It doesn’t take expert gardeners or landscapers to create a Florida-friendly yard. All it takes is a willingness to learn and a desire to build a beautiful yard that helps protect Florida’s environment. Florida-friendly landscaping is now part of state law. Florida Statute 373.185 prohibits government entities and homeowners associations from enacting or enforcing any governing document to prevent homeowners from implementing Florida-friendly landscaping (FFL) principles. A guideline to ease the development of a manual can be found at this link on the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods website. “Florida-Friendly Landscape Guidance Models for Ordinances, Covenants, and Restrictions.” Florida Statutes 482.1562 states that all commercial fertilizer applicators must have a license from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) by January 1, 2014. To get this license, each Green Industry employee must be trained in Best Management Practices, which teaches professionals how to implement FFL principles. Additionally, to address water conservation Florida Statute 373.62 says the following: “Any person who operates an automatic landscape irrigation system shall properly install, maintain, and operate technology that inhibits or interrupts operation of the system during periods of sufficient moisture, regardless of when the system was installed”. Irrigation contractors are required by law to ensure that there is an operational rain shut off device on site before they can perform any services. If it doesn’t exist or isn’t working, the contractor can be fined for not reporting the property owner or by completing the repair work without installing or repairing the rain shut off device.
Fertilizing Appropriately and Watering Efficiently are just two of the nine Florida-friendly landscaping principles. Right Plant, Right Place; Mulch, Attracting Wildlife, Managing Yard Pests Responsibly, Recycling, Reducing Stormwater Runoff and Protecting the Waterfront.are the other principles. Utilizing landscape techniques that reduce the inputs that can negatively impact natural resources is the foundation of Florida-friendly landscaping. By implementing the practices, the user saves money, reduces their workload and protects the environment. Many of the Florida-friendly landscaping principles are common sense applications. For more information visit the Florida Yards website.
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium or “The Swamp” – http://www.gatorzone.com/facilities/?venue=swamp&sport=footb
Generally as Extension Agents we do not write interest type articles for this newsletter, but I thought I would mix it up this week and write on two of my favorite things and how they relate. My first love growing up in north Alabama was college football. I would spend hours reading statistics about my favorite players and watching old recorded ball games when there was not a live game on. I was always a small guy so playing the sport I became enamored with as a child was not an option unless I craved pain, which I did not.
One of the greatest attributes of college football is the traditions that each school have formed along the way. This is where my education and discipline come into play. Horticulture is the major I chose in college. I did not have much experience in Horticulture prior to this decision, but I always enjoyed the outdoors and found it a satisfying thought to work there in the future. The way that college football and horticulture work together is more than just the care of the perfectly manicured athletic turf fields that are so commonly found in major college football. Horticulture is deeply ingrained into the traditions of college football and here are a few of my favorites.
The Ohio State Aesculus glabra‘s
Ohio State is one of the only college teams I know who’s team name is named after a species of tree. The tree of course being the Ohio Buckeye or Aesculus glabra. Settlers of Ohio found the tree to be the only one they were unfamiliar with in the forest. Although it may seem strange that they have named athletic teams after a tree the explanation is pretty good.
…in general, the trees and their nuts are of little practical use: the wood does not burn well, the bark has an unpleasant odor, and the bitter nut meat is mildly toxic. Still, the tree has grit. It grows where others cannot, is difficult to kill, and adapts to its circumstances. Daniel Drake, who gave a witty speech on behalf of the buckeye at a well attended dinner in Cincinnati in 1833, said, “In all our woods there is not a tree so hard to kill as the buckeye. The deepest girdling does not deaden it, and even after it is cut down and worked up into the side of a cabin it will send out young branches, denoting to all the world that Buckeyes are not easily conquered, and could with difficulty be destroyed.”
Tailgating at the Grove – http://www.olemisssports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/gameday-thegrove.html
Tailgating is as much a part of the Southeastern Conference is the actual football games. College football is an all day experience not just a 3-4 hour event in the south. From what I understand Ole Miss takes it to another level tailgating in the historic Grove. The Grove took some foresight by a Chancellor named Robert Fulton. Apparently Chancellor Fulton took much pride in the aesthetics of the University and when the library was built on the outer edge of campus in 1892 he extended the campus some ways to the railroad with plantings of trees and a privet hedge around what would be known as “The Grove”. Now on game days in Oxford, Mississippi the Grove will be found with hundreds of tailgating tents with fine china and chandeliers. This is a spectacle I have yet to see in my time as college football enthusiast, but I imagine it would be quite a sight for the horticulturist.
The Grove has 40 species according to the University’s map. An arboretum is what the grove is and it is a shame that Ole Miss does not have a degree in horticulture because this would be the ultimate outdoor classroom.
Under the Live Oaks that once stood on Toomer’s Corner – http://family.auburn.edu/profiles/blogs/president-jay-gogue-accepts-plan-to-plant-new-toomer-s-oaks
I am partial to this tradition and its significance as Auburn University is my Alma Mater and the college football team I loved as a child. I have great memories celebrating big wins at the corner of College St. and Magnolia St. throwing toilet paper into the Live Oaks that once graced the corner. Of course if you are not a fan of college football you may not know the story of how the beloved oaks were destroyed I will let you read elsewhere on how this occurred.
I have talked to fans and others associated with other colleges and they told me how the Toomer’s Oaks weren’t what they expected. The legend of Toomer’s corner has been spread far and wide by the media and when opposing fans come to see the corner where the University meets the town they found two Live Oaks that are not the most healthy looking trees and not near the size they imagined in their heads. Well the fact is that the Live Oak is not the best selection for a tree in Auburn, Alabama. Live Oaks are better adapted to coastal areas. Majestic large live Oaks can be found in Mobile, New Orleans, and Savannah; and that is probably why fans of visiting teams were somewhat disappointed by the Live Oaks that were so legendary. Although not the best selection those trees did hold a special place in many Auburn people’s hearts, but I am sure their replacement will be adored just as much once reaching mature size. Hopefully a better suited species will be chosen.
Georgia – “Between the Hedges”
Former UGA Football Coach and Horticulture enthusiast, Vince Dooley – http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4552978
“Between the Hedges” is a tough place to play football if your team is not named the Georgia Bulldogs. Sanford stadium in Athens, Georgia is the home field of the University of Georgia. When the stadium was being built Charlie Martin, an athletic department official, wanted to beautify the stadium with rose hedges like he had seen at the 1926 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Martin was given advice by several Horticulture professors that Rose hedges did not stand a chance in the climate that Athens, Georgia endures. The alternate was Chinese Privet, which most people would consider a weedy shrub. After a team comes into Sanford stadium and wins a big game it has become customary to clip off a piece of the hedge to take home.
One last tradition I would like to introduce you to that I find interesting and has a little bit of Horticulture inspiration is Kansas University’s “Waving the Wheat”. Just watch the video:
What are some traditions that have horticulture involved that I may have missed? Leave a comment below!
For centuries, people annoyed with plant pests have used oils to control insects, mites, and even some fungal diseases. Current oil products are better than ever!
Sample oil products for pest control. Photo by Mary Derrick.
Commercially available horticultural oils are mineral oils from refined petroleum products. Impurities are removed and then an emulsifying agent is added that allows the oil to mix with water for application. Neem oil is a newer product that has become increasingly popular; the oil is an extract of the seeds of the neem tree.
What are some of the advantages of using an oil for pest control?
Oils are inexpensive and easy to apply
Oils can be used on most plants (check the label for a list!)
Oils control a wide range of pests that feed on plants (again, check the label for a list of pests the product will control!)
Oils pose a low risk to people, pets, and desirable beneficial predators
Since oils kill pests by blocking their breathing holes (spiracles) and/or gumming up their mouthparts, there is no chance for resistance to develop
One product can control both insects and some diseases like powdery mildew at once
Oils can be combined with some other pesticides to provide greater control
[warning] Don’t combine with, or use within 30 days of, any sulfur based pesticide. The combination can harm your plants![/warning]
There are always drawbacks to a product. What are the drawbacks?
Some plants (including cryptomeria, junipers, cedars, maples, and redbud) are damaged by oils – check the label!
Ensure good coverage during spraying as pests must be contacted with the oil in order for the control to work
Oils break down quickly and reapplication may be necessary
Check the label for instructions on the temperature range when it can be used. Older formulations generally are safe when temperatures are in the 40 to 80°F range but ultra-fine oils can generally be safely applied during hotter weather.
Fertilizer Spreader on lawn. Image Credit UF IFAS Extension FYN Program
Fertilizers are manufactured from a wide variety of materials to supply plant nutrients. Once these materials are mixed, it becomes difficult to distinguish the materials present. In the past, a few unscrupulous manufacturers have taken advantage of this to increase their profit. To protect consumers and legitimate manufacturers from such practices, The Florida legislature enacted the first fertilizer law in 1889 and has amended it many times since enactment. These laws regulate the manufacture and sale of fertilizer in the state.
The law requires that the manufacturer purchase and affix a label to each bag, package, container, or lot of fertilizer offered for sale in the state. The law requires that each label show specific information about the analysis and composition of the mixture or material.
Image Credit UF IFAS
The key information comes in the guaranteed analysis section of the label. It tells the home gardener the ratio by percentage of the primary plant nutrients. The number s are in the order of these primary nutrients; Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. For example an 8-8-8 fertilizer would be eight percent nitrogen compound, eight percent phosphorus compound and eight percent potassium compound.
There’s some other information in this section of the label that may seem even more complicated but it’s also important. The label explains how much chlorine the fertilizer can contain. Chlorine can reduce the quality of some vegetable and flowers.
It informs the buyer what materials the primary plant nutrients are derived from. This can assist in determining the quality of the fertilizer.
Probably the most difficult part of the label to read, certainly the hardest part to describe, is the information listed right after the total nitrogen figure in the guaranteed analysis section. In addition the total amount of nitrogen, the label gives the amount of each of several types of nitrogen present in the fertilizer. This information will seem confusing, but it also offers a glimpse into how the fertilizer will work in specific types of soil.
Terms such as nitrate nitrogen ammoniacal nitrogen, water-soluble organic nitrogen and/or urea nitrogen can be used by plants fairly quickly. These nitrogen forms in fertilizer are great for a vegetable garden. But nitrate and water-soluble organic nitrogen are rapidly leached out of the soil so they don’t last very long. Ammoniacal and water insoluble nitrogen will stay longer in sandy soils.
Fertilizer with a high percentage of natural organic nitrogen is used by the plants slowly over a fairly long period of time. This kind of slow release fertilizer would be good for lawns helping them stay green without causing spurts of extra fast growth.
This is a complicated subject, hard to fully explain in one article. This is the take home message: almost any fertilizer purchased in Florida is a good one if it has the ingredients required for plant health and if the price is fair in terms of the total amount of plant nutrients it contains.
As we leave Halloween season, one of the most popular images of this spooky time of year is that of a bat. The creepy tales of vampire bats and Dracula are enduring and certainly exciting. Unfortunately, many negative connotations exist around this fascinating species. Perhaps you’ve heard they carry rabies, that they will fly into your hair, or that many of them are considered blood-sucking vampire bats? In fact, there are many benefits to having bats in one’s landscape and neighborhood. The predominant role of bats in our local ecosystem is that of insect predator. A single little brown bat (Myotis lucifugis), which is native to the Florida Panhandle, can eat 1,200 mosquitoes in one hour of feeding! Many species eat moths that would otherwise cause destruction to agricultural crops and home vegetable gardens. Other species in warmer climates eat fruit and play a major role in re-foresting rain forests in Central and South America—after digesting the fruit they leave seeds in their droppings (guano is excellent fertilizer, by the way), helping replant 95% of the very trees they feed upon. Some species feed on nectar, filling the same role as bees and helping pollinate bananas, avocados, cashews, and figs.
A young bat roosts along the bricks of a UWF campus building last summer.
Contrary to popular belief, bats are not blind and many have excellent vision. However, they do rely heavily on echolocation to sense prey and are extremely accurate hunters. They often fly erratically because they are chasing very small flying insects, so the only reason one would end up in a person’s hair is if a mosquito flew through it with a bat in chase! While vampire bats do exist, of more than 1,200 species of bats in the world there are only 3 that feed on blood, and they all live in Latin America. They also tend to feed on the blood of livestock. Human contact with bats is rare unless the bats are sick, which is why one found on the ground should be left alone. Rabies transmission from bats accounts for only one death per year in the United States—a statistic much less than that of deaths from dog bites, bee stings, and lighting strikes! In fact, several towns in Texas with the highest populations of bats in the country have recorded zero human bat-transmitted rabies cases.
These 4-H campers built bat houses to provide shelter for bats in their neighborhoods
Bat populations are declining in North America due to disease (particularly white-nose syndrome), loss of habitat, and the slow reproductive cycle of bats. However, you can help the world’s only flying mammal by installing a bat house in your yard. Keep in mind that bats attracted to bat houses prefer to be in open areas away from trees (where their predators hide), and the house should be installed at least 12 feet in the air. Bat houses can be purchased or built rather simply—keep an eye out for Extension workshops near you, or check out the publication “Effective Bat Houses for Florida” online. In addition, Bat Conservation International’s website has a wealth of information on conservation projects worldwide.
Florida Statutes 482.1562 states that all commercial fertilizer applicators must have a license from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) by January 1, 2014. To get this license, each Green Industry employee must be trained in Best Management Practices, which teaches professionals how to implement FFL principles. Additionally, to address water conservation Florida Statute 373.62 says the following: “Any person who operates an automatic landscape irrigation system shall properly install, maintain, and operate technology that inhibits or interrupts operation of the system during periods of sufficient moisture, regardless of when the system was installed”. Irrigation contractors are required by law to ensure that there is an operational rain shut off device on site before they can perform any services. If it doesn’t exist or isn’t working, the contractor can be fined for not reporting the property owner or by completing the repair work without installing or repairing the rain shut off device.
Fertilizing Appropriately and Watering Efficiently are just two of the nine Florida-friendly landscaping principles. Right Plant, Right Place; Mulch, Attracting Wildlife, Managing Yard Pests Responsibly, Recycling, Reducing Stormwater Runoff and Protecting the Waterfront.are the other principles. Utilizing landscape techniques that reduce the inputs that can negatively impact natural resources is the foundation of Florida-friendly landscaping. By implementing the practices, the user saves money, reduces their workload and protects the environment. Many of the Florida-friendly landscaping principles are common sense applications. For more information visit the Florida Yards website.
