Reminiscent of the Victory Gardens of World War II, growing vegetables and herbs from seed in Central Florida has again become a popular and practical delight. By carefully planting and maintaining your garden, it's ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Crops, Food Safety, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
As we relish the flavors of locally grown strawberries, their sweet aroma and vibrant hues evoke the essence of sunshine captured in each bite. In the wake of Valentine's Day, where strawberries often take center stage, let's dive into the art ... READ MORE
Category: Food Safety, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, Relationships & Family, WORK & LIFE
Have you ever planted an avocado seed from a fresh fruit? Did you grab a cup and toothpicks to get started? Yes? STOP! Unless you are doing an activity to teach someone about how plants grow from seed, this is NOT the next way to plant an avocado ... READ MORE
Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture
Selecting the right plant for the right place is important for many reasons, including maintaining healthy plants through a cold spell. Resident of Lake County, Florida live in plant hardiness zones 9A and 9B. Plants adapted to 9A can service ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Lawn,
Thanksgiving week is upon on us. It’s a time for giving thanks, spending time with family and enjoying good food. For the farm to table foodies out there, eating local is all the rage. One of the ingredients hard to find locally though, is ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, HOME LANDSCAPES
Growing citrus in Florida is challenging whether you are a commercial producer or a hobbyist gardener. Perhaps the biggest challenge to viable citrus production is HLB, short for huanglongbing, the endemic disease that has depleted about 75% ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Fruits & Vegetables, HOME LANDSCAPES,
Star fruit, or carambola, is a unique tropical fruit we can grow here in central Florida. It may not survive very cold winters, but it will come back from the roots if it is killed back (if it is not a grafted tree). Star fruit are native to ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture
Peach trees grow rapidly in their first few years and it is important to get the trees well established for best production. Irrigation and fertilizer are important components to good tree growth. In Florida young peaches are put on irrigation ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture
Blackberry cultivars developed in Arkansas are popular but not well adapted to Florida conditions. Lack of winter chilling (temperatures between 32 and 45 F) causes poor and erratic budbreak in blackberry and limits consistent yields in Florida. ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture
Tea is made from the plant Camellia sinensis which was carefully guarded in China for centuries. Seeds were smuggled into India by the British in 1836 to break the Chinese tea monopoly. We can grow that plant here and UF/IFAS is researching ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture