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
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, 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
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, 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
Typical gardens revolve around annual food crops that are seasonally planted and then harvested. Rather than have long gaps between each harvest, consider a food garden that contains crops that can be harvested or consumed when you are ready. There ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture, Pests & DiseaseConsider how can prior and current crops affect the future. What actions can be taken to ensure a successful garden in the future? Understand that pests from prior gardens often show up in future gardens. If weeds in a garden got out of control ... READ MORE
Category: AGRICULTURE, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture, Pests & DiseaseIt is essential to understand how prior crops affect the present and what actions can be taken to ensure a successful garden. When a gardener or a large-scale grower understands this, they can prepare accordingly and prevent or mitigate the ... READ MORE
Category: Agribusiness, AGRICULTURE, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture, Pests & Disease