Call it a beetle to battle the bulbil. The tiny air potato beetle (Lilioceris cheni) might be the key to stemming the invasion of a “noxious weed” – the air potato plant – that can overrun Florida’s natural… Read More
Be a part of the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge and help save bees, butterflies, birds, bats and other pollinators responsible for one out of three bites of food we take. Pollinator populations have plummeted in recent years, for… Read More
Post by Bob Mertens; Horticulture Program Specialist We often receive calls from customers complaining that their hedges are leggy and leafless at the bottom and what can be done about it. Some people even ask us what small… Read More
Post by Bob Mertens; Horticulture Program Specialist Once considered a minor pest of palms, the palmetto weevil (Rhynchophorus cruentatus) has in recent years become a serious problem on Canary Island Date palms (Phoenix canariensis) and increasingly on Bismarck… Read More
Often, the insects you see in the yard are not harmful and may even be beneficial. To manage possible pests; the first rule is identification. Then determine what level of damage is acceptable to you. If that… Read More
Post by Bob Mertens; Horticulture Program Specialist We’ve been receiving numerous inquiries here at the Extension office regarding the yellowing (chlorosis) and subsequent deaths of native Florida slash pines, most notably in and around urban landscapes. The blame often… Read More
Protect the Waterfront. Plants planted along the water’s edge, both in the water and along the shoreline have many benefits. They naturally add aesthetic value, help reduce erosion and filter pollution. They create nursery habitat for fish,… Read More
At 3 o’clock expect rain. Those were the words I heard over and over when I first moved to the Tampa Bay area. It took time for the wisdom to sink in. Here in Florida we receive the… Read More
I moved to Florida thirteen years ago and instantly hated it. It was flat, hot and humid with few redeeming qualities. It took about five years and a departure from the urban areas for the beauty to really… Read More
I was a curious child, always dipping homemade nets into the ponds in my neighborhood, playing in the muck, watching birds and trying to catch frogs. It never occurred to me as I grew older that these ponds… Read More
