by Julie McConnell | Jan 13, 2015
This dead oak tree was trimmed up to make it neater. It is ready for a wildlife resident! Photo: JMcConnell, UF/IFAS
One of the management issues that any landowner will face at some point is what to do when a tree dies in the landscape. The logical response is “cut it down,” but depending on the location and the size of the tree, that may not be necessary and you could be removing potential wildlife habitat.
With any other major decisions about your landscape, always consider safety first. If the tree is in a location where it could damage property or cause harm to people or domesticated animals then it should be properly removed. But what about those trees that are along wood lines or in the far reaches of the yard and not threatening person or property?
Consider leaving the entire tree or modifying it to make it more aesthetically pleasing yet still useful to wildlife. Weak branches or unstable tops may be removed to make the snag less of a risk or to look a little neater.
Some examples of animals that may use dead trees in the landscape are birds, bats, squirrels, frogs, and lizards. Besides the obvious cavity dwelling creatures such as woodpeckers, owls, and bats that are attracted to decaying trees, other animals will be drawn for other reasons. Dead trees in the landscape will become inhabited by insects and fungi which are terrific food sources for birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles!
To learn more about providing wildlife habitats in your landscape, please see the EDIS publications listed below or contact your local extension office.
Helping Cavity-nesters in Florida
A Birds-Eye View: How Birds Select Habitat
Dead Wood: Key to Enhancing Wildlife Diversity in Forests
by Julie McConnell | Dec 2, 2014
Over-pruning. Photo credit: JB McConnell, UF/IFAS
Many people picture sugar sand beaches, emerald green water, and gorgeous palm trees swaying in the breeze when they think about visiting or moving to Florida. The panhandle offers the beautiful Gulf of Mexico and sugar sand beaches, but sometimes its palms look a bit deficient. Why is that and what will it take to correct this? Although it seems counter-intuitive, major improvements can result from providing less attention to the palms by reducing the amount of pruning.
Over pruning palms leads to nutrient deficiencies and increases the likelihood of insect and disease problems. Pictured at left is an example of over pruned palms. This technique leaves the heads looking spindly and unattractive, and also hurts the palm’s short-term and long-term health. So, why do property owners send someone up a ladder to harm their palms? Most likely a combination of misinformation and routine.
Palms should have a 360 degree canopy, for example if the top of your palm tree is a clock (with hands, not digital!) you would not prune any fronds above 3 and 9 o’clock. The palms pictured above are pruned in a range from 11-1 o’clock and 10-2 o’clock.
Why does it matter how many fronds are on the palm?
- First off, palms are not trees as many people believe, but instead are grasses. Palms have just one growing point that is located at the top of the trunk, and this one bud called the apical meristem is busy making fronds that will not appear until several months from now.
- When nutrients are not available in the soil it can take 4-6 months for a deficiency to show up, so palm nutrition is tricky. Although they grow differently than trees and shrubs, one commonality is that they produce food through photosynthesis and need all available green tissue to make this happen.
- When there are fewer fronds, the palm has limited resources to create energy.
Native Florida soils are not able to meet the specific nutrition needs of most palms, so it is common to see nutrient deficiencies. Some nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium, and magnesium are mobile in the plant. This means that they can be moved to areas with sufficient amounts of the nutrient to other parts of the palm that do not have enough. This will cause some partial discoloration in leaves, which can be misinterpreted as a dying leaf when in reality it is just sharing food with the rest of the palm. If that frond has any green tissue remaining and is cut off, then a great source of nutrients has just been removed thus making the overall deficiency even worse!
What about “hurricane-cut” to improve wind resistance?
- Another common myth is that making a “hurricane cut” will reduce the likelihood of trees breaking in storms. Observations after the hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005 along with research by scientists have shown that the opposite is actually true. Trees that had been given a “hurricane-cut” were more likely to have their crowns snapped than palms with full crowns.
- Damaged or dead fronds should be removed before storms to prevent them from becoming airborne during a storm, but green leaves should remain on palms.
So, how do you know the difference between normal shedding of fronds and a deficiency?
- Normal shedding (senescence) is indicated by an overall discoloration of the whole frond, not just sections, and the whole process of turning color and falling off (or hanging down depending on the palm) only takes a couple of days.
- A gradual shift to yellowing, browning, abnormal growth or other similar symptoms are typically nutrition related.
Above are some examples of common nutrient deficiencies found in Florida landscapes. These are examples of leaves that are still supporting the palm and should be left attached to the tree until the whole frond is brown.
For more information on proper pruning and nutrient deficiencies of palms, please see the publications indicated below.
Nutrient Deficiencies of Landscape and Field-Grown Palms in Florida
Pruning Palms
by Julie McConnell | Nov 3, 2014
2015 Small Farms Series coming in January!
Image Credit: UF / IFAS
The three week series will be offered at 12 locations from Mobile, Alabama eastward to Jefferson County, Florida via interactive video conferencing. This technology allows state specialists to reach a wide audience from the comfort of their local county extension offices. Participants will receive educational materials and will be able to submit questions to speakers through their host site.
Some of the topics that will be covered include
Nutrient management
Cover crops
Alternative organic pest control
Disease control systems such as high tunnel, drip irrigation, and mulch
For more information or to register for this class series please see the
by Julie McConnell | Oct 8, 2014
By Brad Buck, 352-294-3303, bradbuck@ufl.edu
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – You can find out when to plant crops, how to can foods safely and how to use paper to pot plants from University of Florida experts at the 37th annual Sunbelt Ag Expo.
The Sunbelt Ag Expo, Oct .14-16 in Moultrie, Ga., is the largest agricultural expo in the southeast, and more than 100,000 people attend each year.
“The Sunbelt Expo gives people from all walks of life a chance to learn about everything Extension offers from our experts,” said Nick Place, dean of Extension for UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
Known as North America’s Premier Farm Show and the largest such show in the U.S., the expo unites all segments of rural living. The setting features the latest agricultural research, a live farm harvest and insights into various agricultural businesses, according to its website.
UF/IFAS will have a permanent building, popular with visitors because of engaging displays and giveaways such as peanuts from the Florida Peanut Growers Association, Florida Orange Juice provided by Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company and many other “Gator Giveaways.”
This year, the Extension Service celebrates the centennial of the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, which created the national service, in which agents deliver unbiased research data to their constituents. Florida’s program remains as viable as ever, helping its many stakeholders. That includes guiding growers to maximize production through the most efficient use of their resources.
UF/IFAS’s three branches, Extension, research and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) will feature six interactive booths with the theme “Solutions for the Next 100 Years.”
Experts will interact with the public on several topics:
- “Canning parties” were some of the first Extension programs to help people better understand how to safely preserve foods. Expo visitors can learn more about this tradition as Family and Consumer Science Extension agents share from the past and present to provide the latest innovations for home food preservation.
- 4-H is one of UF/IFAS’ oldest recognized Extension programs. See how youth are leading and learning to meet the challenges of the next century. Visitors will learn about a 4-H recycling project and can take home a start to their family garden.
- Farming tools and methods are constantly improving. Visitors can see some of UF/IFAS’ favorites from the past and contrast them with flyin
g drones and infrared scanners for today and the future. These new tools aid farmers in early identification of disease, pest and nutritional problems.
- Natural Resource and Sea Grant Extension agents are bringing Florida’s beaches and bays to Georgia. Touch tanks and displays with animals will highlight this exhibit focused on beach and boating safety and stewardship.
- Horticulture displays will give visitors insight into establishing a Florida Friendly yard by using appropriate plants and cultural methods. Butterfly gardening plants will be featured. Visitors will also learn how to distinguish beneficial insects from problem pests.
- Visit with CALS Ambassadors and learn about life as a UF agriculture student. Ambassadors will give information about major programs, admission, enrollment and hand out plenty of Gator goodies.
by Julie McConnell | Oct 7, 2014
Flowers on Sweet Olive. Photo credit: Julie McConnell, UF/IFAS Extension
Sweet Olive Osmanthus fragrans is a versatile evergreen that produces fragrant flowers from the fall through the winter months. This upright-growing large shrub or small tree has medium green leaves and small white flowers that form in the leaf axils. The tiny flowers are not very showy, but have a light lemony fragrance that will have you searching for the source.
Sweet Olive is not a fast grower but will need space in the garden to reach maturity (15-20 feet tall x 10-15 feet wide). It makes an ideal privacy screen for outdoor living spaces where you can enjoy the flower scents while temperatures are cool.
Sweet Olive will grow in sun or shade, although the foliage is less dense in heavily shaded spots. It performs well in all soil types as long as they are well-drained and once established tolerate drought conditions. Sweet Olive is cold tolerant to zone 7b and has few pests. Although it is in the same family as olives, the fruit is not edible or showy.
To read more about Sweet Olive visit http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/ST/ST42500.pdf
