Hot sun and dry sandy soil are conditions where most plants will wither and die, yet this is where succulents thrive. Succulents may not be the go-to plants for most gardeners when it comes to food production, however, there are some excellent ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture
Producers have implemented Best Management Practices (BMPs) that maintain or improve water quality, quantity, and soil conditions on their farms for many years. For the purposes of the Florida Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services ... READ MORE
Category: Agribusiness, AGRICULTURE, Crops, Farm Management, Livestock, Water
For thousands of years, in an unbroken chain, seeds have been saved from each harvest to be sown the next season. Seed saving provides many benefits to the seed saver. The costs of seeds has notably risen in the past several years, but more ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, HorticultureThe first step to ensuring high quality seeds are collected is to harvest the flower or pod once dry and continue to keep them dry. After the dry flower or pod has been removed from the plant be sure to label these seeds to ensure they are not ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture
It is best to plant ginger and turmeric rhizomes in spring or early summer. Inspect the rhizomes to ensure they are healthy and contain buds that will produce shoots after planting. Rhizomes can be soaked for several hours before planting to ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Crops, Fruits & VegetablesGinger and turmeric are two closely related spice plants that can be readily grown throughout most of Florida. They belong to the Zingiberaceae family of plants that also contain cardamom. Both plants are widely used for culinary and medicinal ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, HorticultureNorth Central Florida will reliably experience a freezing event at some point during the winter months. As a consequence, some gardens can be more affected or even killed by freezing temperatures. Freeze injury is generally caused by the ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, , Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture
Why does soil pH matter? The foundation of every successful garden starts with quality soil. Whether you’re growing vegetables, flowers, turf, shrubs, or any other plant matter, you must be aware of your soil pH and understand that it can ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Crops, Farm Management, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Lawn, Turf, UF/IFAS Extension
Edible ornamental landscaping is the combination of edible and non-edible ornamental plants. Selecting and maintaining plants according to the Florida-Friendly Landscaping principles can provide an edible ornamental landscape that is attractive, ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Crops, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture
As an Extension Agent or a Master Gardener Volunteer, we oftentimes find ourselves serving as plant doctors, or even as investigators trying to solve mysteries on the farm or landscape. One type of case we see quite frequently is the mysterious ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Crops, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Turf