What makes a place matter to us? Is it the landscape itself, the people we share it with, or the stories we carry from one generation to the next? In this episode of Roots in the Sunshine, I sat down with UF/IFAS Urban Forestry Extension ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Forests, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Relationships & Family, Research, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
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
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, WildlifeMore 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
When people think of scientific research, they often picture Bunsen burners, beakers, and scientists in white lab coats hunched over microscopes. But some of the most valuable data comes from community members observing the world around ... READ MORE
Category: , Conservation, Events, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Relationships & Family, Research, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, WildlifeIn the Shadow of the Pines: A Conversation with Dr. Timothy Martin When people think of Florida, pine trees are rarely the first thing that comes to mind. Beaches, wetlands, palms—yes. Pine savannas, not so much. And yet, for much of ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
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
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
On Sunday February 8, 2026 the project broke ground. UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County and Hillsborough County Parks teamed up for a 1.1-acre woodlands restoration project at Carrollwood Village Park thanks to a grant funded ... READ MORE
Category: , Conservation, Events, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Forests, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
Rules of Thumb Science-based urban tree care requires knowledge in tree biology and anatomy, soil and water relations, pest management and plant health care, and a wide range of other subject domains. When faced with this sort of complexity, ... READ MORE
Category: , Forests