UF/IFAS Extension Santa Rosa County -

Landscape Succession: Managing Your Changing Lawn Over Time and Post Storm

by Joshua Criss
October 26, 2026

Landscape Succession: The Ever-Changing Florida Yard If you live in Florida, you’re no stranger to constant changes. Be it housing development, large storms, or just the passing of time, it’s likely the landscape you have now is not the ... READ MORE

Category: HOME LANDSCAPES
Tags: Agriculture, Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Extension, Ffl, Florida Friendly Landscaping, Florida Yards And Neighborhoods, Franklin, Fyn, Gadsden, Garden, Gardening, Gardening In The Panhandle, GI-BMP, Gulf, Holmes, Horticulture, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Office, Okaloosa, Panhandle, Panhandle Gardening, Panhandle Horticulture, Santa Rosa, Uf, Uf/ifas, Wakulla, Walton, Washington

Water Oaks Are The Worst

by Matt Lollar
October 23, 2026

Hurricane Isaias blew through the western panhandle on October 9, 2026. While we currently don't have a complete assessment of what tree species faired the best and worst from this storm, there are some preliminary observations that can be ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, HOME LANDSCAPES
Tags: Agriculture, Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Extension, Ffl, Florida Friendly Landscaping, Florida Yards And Neighborhoods, Franklin, Fyn, Gadsden, Garden, Gardening, Gardening In The Panhandle, GI-BMP, Gulf, Holmes, Horticulture, Hurricane, Isaias, Ivan, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Office, Okaloosa, Panhandle, Panhandle Gardening, Sally, Santa Rosa, Uf, Uf/ifas, Wakulla, Walton, Washington

Pest Alert: False Chinch Bugs

by Matt Lollar
September 22, 2026

A few weeks ago, I visited a farm to help identify some insects. It was a rainy, windy day, but the insects in question were thriving on a row of turnips. Next to the turnips was a row of cabbage and next to the cabbage was a row of mustard ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture
Tags: Bug, Cabbage, Chinch, Extension, False, Farm, Farmer, Horticulture, Insect, Mustard, Panhandle Agriculture, Pest, Turnip, Uf/ifas

Growing Mushrooms Outdoors

by Matt Lollar
September 11, 2026

Mushrooms are an excellent low calorie food with a high fullness factor (they fill you up). But the “common” or “button” mushroom lacks natural flavor. On the other hand, shiitake mushrooms have all the benefits of button mushrooms, ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness
Tags: Agriculture, Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Extension, Ffl, Florida Friendly Landscaping, Florida Yards And Neighborhoods, Franklin, Fungi, Fungus, Fyn, Gadsden, Garden, Gardening, Gardening In The Panhandle, GI-BMP, Gulf, Holmes, Horticulture, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Log, Office, Okaloosa, Outdoor, Oyster, Panhandle, Panhandle Gardening, Santa Rosa, Shiitake, Uf, Uf/ifas, Wakulla, Walton, Washington

Mulch in Northwest Florida Landscapes

by Joshua Criss
September 10, 2026

Mulch: A Critical Tool in Your Landscape When most people think about mulch in Northwest Florida, they picture a layer of pine bark or wood chips spread beneath trees and shrubs to give the landscape a clean, finished appearance. While mulch ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping
Tags: Agriculture, Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Extension, Ffl, Florida Friendly Landscaping, Florida Yards And Neighborhoods, Franklin, Fyn, Gadsden, Garden, Gardening, Gardening In The Panhandle, GI-BMP, Gulf, Holmes, Horticulture, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Office, Okaloosa, Panhandle, Panhandle Gardening, Santa Rosa, Uf, Uf/ifas, Wakulla, Walton, Washington

Santa Rosa County Farm Tour – October 1

by Matt Lollar
September 3, 2026

The 2026 Santa Rosa County Farm Tour will be held on Thursday, October 1. Participants will visit working farm sites, talk with growers, learn about conservation practices, and see Florida agriculture firsthand. Registration and breakfast ... READ MORE

Category: Events
Tags: Agriculture, Bay, Bus, Calhoun, Escambia, Event, Extension, Ffl, Florida Friendly Landscaping, Florida Yards And Neighborhoods, Franklin, Fyn, Gadsden, Garden, Gardening, Gardening In The Panhandle, GI-BMP, Gulf, Holmes, Horticulture, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Office, Okaloosa, Panhandle, Panhandle Agriculture, Santa Rosa, Tour, Uf, Uf/ifas, Wakulla, Walton, Washington

Don’t Believe the Rumors, We Didn’t Invent Lovebugs!

by Matt Lollar
September 1, 2026

The University of Florida did not invent lovebugs. However, we know enough about them to dispel a couple rumors and share a few facts. Rumor #1 - Lovebugs were developed by the University of Florida to eat mosquitoes. Sometime after ... READ MORE

Category: Pests & Disease
Tags: Agriculture, Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Extension, Ffl, Florida Friendly Landscaping, Florida Yards And Neighborhoods, Franklin, Fyn, Gadsden, Garden, Gardening, Gardening In The Panhandle, GI-BMP, Gulf, Holmes, Horticulture, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Office, Okaloosa, Panhandle, Panhandle Gardening, Santa Rosa, Uf, Uf/ifas, Wakulla, Walton, Washington

Santa Rosa Farming Series

by Matt Lollar
August 14, 2026

The Santa Rosa County Extension Office (6263 Dogwood Dr., Milton, FL 32570) will be hosting a series of classes for people interested in starting a farm business or diversifying their current operations. Each class will focus on a specific ... READ MORE

Category: Events
Tags: Aquaponics, Christmas, Class, County, Event, Extension, Farm, Farming, Fruit, Hydroponics, IFAS, Mushroom, Panhandle Agriculture, Series, Training, Tree, Uf, Vegetable, Workshop

Fall Support for Pollinators

by Joshua Criss
August 6, 2026

It may not seem like it, but the days are getting have steadily shorteer. With that, we’ve also begun our journey to fall. Aside from images of glowing fireplaces and pumpkin spice everything, those of us in the gardening world should put ... READ MORE

What’s That Weed? Dogfennel

by Matt Lollar
July 30, 2026

Dogfennel (Eupatorium capillifolium), which some people refer to as summer cedar, is a perennial weed that can be difficult to control. When mowed down or cut it grows back from a woody base. Additionally, it produces seeds with hairs that ... READ MORE

Category: HOME LANDSCAPES, Pests & Disease
Tags: Agriculture, Bay, Calhoun, Control, Dog, Dogfennel, Escambia, Extension, Fennel, Ffl, Florida Friendly Landscaping, Florida Yards And Neighborhoods, Franklin, Fyn, Gadsden, Garden, Gardening, Gardening In The Panhandle, GI-BMP, Gulf, Herbicide, Holmes, Horticulture, Invasive, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Manage, Office, Okaloosa, Panhandle, Panhandle Gardening, Pesticide, Santa Rosa, Uf, Uf/ifas, Wakulla, Walton, Washington, Weed

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