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It is common in Northwest Florida for palms to show signs of nutrient deficiencies. In general our sandy soil is often nutrient poor and available nutrients can easily move out of soils with frequent rainfall. In landscapes where fertilization is occurring, often the wrong types of fertilizer are applied. Fertilizer miss-application actually increases nutrient …
Permanent link to this article: http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/hort/2017/06/10/not-all-palm-fertilizers-are-the-same/
One of the main Florida-Friendly Landscaping principles is to plant the right plant in the right place. In Florida, not only does this apply to the zone you’re in, soils you have, and light conditions in your garden, but also ensuring that invasive, exotic plant species are not used. While most of us have heard …
Permanent link to this article: http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/hort/2017/05/25/know-how-to-choose-florida-friendly-plants/
This time of year, people flock to nurseries and garden centers to purchase trees or shrubs that will enhance their landscapes. However, there are certain management measures to keep in mind to ensure plant establishment. Depending on the season, newly planted trees and shrubs need varying degrees of watering, mulching, pruning and trunk staking. Figure …
Permanent link to this article: http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/hort/2017/05/25/avoid-pitfalls-in-the-care-of-newly-planted-trees-and-shrubs/
A number of summers ago, I noticed whiteflies on a confederate rose plant in my landscape. I considered using an insecticide to control the whiteflies but decided against doing so after taking a closer look. What I found was a population of ladybugs – eggs, larvae, pupae and adults. Ladybug adults and larvae eat whiteflies, …
Permanent link to this article: http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/hort/2017/05/11/benefit-from-beneficial-insects/
You’ve probably heard some tips to prevent picking up ticks in the past, but did you ever wonder why some work and others don’t? Understanding the life cycle and behavior of common ticks can help you succeed with your prevention measures. A general life cycle for ticks includes four life stages: egg, larva, nymph, and …
Permanent link to this article: http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/hort/2017/05/01/tick-tips/
We may shy away from drama in our lives but drama in the garden is always welcome. One plant series that will be a prominent feature in any garden bed is the Amazon Dianthus series. Although we normally consider Fall the time to plant dianthus, the Amazon Series developed by PanAmerican Seed company can be …
Permanent link to this article: http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/hort/2017/05/01/drama-in-the-garden-with-amazon-dianthus-series/
Impatiens are a very popular annual, bedding plant that provide a nice burst of color in the landscape. The traditional Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana), or touch-me-not, is the one that most gardeners know as needing part shade, but there are also the New Guinea Impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri) that are able to tolerate more sun. In …
Permanent link to this article: http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/hort/2017/04/24/impatiens-for-sun-and-shade/
If you haven’t already, it’s time to prepare the garden space for the summer bounty of fresh vegetables. The following information will help you get started. Just remember, as the soil preparation goes, so goes the vegetable production. Figure 1: Planting Vegetables in Prepared Soil. Credit: Tyler Jones, UF/IFAS. By far the most physical part …
Permanent link to this article: http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/hort/2017/04/24/full-steam-ahead-for-vegetable-garden-soil-prep/
Almost every landscape has a problem area where the sun just doesn’t shine and many plants won’t make it, maybe it’s the north side of your house, under a small tree, or tucked away in an oddly-shaped alcove. We all know the same old boring green choices that work well here (Holly Fern, Cast Iron …
Permanent link to this article: http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/hort/2017/04/24/a-shrub-that-likes-it-shady/
Mole crickets, chinch bugs and spittlebugs are common lawn insect pests to begin watching for this time of year. Mole crickets can be active in lawns spring through fall, but the best window of opportunity to control them is in June and July. Soap flushing is a technique to survey for mole crickets. Mix two …
Permanent link to this article: http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/hort/2017/04/13/monitoring-for-common-lawn-insects/
