News & Updates

Article by UF/IFAS Extension Broward County Urban Horticulture Agent/CED Lorna Bravo What is the UF/IFAS Extension Summer Internship Program? The summer internship program is a collaboration between the  Florida Cooperative Extension Service  and the UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Students participating in this paid internship will work with county UF/IFAS Extension faculty to…

  Common aquatic plant fragments establishing at a boat ramp on East Lake Tohopekaliga, Florida. Aquatic Plants and How They Spread Two things are a given in Florida: hot, humid weather and lots of boat traffic. Have you ever looked over the side of a boat and seen a thick, dark green mat of plant material underwater…

Want to get healthier this summer? As part of an overall healthy diet, eating fruits and vegetables, that are lower in calories, instead of some other higher-calorie food, may be useful in helping to lower calorie intake and lower body weight. Eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy…

Wild Weeds – Weed of the Month Wild Blue Phlox Phlox divaricata   Wild Blue Phlox (photo by Eleanor Dietrich) Wild blue phlox is a perennial wildflower that blooms from spring into early summer. You’ll find this delicate flower in slope forest, bluffs and calcareous hammocks. You’ll have to travel to the Panhandle of Florida to see…

Tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) has been in the news recently.  It can be a host plant for Ophryocystis elektroscirra (OE), a parasite of monarch butterflies (Danus plexippus).  Boiled down, milkweed is a host plant for monarchs which carry the OE parasite.  The butterfly deposits OE when they land on the plant to lay eggs.  Newly hatched monarchs…

Mangoes are the king of fruits.  Of all the fruits in the world, the mango reigns supreme. Mangoes are grown throughout the frost-free world for their juicy, sweet fruits. There are thousands of mango varieties. Mangoes can be large or small, green, yellow, red, or even purple. They can taste like ice cream, peach cobbler,…

So where does all the water from a summer rainstorm go? It rushes off rooftops onto yards and driveways; from there it picks up fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemical pollutants before flowing into a nearby storm drain. This stormwater runoff transports the pollutants back into our groundwater system. Florida’s surface waters such as lakes, streams,…

Sean MacWilliam, UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County Summer 2022 Intern. Photo courtesy of Sean MacWilliam.My Background My name is Sean MacWilliam and I was born and raised in coastal SE Florida. I am currently a senior at the University of Florida studying Forest Resources and Conservation with a specialization in Protected Areas Management. I was…

UF/IFAS received $8.8 million to conduct new research that will provide farmers with new and improved recommendations for fertilization of key Florida crops. The funding, approved by the Florida Legislature, will be administered by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Farmers apply fertilizers to their crops within recommended parameters commonly referred to as…

 Authored by Amanda Decker UF/IFAS Extension Orange County Summer Intern Graduating UF CALS December, 2022 B.S. Plant Science specialization in Plant Breeding and GeneticsWhy Attract Pollinators? Look closely and you may spot a cardinal nest in this pinwheel jasmine bush. Photo: Amanda DeckerBees interacting with purple coneflowers. Photo: Tyler JonesAre you looking to beautify your landscape?…

Jay Capasso, UF/IFAS Columbia County. Bob Hochmuth, UF/IFAS NFREC-SV. Luke Harlow, UF/IFAS Union County. Kelly Aue, UF/IFAS NFREC-SV. Petiole Sap testing is an educational tool and service provided to vegetable growers in the Suwannee Valley region of North Florida by UF/IFAS Extension. Using portable meters, UF/IFAS Extension agents provide vegetable growers information on the current…