Category: Pests & Disease

Cómo Crecen los Insectos: Por Qué las Ninfas de Cucaracha Causan Confusión

by Sara MacDonald
October 17, 2025

¿Alguna vez has visto un pequeño insecto correr por la superficie de tu cocina y pensado: “¡Oh no, es una cucaracha pequeña!”? No entres en pánico todavía; no todos los insectos pequeños y marrones son cucarachas. De hecho, muchos ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, HOME LANDSCAPES, Home Management, NATURAL RESOURCES, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Recreation, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: #UFBugs, Extension, Insects, UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County

How Insects Grow: Why Cockroach Nymphs Cause Confusion

by Sara MacDonald
October 15, 2025

Have you ever spotted a tiny bug running across your counter and thought, “Oh no, it’s a baby cockroach!”? Don’t panic just yet; not every small brown insect is a cockroach. In fact, many insects go through stages that make them look ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Community Volunteers, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, HOME LANDSCAPES, Home Management, Horticulture, NATURAL RESOURCES, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Recreation, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: #UFBugs, Extension, UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County

Guía de siembra de otoño para el sur de Florida

by Sara MacDonald
October 14, 2025

¡Octubre es el mes perfecto para comenzar tu huerto de otoño en la región! Las temperaturas más frescas, las lluvias ocasionales y los días más cortos crean condiciones ideales para plantar una variedad de verduras y hierbas. Ya seas un ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Extension, Florida Friendly Landscape, Gardening, St Lucie County, UF/IFAS Edible Gardens, UF/IFAS Extension

Fall Planting Guide for South Florida

by Sara MacDonald
October 14, 2025

October is the perfect month to start your fall garden in the region! Cooler temperatures, occasional rain, and shorter days create ideal conditions for planting a variety of vegetables and herbs. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Community Volunteers, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, HOME LANDSCAPES, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Recreation, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Extension, Florida Friendly Landscape, Gardening, St Lucie County, UF/IFAS Edible Gardens, 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

Which Milkweeds Are Truly Safe for Monarchs?

by Sara MacDonald
August 18, 2025

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been hearing the same question repeatedly: “Which milkweeds should I plant to help monarch butterflies?” It’s a great question, but the answer isn’t simple. Many gardeners want to do the right thing. Yet, ... READ MORE

Category: , Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, HOME LANDSCAPES, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: #UFBugs, Extension, Florida Friendly Landscape, Invasive Species, Master Gardener

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

De favoritas del jardín a amenazas ecológicas: por qué debemos replantearnos lo que plantamos?

by Sara MacDonald
August 1, 2025

No todas las plantas atractivas pertenecen al paisaje de Florida. Dos especies ornamentales comunes, Asclepias curassavica, conocida comúnmente como algodoncillo tropical o venenillo, y Tradescantia zebrina, también llamada planta cebra o ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Invasive Species, NATURAL RESOURCES, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Especies Invasoras, FISC, Florida Friendly Landscape, Mariposas, OE, Pollinators

From garden favorites to ecological threats: Why we need to rethink what we plant

by Sara MacDonald
August 1, 2025

Not all pretty plants belong in Florida’s landscape. Two commonly ornamental plants, tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) and zebra inchplant (Tradescantia zebrina), have recently raised red flags with scientists and conservationists ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Invasive Species, NATURAL RESOURCES, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Butterfly, FISC, Florida Friendly Landscape, Invasive Species, Milkweed, Native Plants, OE, Pollinators

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