Category: Lawn

Is My Lawn Dead—and Should I Be Fertilizing Right Now?

by Sara MacDonald
December 22, 2025

Winter lawn care tips for St. Lucie County homeowners Each winter, people in St. Lucie County notice their grass growing more slowly or turning brown. This makes many homeowners ask: “Is my lawn dead?” and “Should I add fertilizer to ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, HOME LANDSCAPES, Lawn, Recreation, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Extension, Florida Friendly Landscape, UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County

Colaboración en Extensión: Compartiendo Ciencia y Construyendo Comunidades

by Sara MacDonald
September 30, 2025

La semana pasada fui la conferencista invitada en un evento de Lunch & Learn. El programa se organizó en colaboración con Love Your Block de la Ciudad de Port St. Lucie. En esta ocasión compartí los principios de Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Clubs & Volunteers, Community Volunteers, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Lawn, NATURAL RESOURCES, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Recreation, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Work & Life
Tags: Conservation, Extension, Florida Friendly Landscape, St Lucie County, UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County

Collaboration in Extension: Sharing Science, Building Communities

by Sara MacDonald
September 25, 2025

Last week, I was the invited speaker for a Lunch & Learn event, hosted in collaboration with Love Your Block by the City of Port St. Lucie, where I shared the Florida-Friendly Landscaping principles to help homeowners create sustainable, ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Clubs & Volunteers, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, HOME LANDSCAPES, Home Management, Horticulture, Lawn, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Recreation, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Conservation, Extension, Florida Friendly Landscape, St Lucie County, UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County

Grow Your Green Expertise with the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Professional Certification

by Sara MacDonald
August 12, 2025

Florida’s landscapes are more than just beautiful; they’re vital to protecting our water, supporting wildlife, and maintaining our state’s natural charm. But keeping them thriving requires more than a good eye for plants. It takes science-based, ... READ MORE

Category: , Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, HOME LANDSCAPES, Lawn, NATURAL RESOURCES, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Florida Friendly Landscape, Native Plants Florida, Pollinator-Friendly, UF/IFAS Extension, Water Conservation Landscaping

Effects of Drought on the Landscape

by Grantly Ricketts
April 29, 2025

Driving around the neighborhood, it is evident that there is a lack of rainfall. Grass is turning brown, and some ornamental plant leaves are drooping and showing signs of wilting. In Florida, rainfall is not evenly distributed throughout the ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Lawn, Water
Tags: Plant Care

Pre-emergence Herbicides- Prevention Better than Cure

by Grantly Ricketts
February 2, 2024

Have you ever felt frustrated by seeing weeds growing in your lawn? Every spring, you apply so many gallons of herbicides; the weeds go away briefly, and suddenly, they return. Winter weeds, such as Florida Snow (Florida Pusley), decorate your ... READ MORE

Category: Horticulture, Lawn, Turf
Tags: Pre-emergence

Turfgrass- Frequently Asked Questions

by Grantly Ricketts
June 19, 2023

As a commercial horticulture agent, I have been asked many questions about turfgrass. The following are some of the questions and answers. ■ Can I use an herbicide to control torpedograss in the St Augustine lawn? Ans: No herbicide is ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, HOME LANDSCAPES, Lawn, Turf, UF/IFAS Extension,
Tags: Turf Questions

“Kill the Weed Before it Seeds.”

by Grantly Ricketts
June 9, 2023

Between June 1st and September 30th, Florida experienced most of its annual rainfall. We love the rain because the plants are naturally irrigated, but sometimes, we wish to put the rain on a timer. Unfortunately, the rain also irrigates the ... READ MORE

Category: Lawn, Pests & Disease, Turf,
Tags: Weed Control

St Augustine Grass- Did You Know?

by Grantly Ricketts
June 7, 2023

A wide selection of St Augustine grass cultivars is available on the market. The wide selection brings about versatility. Some cultivars, such as Bitterblue, ProVista and CitraBlue, will do well in partial shade, while Floratam needs full sun. ... READ MORE

Category: HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Lawn, Turf,
Tags: St Augustine Identification

Plant Species Diversity in Urban Landscapes

by Grantly Ricketts
April 4, 2023

Plant diversity can be defined as having two or more plant species established in a landscape. Having a single species is referred to as a monoculture. The practice of monoculture is very common in housing development and street tree establishment. The ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Lawn, Turf,
Tags: Plant Diversity

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