• The next “Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE!” will discuss beneficial insects, live on July 29 at 1 p.m. Eastern, noon Central.
• Recordings are posted afterward at tinyurl.com/GardeningLive.
• Zoom requires pre-registration, and viewers have another option to tune in on Facebook Live. An expert monitors each platform’s comments to answer viewer questions live.

Gardeners may spot the occasional crawling, jumping or flying visitor on their plants, but according to University of Florida experts, not all insects are cause for concern. The next in a free virtual series from UF/IFAS Extension will help gardeners identify those beneficial bugs.

UF/IFAS Extension horticulture agents in the Northwest Florida counties developed the “Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE!” series to address topics related to home landscaping. The next subject to be discussed is beneficial insects, on July 29 at 1 p.m. Eastern/noon Central. The video streams concurrently on both Zoom and the “Gardening in the Panhandle” Facebook page.

UF/IFAS experts answer audience questions during each event. The upcoming expert panel features Adam Dale, UF/IFAS assistant professor who specializes in turf and ornamental entomology; Beth Bolles, UF/IFAS Extension Escambia County environmental horticulture agent; Julie McConnell, UF/IFAS Extension Bay County commercial and residential horticulture agent; and Danielle Sprague, UF/IFAS Extension Jefferson County agriculture and natural resources agent.

Zoom participants can submit questions when they register. Registration is required at tinyurl.com/xwptdfu7 to receive access information for that platform. Both the Zoom and Facebook comment sections are also monitored and addressed by UF/IFAS Northwest Extension District horticulture experts who are not on the current panel.

The series began last year as more people turned to gardening during the COVID-19 pandemic and virtual programming increased in popularity. The 2021 series has already included discussions on weeds, spring vegetable gardening, lawn care, culinary herbs, and ornamental and turf diseases. After each session, recordings are closed captioned and uploaded to a YouTube playlist (tinyurl.com/GardeningLive). Previous recordings can be viewed there now.

Coming up in the next few presentations are a question-and-answer session on landscape topics (Aug. 12) and a discussion on beginning beekeeping (Sept. 9). View the rest of the schedule at tinyurl.com/y5r34fa4.

-30-

The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.
ifas.ufl.edu | @UF_IFAS

0