaduzzi
May 29, 2026

Nature doesn’t waste nutrients, and your garden doesn’t have to either! What is ‘chop and drop’ gardening? Chop and drop gardening involves ‘chopping’ plant material, and then ‘dropping’ it in place, where it decomposes naturally ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Central Florida, Chop And Drop, Compost, Florida, Florida-friendly Landscaping, Garden, Gardening, Home Landscapes, Mulch, Uf/ifas Extension, Vegetable Gardening
Landscape with a palm tree

Are You Over-Pruning Your Palms?

by Tia Saracino
March 29, 2026

The Big Misunderstanding: “Do not prune above 9 and 3 on a clock” was guidance intended as an absolute pruning limit. “Pruning to 9 and 3” as a standard was never the goal. Over time, it has been misinterpreted as the correct way ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Home Management, Horticulture, Lawn, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Fertilizer, Florida Friendly, Home Landscapes, Palm, Palm Trees, Pruning

How Florida Residents Can Conserve Water and Keep Great Landscapes

by Michael J. Masucci
March 9, 2026

In Florida's sunshine and heat, every drop of water counts, especially during our dry spring months. That is why Hillsborough County has recognized April as Water Conservation Month since 2013, reminding residents that sustainable landscaping ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
Tags: BeautifulYardsLessWater, DroughtTolerantGardening, EveryDropCounts, FloridaEnvironment, FloridaFriendlyLandscaping, HillsboroughCounty, NativePlantsFlorida, SaveWater, SmartIrrigation, Water Conservation

From frustrated yard to Florida-Friendly Landscaping™: a free 10-part webinar series for Hillsborough County residents

by Michael J. Masucci
December 19, 2025

  This Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Hillsborough County webinar series is a free, 10-part, live Zoom series designed to help residents, HOA board members, and community managers create attractive, low-maintenance yards that ... READ MORE

Category: Events, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Agriculture, Community, Compost, Conservation, County Events, Discovery Garden, Extension, Fertilizer, FFL, Florida, Florida Friendly, Florida Friendly Landscape, Florida Native Plants, Florida-friendly Landscaping, Flower, Flowers, Gardening, Home Landscapes, Home Recognition, Horticulture

Turfgrass Replacement

by Susan Haddock
November 13, 2025

If 30% or more of your lawn is covered with weeds, bare spots, or other damage, it’s usually more practical to replace it with new sod. In many cases, the time, cost, and effort needed to repair the area are greater than simply starting ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Home Management, Horticulture, Lawn, Turf, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
Tags: Florida-friendly Landscaping, Grass, Landscape, Lawn Replacement, Laying Sod, Turfgrass

Winter Landscape Care: Fertilizer and Watering Tips

by Susan Haddock
November 13, 2025

Plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide (CO₂) to make food through photosynthesis. In fall and winter, less sunlight, cooler temperatures, and less rain cause photosynthesis and growth to slow down. Because of this, plants need very ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Home Management, Horticulture, Lawn, Turf, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
Tags: Fall_lawn_care, Fertilization, Fertilizer, Florida-friendly Landscaping, Irrigation, Landscape, Lawn, ProHort, SWProHort, Turfgrass, Water, Watering Efficiently, Winter Landscape

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