Since 2005 we have been tracking and monitoring diamondback terrapins in the Florida panhandle. For those of you who are not familiar with the animal, it is a turtle in the family Emydidae. Emydid turtles include what we call “pond turtles” and also include the box turtles. Terrapins differ from the others in that (a)…
Air pollution is a key part of environmental health.Today, November 3rd is One Health Day and its goal “is to build the cultural will necessary for a sea change in how planetary health challenges are assessed and addressed and how professionals exchange information across disciplines.” [1] In the spirit of this call, I want to…
Whether you are growing vegetables, fruits, or even grass, these plants require adequate nutrition. Plants need 17 essential elements to complete their life cycle. Each nutrient plays a specific role in the plant and a nutritional imbalance (deficiency or toxicity) of any one of these can impact production. Before applying soil amendments, it is important…
While many tree failures can be traced to structural weaknesses that could be eliminated with training, some trees (and palms) are just naturally more wind resistant than others and better apt to survive a hurricane. Many other factors can all contribute to tree stability in high winds including the amount of rain, tree health, soil…
In the short 5 years that I have been with UF/IFAS Extension, we have seen two major hurricanes, 2 major wildfires, a freeze and a global pandemic. Hurricane Ian was just the latest event impacting the Collier County agricultural sector, which frequency experiences weather events even in the best of times. Part of our role…
Honey bees are interesting creatures. It’s no wonder mankind has been fascinated with them for centuries. Here are some things about honey bee anatomy that you may not have known.
Eyes
You may be familiar with the honey bees compound eyes, the eyes on the side of their head. But did you know that honey bees…
Citrus in Florida Citrus is one of the most vital industries to Florida Agriculture. Unfortunately, over the past few decades, the citrus industry has battled many pests and pathogens that have taken its toll on production. While many new tools have been researched and developed to help commercial growers protect their citrus, not all methods…
The stuff of horror movies is in your garden; meat eating plants, larvae that devours you from within, birds that attack you. They are the inspiration of movies such as “Little Shop of Horrors,” “The Birds” and many space alien invaders developing within your body. The bird that attacked you was because you were too…
It has been a month since Hurricane Ian made landfall in the state of Florida and as some of the adrenaline starts to wear-off people have begun asking, “What impacts is the storm going to have on water quality going forward? Are we doomed for another red tide event like the one following Hurricane Irma…
Turkey Express: Your Questions Answered
Turkey time is right around the corner. Don’t wing it! Here are some questions and answers to get you warmed up for the season.
Can you make a turkey in an air fryer?
Photo by A. Nikolai
Yes, as long as it fits. I found a lot of recipes…
Bamboo palms (Chamaedorea erumpens) and many closely related species in the genus, are among the few palms that thrive in shade and low-light conditions. For this reason, they are widely used as potted indoor palms and in interiorscapes. Their adaptability to shade results from them being native to Central American rain forests. The lower half of…
The Areca palm aka butterfly palm (Dypsis lutescens) like many other palms, is notable for high wind resistance. It also makes a great privacy screen plant due to its clumping growth habit, with multiple stems arising from a central growing point.
Planting site
Under ideal growing conditions, Areca palms can grow to 25 ft. tall but…
