UF/IFAS
Extension Polk County

Tag: UF/IFAS

Lichen: A New Episode from Your Central Florida Yard

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January 12, 2024

Lichens, what are those? In this episode of Your Central Florid Yard, learn how to recognize lichens in the landscape and what exactly lichen are doing on your tree or even a garden bench or fence post. A new episode out now from Your Central ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Forests, Home Landscapes
Tags: Anne Yasalonis, Ayasalonis, Central Florida, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Julie Schelb, Master Gardener, Native Plants, Podcast, Polk County, Polkgardening, Polkmg, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County, Your Central Florida Yard

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Steps and Methods


December 14, 2023

The weather in Florida is adequate for many organisms to thrive. Unfortunately, this also includes many pest species that can harm crops and Ornamental plants. A pest can be any insect, mite, weed, fungi, bacteria, virus, bird, or any other ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Applying Pesticides Correctly, Biological Control, Florida Pests, Integrated Pest Management, IPM, Polk Small Farms, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County
proper planting with hose and shovel

Proper Planting: Trees and Shrubs

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November 16, 2023

Trees and shrubs can be purchased in many sizes, most are no smaller than a one gallon size, and many go up to 7 gallon (or larger). Because of both size at planting and maturity, cost of plants, and large root spread, planning for proper placement ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
Tags: Anne Yasalonis, Ayasalonis, Central Florida, Florida-Friendly Plants, Gardening, Master Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteer, Planting, Planting Shrubs, Planting Trees, Polk County, Polk County FL, Polkgardening, Polkmg, Proper Planting, Shrubs, Trees, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County
proper planting with hose and shovel

Proper Planting: Annuals and Perennials

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November 1, 2023

Proper planting ensures a good start to a healthy landscape. The following guidelines for installing plants apply for sandy, well-drained soils. Annuals and Perennials Annuals and perennials are typically small (4”) to one gallon sized ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes,
Tags: Anne Yasalonis, Annuals, Ayasalonis, Bedding Plants, Central Florida, Gardening, Installing Plants, Master Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteer, Native Plants, Perennials, Planting, Polk County, Polkgardening, Polkmg, Proper Planting, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County

Florida Beekeeping: Tips For Splitting Hives


October 20, 2023

Beekeepers must have good management practices within their apiaries to succeed. One of these practices is splitting their hives when necessary to avoid the loss of bees through swarming.   What is swarming? Swarming is a natural ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Farm Management, Livestock, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Beekeeping, Bees, Florida_farms, Hive_splits, Honeybees, Polksmallfarms, Small Farms, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County

Apicultura en Florida: Consejos para Dividir las Colmenas


October 20, 2023

Los apicultores deben tener buenas prácticas de manejo dentro de sus apiarios para tener éxito. Una de estas prácticas es dividir sus colmenas cuando sea necesario para evitar la pérdida de abejas por enjambre.   ¿Qué es ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Farm Management, Livestock, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension,
Tags: Abejas, Apicultura, En Espanol, Espanol, Florida Farms, Hive_splits, Honeybees, Polksmallfarms, Small Farms, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County

Consumers Trends of Locally Grown Produce / 2023 Fall Southwest Florida Small Farmers Network (SWFSFN)


October 11, 2023

In recent years, consumers have been interested in locally grown products, creating a shift in how the public buys their food. Therefore, small farmers are now in the spotlight and have an opportunity to supply the demand for locally grown produce.   Local ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Events, Farm Management, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Farmers Markets, Florida_farms, Local Food, Produce, Small Farms, Southwest Florida Small Farms Network, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County

Agentes Agrícolas Apoyan la Apicultura: Recursos Digitales en Español Sobre el Manejo de Abejas.


September 14, 2023

Las abejas melíferas (“honey bees”) son de suma importancia para la agricultura. El 85% de todos los cultivos que consumimos son polinizados por las abejas melíferas. Existe mucha curiosidad por las abejas de parte del público general ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Farm Management, Livestock, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Abejas, Apicultura, Apiculture, Digitalresources, En Espanol, Espanol, Honeybees, Podcast, Polksmallfarms, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County
Salvia 'Wendy's Wish' and Black Eyed Susan

Late summer in your Florida-Friendly landscape: A few quick tips

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September 2, 2023

It’s the end of summer and it’s hot--and not just hot, but hot and humid!  Now is a good time to keep your garden activities to a minimum. If you work in your landscape addressing the few chores that might be necessary, always remember ... READ MORE

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

Minimizing Pesticide Impacts on the Environment


August 28, 2023

Pesticides are an effective control for pests and diseases. On the other hand, when not using pesticides correctly these chemicals can affect the environment negatively.   What Composes the Environment? The environment is composed ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, Livestock, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Applying Pesticides Correctly, Drift_management, Environmental Literacy, Pesticide_applicator, Pesticide_protection, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County