Category: Home Landscapes

Composting! Natures Recycling Program

by Brynn Morey
May 22, 2025

Did you know that a lot of what we toss in the trash or chuck out in the yard could be recycled right at home? That’s right! Around 30% of the stuff we throw away is food scraps and yard waste. Think banana peels, coffee grounds, grass clippings—the ... READ MORE

Category: , Home Landscapes
Tags: #MonroeCounty, Beneficial, Compost, Composting, Composting Basics, Environmental Impact, Florida Friendly Landscaping, Florida Keys, Gardening, Green Living, Howtocompost, Natures Gold, Sustainability, Sustainable Living

Bird flu concerns in the Florida Keys?

by Alicia Betancourt
February 12, 2025

We hear a lot about Avian Influenza, or H5N1, and the price of eggs in the news recently. That got me thinking, should we be worried about bird flu here in the Keys? As it turns out, we should. Although Florida Fish and Wildlife has not ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Home Landscapes, Livestock, NATURAL RESOURCES, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Atlantic Flyway, Avian Influenza, Backyard Poultry, Biosecurity, Bird Feeders, Bird Flu, Blue Discoloration, Bottle-nose Dolphin, Cows, Crows, Dead Bird Reporting, Diarrhea, Domestic Cats, Domestic Poultry Protection, Eagles, Falcons, FDACS, Feces, Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services, Florida Fish And Wildlife, Florida Fish And Wildlife Commission, Florida Keys, Game Birds, Great Egret, H5N1, Hawks, Lack Of Energy, Migration, Mucus, National Wildlife Disease Program, Neurological Signs, Owls, Poultry, Reduced Egg Production, Respiratory Distress, Saliva, Seabirds, Shorebirds, Snowy Egret, Sudden Death, Swollen Head, Virus Spread, Virus Transmission, Vultures, Wild Birds, Wildlife Health

Cane toads (Bufo Marinus) and your pets.

by Alicia Betancourt
October 19, 2023

South Florida's lush landscape and subtropical climate make it a paradise for both humans and a diverse range of wildlife. However, in recent years, an invasive species has become a growing concern for the region, especially concerning ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Home Management, Invasive Species, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Cane Toad, Family Hot Topic, Florida Keys, Hazardous, Invasive Species, Landscape, Pets

Landscape Storm Recovery

by Michelle Leonard-Mularz
September 30, 2022

Para acceder a esta comunicación en español, por favor utilice este enlace. Hurricane Ian made an impact as it passed west of the Keys. Though we were spared the worst, strong hurricane-force wind gusts and fast-moving storm surge caused ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
Tags: Florida Keys, Hurricane Damage, Proper Pruning, Pruning, Storm Remediation, Tree Removal

What is This? Gall Mites!

by Michelle Leonard-Mularz
August 30, 2022

Visiting different properties around the Keys, I’ve noticed an increased number of Mexican petunia plants, Ruellia simplex, covered in white patches. These aren’t mealybugs or whiteflies, it is caused by gall mites and it's the plants ... READ MORE

Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, NATURAL RESOURCES, Pests & Disease
Tags: Florida Friendly Landscaping, Florida Keys, Gall Mites, Invasive Species, IPM Florida, Native Plants, Ruellia

What is Witch’s Broom

by Michelle Leonard-Mularz
November 12, 2021

Witch’s broom is a symptom of stress in woody plants that causes deformed or stunted growth on newly expanding buds and leaves. This stress causes the disruption of stem elongation, leaf development and expansion, and can cause a broom-like ... READ MORE

Category: , Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease

Chives: A Reliable Herb In A Keys Garden

by Michelle Leonard-Mularz
August 31, 2021

Chives are a perennial member of the onion family. Onion chives (Allium schoenoprasum) and garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) are both reliable pops of green in a Keys herb garden. They produce attractive edible flowers and provide a source ... READ MORE

Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes
Tags: Chives, Edible Landscape, Florida Keys, Local Food, Vegetable Gardening

New Fertilizer Ordinance for Monroe County

by Michelle Leonard-Mularz
August 11, 2021

Monroe County Board of County Commissioners recently passed a fertilizer ordinance with the intent of limiting nutrient applications to turf and landscape plants. Nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen, have the potential to contribute to ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, NATURAL RESOURCES, Work & Life
Tags: Fertilizer, Florida Friendly Landscaping, Florida Keys, Sustainability, Sustainable Landscaping

The Ways Insects Benefit Our Yards

by Michelle Leonard-Mularz
June 4, 2021

When we think about insects in our yards and gardens, our first thought is probably not about all the many good things they do. But make no mistake, there are far more good bugs than bad bugs which benefit our yards in numerous ways; just ... READ MORE

Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, NATURAL RESOURCES, Pests & Disease
Tags: Agriculture, Beneficial Insects, Biodiversity, Diversity, Florida, Florida Friendly Landscaping, Florida Keys, Insect Diversity, Insects, IPM Florida, Native Plants

A Changing Landscape in Subterranean Termite Control

by Michelle Leonard-Mularz
March 4, 2021

This is a summary of a recent presentation by Dr. Thomas Chouvenc on the importance of termite colony biology on control methods Termites evolved from cockroaches 150 million years ago. There are now over 3,000 termite species worldwide, ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease
Tags: Insects, Invasive Species, IPM Florida, Subterranean Termites, Termite Control, Termites

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