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Crafting Spooky Season Planters: A BONUS Episode of Your Central Florida Yard Podcast

by Anne Yasalonis and Julie SchelbAvatar photo
October 1, 2024

It's a spooky season bonus episode! Let's create spooky season planters for our ghoulish gardens! Are you ready for spooky season? Today we have a fun bonus episode for you about combining plants in containers (along with using items found ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes,
Tags: Ayasalonis, Central Florida, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Florida-Friendly Plants, Master Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteer, Polk County, Polkgardening, Polkmg, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County, Vegetable Gardening

Spooky Season Planters: Transforming Planters into Hauntingly Beautiful Holiday Decor

by Anne Yasalonis and Julie SchelbAvatar photo
October 1, 2024

Are you ready for spooky season? Sure, you can buy decorations, but consider combining plants in containers (along with using items found in the yard) for frightfully fun seasonal decor!  Use spooky season colors when planning your containers. ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
Tags: Anne Yasalonis, Ayasalonis, Central Florida, Container Gardening, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Florida-Friendly Plants, Flowers, Gardening, Halloween, Jschelb, Master Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteer, Planters, Spooky Season, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County, Your Central Florida Yard Podcast

Florida Farm Pests: Red Imported Fire Ants (RIFA)

by Luis Rodriguez Rosado and Jonael BosquesAvatar photo
September 30, 2024

They are strong and aggressive. When they attack, they bite and they sting you. These guys invade our homes, and take over our farms and landscapes, and they do this without us even noticing: they are Red Imported Fire ants.   What ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Fruits & Vegetables, Invasive Species, Lawn, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Fire Ants, Florida Farms, Florida_Pests, Hardee County, Pests, Pest_control, Polk County, Polksmallfarms, Red_imported_fire_ants, Small Farms, UF/IFAS

Plagas de las Fincas de Florida: Hormigas Rojas de Fuego Importadas (“Red Imported Fire Ants” [RIFA])

by Luis Rodriguez Rosado and Jonael BosquesAvatar photo
September 30, 2024

Son fuertes y agresivas. Cuando atacan, muerden y te pican. Estos individuos invaden nuestros hogares y se apoderan de nuestras granjas y jardines, y lo hacen sin que nos demos cuenta: son las hormigas rojas de fuego importadas.   ¿Qué ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Fruits & Vegetables, Invasive Species, Lawn, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: En Espanol, Espanol, Florida Farms, Florida Pests, Hardee County, Hormigas De Fuego, Pests, Pest_control, Polk County, Polksmallfarms, Red_imported_fire_ants, Small Farms, UF/IFAS

Using Sandbags for Flood Protection During Tropical Weather

by Shannon Carnevale
September 24, 2024

As we prepare for incoming tropical weather, protecting your home from floodwaters becomes a top priority, especially for those living in flood-prone areas. Using sandbags for flood protection is a commonly used and cost-effective method to ... READ MORE

Category: Disaster Preparation, Natural Resources, Water
Tags: Disaster, Disaster Preparation, Helene, Hurricane, Hurricane Preparation, Preparedness, Storms
Bee resting on top of cluster of small yellow flowers

New Episode from Naturally Florida, “The Pollinator Puzzle: Who They Are & How To Help”

by Lara Milligan and Shannon Carnevalelara milligan
September 17, 2024

Pollinators are the unsung heroes of Florida’s ecosystems, supporting the reproduction of our flowering plants in urban, suburban and natural areas. Pollinator populations are declining, and organizations are urging people to take action ... READ MORE

Category: Natural Resources
Tags: Naturally Florida Podcast, Pollinator, Pollinator Gardens, Pollinators

New Episode from Naturally Florida: “I want to know, have you ever smelled the rain?”

by Lara Milligan and Shannon Carnevalelara milligan
September 10, 2024

If the title of this episode sounds familiar, you must be a Creedance Clearwater Revival (CCR) fan like Shannon is! Well, CCR might have actually been singing about seeing the rain but on today's episode of Naturally Florida, we're talking ... READ MORE

Category: Natural Resources
Tags: Naturally Florida Podcast, Petrichor, Rain, Smell, The Smell Of Rain

New Episode from Naturally Florida: “Pentastomes in Paradise: Invasive Parasite Plaguing Florida’s Snakes”

by Lara Milligan and Shannon Carnevalelara milligan
September 10, 2024

Snakes play a critical role in our ecosystems, keeping rodent populations in check and supplying birds of prey with an excellent food source. But our snakes are facing a new threat, an invasive parasite, Raillietiella orientalis from Asia ... READ MORE

Category: Natural Resources
Tags: Invasive Parasite, Invasive Species, Naturally Florida Podcast, Parasite, Pentastomes, SLAM, Snake Lungworm

Atala Butterflies and Coontie Cycads: Signs of Damage and How to Protect the Butterflies

by Anne Yasalonis
September 10, 2024

There have been Atala butterflies sightings in and around Polk County, and while there is much information on the butterfly and its history of near extinction, it is important for homeowners and landscape managers to be on the lookout when ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Home Landscapes, Wildlife
Tags: Anne Yasalonis, Atala, Atala Butterfly, Ayasalonis, Butterflies, Central Florida, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Florida-Friendly Plants, Flowers, Gardening, Jschelb, Polkgardening, Polkmg, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County, Wildlife

Florida Farm Pests: Spider Mites

by Luis Rodriguez Rosado
September 10, 2024

Many arthropods are considered to be pests and can cause negative impacts on agricultural and nursery plants. The majority of these arthropods are insects. On the other hand, not all arthropod pests are insects and some of them may be confused ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Florida_Pests, Integrated Pest Management, IPM, Mites, Pest_control, Plant Pests, Polk County, Polksmallfarms, Small Farms, Spider_mites, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County

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