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…
Callus Tissue is Beginning to Roll In Over the Wound
Many of us have heard from professionals that it is important to correctly identify pests. There are several reasons for this, but is safety one of them? Pest identification is the first step of an integrated management strategy or integrated pest management (IPM) program.…
Callus Tissue is Beginning to Roll In Over the Wound
We have an abundance of wounded trees after the hurricane, and they need some time to heal. But trees never heal their wounds – they seal them up! A wound causes the tree to react by putting down layers of wood to shut out…
Spring rush and lazy days of summer yield to days of diminishing daylight. We wanted to get one more crop in the garden. Our pick for cool season cultivation? Strawberries!
Strawberries are a cool season annual in North Florida, flowering best in 50-80F. They prefer well-drained slightly acidic soil and 8+ hours of direct sunlight.…
Hydroponics is a great way to save water, produce food, and be more environmentally friendly. With all the information on the internet about hydroponics, it can seem a little daunting. Learn three simple setups that can get you started growing hydroponically.
You will learn the nutrition basics in hydroponics, the importance of water pH, three…
Seminole pumpkin. Photo credit: Carol Leffler
Have you heard that Seminole pumpkins can be grown easily in Polk County? They are not only easy to grow but also make nutritious and flavorful dishes—and to top that off, they’re just plain fun!
Seminole pumpkins are a cultivated variety of Cucurbita moschata. They are touted by many…
Struvite is a crystallized compound made from the byproduct of wastewater treatment plants. It includes phosphorus and nitrogen, two ingredients that are key to plant growth and used in other fertilizer sources.
A new University of Florida study applied struvite to seagrass plots and found the method to provide better growth over time, in addition…
