You can apply for the Fall 2020 Master Gardener Volunteer Class now! Master Gardener Volunteer Trainees toured Harry P Leu Gardens in Orlando with Director Robert Bowden.Do you enjoy gardening and want to know more about gardening in central Florida? Is conserving and protecting water quality important to you? Does acquiring new skills or expertise…
Got the gardening bug? Craving a walk in the park? Even in the extreme heat of summer some of us just need to get outdoors every day. Nature and nurture calls to us. Gardening and visiting the Fruit & Spice Park over the 3-day weekend (Father’s Day and Juneteenth) I relished the time spent outdoors…
High temperature projections throughout the southeastern United States for June 22, 2022. Map courtesy of weathermodels.com
Boy, oh boy is it hot this week. Temperature predictions for today in the deep South look like the grades of a high achiever trying to earn extra credit for everything. I’ve been seeing highs of 104, 103, and 101–and…
Plastic pollution has been a known problem for decades, but more recently researchers have been focusing on this idea of microplastics, that is, plastic particles about 5mm in size or smaller. Where do microplastics come from? What are the threats? And what can we do? Find out in this episode. In this…
Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) is a virus of great concern for turfgrass aficionados. This past Winter, a local landscaper and I observed mottled, discolored turfgrass in an HOA located in Naples. We submitted samples of the turf to the molecular scientists at UF/IFAS turfgrass diagnostic services, and received a reports confirming that SCMV is culprit. So…
Whitefly – under the leavesAs we round into June, the pest season heats up. Insects, being cold blooded, respond to the warming temperatures by growing rapidly through their life cycles. Whiteflies are a good example of this. These small pests take about 24 days to go through their immature stages and can live (and reproduce)…
Prickly Pear Cactus – Structurally OrnamentalDid you know that we have a native prickly pear cactus here in Florida? This low-growing species has attractive yellow flowers and forms a spreading clump. Prickly pears or Opuntia, such as our native prickly pear, are classic cacti found native to the New World. In addition to cultivated ornamental…
STOP! Before you keep reading, take a big sip or a couple of sips of water……… Awesome job! Your organs thank you! Hydration- We all know it’s important for life but it can be a real challenge to stay on top of it, especially in the Florida heat and humidity. Proper hydration can prevent some…
Invasive plants don’t just outcompete native plants but can also change animal behavior in ways that disadvantage native plants as well. Invasive cogongrass is a problem in longleaf pine ecosystems. A new study found that when cogongrass invaded longleaf pine ecosystems, cotton rats consumed more of the trees’ seeds than they did in areas without cogongrass. The study found…
Last March, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) joined the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) to constitute the Quadripartite alliance for One Health (see the previous blog post on this event). Shortly after, they issued a new definition…