Choosing the correct material can help manage predation. Woven wire is not the best choice. Picture credit: Jonael Bosques UF/IFAS.Welcome to fall in Florida! During this time of the year our weather patterns start to shift, and with this come new challenges. If you own chickens, you know that you have an obligation to raise…
Wild Weeds – Weed of the Month Florida Toothachegrass Ctenium floridanum Florida toothachegrass is a perennial grass that has wide, bright green basal leaves and tall (2-3 ft) flowering stems. Flower clusters are narrow spikes held singly at the top of the stem, spikelets are held on one side of the spike and…
[CREDIT: U.S. Green Building Council]Sarasota County is proud to announce that it has achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) “Gold” certification and national accreditation from the U.S. Green Building Council, an honor recognizing an array of efforts to increase sustainability and resilience across the county. Unlike certification for individual buildings, this designation evaluated sustainability and resilience…
The nubby fruit/seedpods of the Euonymous shrub look like warty strawberries. Don’t eat them, though! Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
Over the weekend, I drove through Magnolia Springs, Alabama, just over the state line in Baldwin County. It is a charming little area, and the only place in the country where…
I just love growing food hydroponically! Why? I am more likely to harvest it and eat it, too. Over 600,000 YouTubers love how I teach hydroponics in 8 minutes. You can get growing with that free video, but maybe it only ‘wet’ your appetite? If you are hungry for more hydroponics, let’s get growing together in…
Are you captivated by the marvels of the natural world and fascinated by the delicate dance of bees? Then mark your calendars for the much-anticipated Florida State Beekeepers Association (FSBA) Annual Meeting! This buzzing gathering provides a unique opportunity for bee enthusiasts, both novices and experts, to share knowledge, gain insights, and celebrate the invaluable…
Tailgating and football go hand in hand. Tailgating literally means serving food and drink from the tailgate of a car or truck. These pre-game parties often involve salads, sandwiches, and grilling food. The following tips can help protect you and your guests from food poisoning by keeping your food safe to eat. Bring a thermometer…
Qingchun Liu, Teresa Olczyk, and William R. Lusher Ornamental productions in Miami-Dade County are concentrated in the Homestead area, the southwest corner of the County. During the wintertime, particularly from late December through January, the temperature occasionally could drop to below 40 °F, which can cause irreversible damage to the tropical and subtropical plants without…
When it comes to choosing plants for my yard, I follow my nose. And I have found nothing is more aromatically exquisite than the Osmanthus fragrans, tea olive tree. The tea olive is a tree, reaching heights of 20 feet or more, but since it is slow growing, it is usually pruned and kept as a shrub.…
Dollarweed is a very common perennial weed that also goes by the name pennywort. As the name implies, it it about the size of a silver dollar. It also looks just like a mini lily pad – which is appropriate considering how much it likes water. For dollarweed, it’s easy being green and it can…
Miami is ground zero for invasive species in this state. But the Florida panhandle is no stranger to them. Where they are dealing with Burmese pythons, melaleuca, and who knows how many different species of lizards – we deal with Chinese tallow, Japanese climbing fern, and lionfish. The state spends hundreds of thousands of dollars…
Knock Knock. Who’s there? Peanut. Peanut who? Peanut, butter open the door! During the month of October, we will begin the Peanut Butter Challenge so please spread the news! The Peanut Butter Challenge runs from October 1 through the 31st and we are collecting donations of unopened jars of peanut butter in any size. You butter believe that we want to collect…
