by Blake Thaxton | May 17, 2016
In the last few weeks, more garden pests have arrived! It is a fact of life in northwest Florida that we will have a few things in our garden including heat, moisture (humidity and rainfall), and BUGS! With a cooler spring the arrival of some of the troublesome pests in the garden seemed to be delayed a few weeks. It was nice while it lasted but the insect pests are here to stay until frost in the fall or winter (at least we hope for a frost this year).
There are thousands of insects that you can see in your garden. It’s wise to identify them before making a decision to spray an insecticide or remove them by another method. Insect samples can be taken to your local county extension office for identification.
In this article we will just discuss one of the top insect pests in the vegetable garden, caterpillars, and what you can do about them.
Mature larva of the cabbage looper. Photograph by John L. Capinera, University of Florida.
Beet armyworms, fall armyworms, hornworms, cabbage loopers, southern armyworms, tomato fruitworms, and other caterpillars love to feed on tomato foliage and fruit. They will show up eventually on tomato plants in the garden, if not this year then in the future. These larvae are immature moths and cause a lot of damage if left unchecked. The homeowner can control them effectively with Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) approved pesticides. A bacterial biological insecticide called Bacillus thuringiensis, also referred to as B.t., can be very effective in controlling these caterpillar pests. B.t. is a stomach toxin to these pests and will cause them to quit eating and starve to death. The key to using B.t. effectively is to routinely apply it before the caterpillars hatch from their eggs as the smaller caterpillars are easiest to control. Larger caterpillars are more difficult to control.
For more information related to using OMRI pesticides:
Organic Vegetable Gardening in Florida
Insecticides for Organic Commercial & Backyard Vegetable Production
by Mary Salinas | May 5, 2016
The panhandle of Florida is a great place to grow citrus with our plentiful sunshine and sandy soil. But some varieties do better than others. Here are some that thrive in the more northerly climes of Florida:
Nagami kumquat. Photo credit: UF/IFAS.
- Satsuma mandarin is cold hardy to 15°F once established. There are a few different available cultivars with fruit ripening October through December. Fruit needs to be picked promptly when ripe.
- Kumquat is cold hardy to 10°F once established. ‘Nagami’ and ‘Meiwa’ are the two common cultivars of the small tart fruits. Fruit matures in fall and winter and holds fairly well on the trees.
- Calamondin is a lesser known variety that bears small fruit that resemble tangerines. The tart fruit is great for jams and chutneys. Fruit is borne all year.
- Some of the sweet oranges that do well in the panhandle are Navel, Hamlin and Parson Brown. They are cold hardy to 14°F once established and are harvested November through January.
- Minneola or Honeybell tangelo is also hardy to 14°F and harvested in January. This is a cross between a Duncan grapefruit and a Darcy tangerine. This bell-shaped fruit is very juicy and sweet. Unlike the other citrus varieties, it needs another citrus nearby for cross-pollination in order to produce an abundant crop.
- Meyer Lemon is the choice to make if you would like to grow lemons in the panhandle. Other lemons may be damaged by our occasional freezes.
Grapefruit and lime can be grown – although unreliably – on the coast with protection from northwestern winter winds. They are much more susceptible to freezes in more northerly panhandle locations.
In order to have the healthiest and most productive trees, learn about how to properly care for citrus and how to recognize and combat the pests and diseases that occur.
Citrus canker symptoms on leaves, fruit and stem. Photo by Timothy Schubert, FDACS
There are threats to our dooryard and commercial citrus from pests and disease. Only vigilance will help to combat the challenges so that we may continue to grow and enjoy our citrus. What can we do to protect our citrus?
- Report any serious diseases like suspected citrus canker or citrus greening to the Division of Plant Industry by calling toll-free 1-888-397-1517. Inspections and diagnosis are free. Citrus canker has been confirmed in south Santa Rosa County in the past 3 years.
- Purchase citrus trees only from registered nurseries – they may cost a little more but they have gone through an extensive process to remain disease and pest free. That will save you $$ in the long run!
- Don’t bring plants or fruit back into Florida – they may be harboring a pest!
- Citrus trees or fruit cannot move in or out of the State of Florida without a permit. This applies to homeowners as well as to the industry. This rule protects our vital dooryard trees and citrus industry.
For more information please see:
Save Our Citrus Website
UF IFAS Gardening Solutions: Citrus
Citrus Culture in the Home Landscape
UF IFAS Extension Online Guide to Citrus Diseases
Your Florida Dooryard Citrus Guide – Common Pests, Disease and Disorders of Dooryard Citrus
by Mary Salinas | Feb 16, 2016
As you have read in other articles in this blog, it is too early to fertilize your lawn; however, this is a good time to start fertilizing your citrus to ensure a healthy fruit crop later in the year.
Orange grove at the University of Florida. UF/IFAS photo by Tara Piasio.
Citrus benefits from regular fertilization with a good quality balanced citrus fertilizer that also contains micronutrients. A balanced fertilizer has equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium such as a 6-6-6, 8-8-8 or a 10-10-10. The amount of fertilizer to be applied will vary on the formulation; for example you will need less of a 10-10-10 than a 6-6-6 as the product is more concentrated. Always consult the product label for the correct amount to use for your particular trees. Fertilizer spikes are not recommended as the nutrients are concentrated in small areas and not able to be widely available to all plant roots.
The number of fertilizations per year will vary depending on the age of the tree. Trees planted the first year need 6 light fertilizations that year starting in February with the last application in October. In following years, decrease the number of fertilizations by one per year until the fifth year when it is down to 3 fertilizations per year. From then on, keep fertilizing 3 times per year for the life of the tree. Good quality citrus fertilizer will have accurate and specific instructions on the label for the amount and timing of fertilizer application.
Fertilizer should be spread evenly under the tree but not in contact with the trunk of the tree. Ideally, the area under the drip line of the tree should be free of grass, weeds and mulch in order for rain, irrigation and fertilizer to reach the roots of the tree and provide air movement around the base of the trunk.
If you have not in recent years, obtain a soil test from your local extension office. This can detect nutrient deficiencies, which may be corrected with additional targeted nutrient applications.
For more information:
Citrus Culture in the Landscape
by Julie McConnell | Feb 3, 2016
Potatoes planted in mid-February were ready to harvest in mid-May in Panama City. Photo: Vicki Evans, UF/IFAS Master Gardener
A common misconception is that all potatoes come from the Midwest. However, select Irish potato varieties are produced commercially in Florida on over 20,000 acres. Potatoes can also be grown in Florida home gardens if care is taken to select the correct type and recognize proper timing.
Potatoes are a cool season crop and the ideal time to plant in the Florida Panhandle is in January and February. Valentine’s Day is a good target planting date for home gardeners with plants producing tubers after about three months (variety and weather dependent).
The ideal site for potatoes has well-drained soils with a pH range of 5-6. To increase drainage, beds can be formed into hills that are 10-12 inches above the soil. Another option is to grow potatoes in raised beds or containers to ensure the plants will not sit in water during heavy rains.
Certified seed potatoes are available in garden centers. Photo: Julie McConnell, UF/IFAS
Use certified “seed” potatoes to ensure you are starting with healthy tubers. Cut seed potatoes into egg sized pieces that contain at least one eye each. Allow the cut seed pieces to heal for a couple of days in a cool, dark spot with good ventilation. After healing they can be planted about four inches deep 6-8 inches apart with three feet between rows.
Sometimes potatoes will push to the surface of the soil and will need to be covered with more soil (hilling). If the potatoes are not covered, they can become damaged by the sun and inedible.
Keep your garden weed free to minimize competition with your crop and to also reduce the likelihood of weeds harboring insects or disease that can be harmful to potato plants.
A few weeks after planting seed potatoes, you should begin to see some vegetative (leaves and stems) growth above the soil. Potato plants can grow over a foot tall and are bushy. Small new tubers start to form underground before blooming, but they need more time to bulk up before harvesting. The entire growing process takes between 80 and 115 days from planting to harvest.
If you plan to store your potatoes, allow them to remain in the ground for 2-3 weeks after the top of the plant has died to fully mature. If the vegetative portion of the plant does not die on its own the top can be cut to induce maturation of the tubers.
For recommended varieties and more information on care and harvesting please see “Growing Potatoes in the Florida Home Garden.”
by Matt Lollar | Jan 27, 2016
We may be suffering from the recent low temperatures, but temperate fruit trees such as peaches and apples require a period of cold weather in order to become cold hardy and produce a good crop.
What is Cold Hardiness?
Cold hardiness is the ability of a plant to survive low temperatures. However, every cold event is fairly unique with variables such as when the low temperatures occur (early vs. late winter), how quickly the temperature drops, the temperatures in the days leading up to the event, and the length of time the low temperatures are sustained.
Cold Acclimation
Cold acclimation is the development of freezing tolerance in plants. Three fall environmental factors contribute to cold acclimation in fruit trees. Plant will develop 10 to 15 degrees of cold tolerance when the leaves sense shorter day lengths. Metabolic activity is increased when days are short and temperatures are between 60°F days and 40°F nights. The second factor occurs when lows reach the 20s, which can make trees up to 10 degrees hardier. The final factor occurs when temperatures dip to near zero, which fortunately for us does not occur very often.
Trees remain hardy during the winter as long as temperatures remain fairly stable. However, de-acclimation occurs in reaction to warm temperatures. This explains the winter flowering which occurred this past December. A cold snap may not injure trees unless it immediately follows a period of mild temperatures.
Florida Average Chill Hours Map – UF/IFAS Extension
Chilling Requirement
The cold weather and gradual cold acclimation are necessary to a tree’s accumulation of chill hours which is necessary for steady fruit yields. Chill hours are the accumulation of hours when temperatures are between 32°F and 45°F. The yearly average chill hour accumulation in Northwest Florida is between 660 and 700 hours. The apple varieties recommended for our area (‘Anna’, ‘Dorsett Golden’, and ‘TropicSweet’) have a chilling requirement of 250 to 300 hours. Some of the peach varieties recommended for our area (‘Flordacreast’, ‘Flordaking’, and ‘Gulfsnow’) have a chilling requirement of 350 to 400 hours. Please note the risk of planting these varieties because their chilling requirements are lower than our average chill hour accumulation. The varieties listed are for example, but other available varieties are suitable for our area.
Whether you like winter weather or not, just remember the satisfaction of eating fresh fruit in the summer. To track this year’s chill hours from the warmth of your home, please visit the AgroClimate tool at http://agroclimate.org/tools/Chill-Hours-Calculator/.
by Beth Bolles | Jan 27, 2016
Parsley is one of the most well-known herbs, and if you missed the fall planting, there is still time to choose a preferred selection for late winter/spring planting.
An herbaceous biennial, parsley is an easy herb for containers or small garden spaces. You may purchase a small pot at the nursery or grow from seed. Realize that seeds do best when soaked in warm water for 24 hours prior to planting and may not germinate for several weeks. Be sure to mark the area well so you remember not to overplant with another herb or vegetable.
Choose an area or soil that allows for good drainage and full sun in the cooler months. During the heat of summer, parsley does prefer a little break from afternoon sun. Consider planting in pots so plants can be moved during the hottest months. Plants will prefer water during times when rainfall is lacking, but the taproot does allow the plant to survive some drought.
There are different types of parsley you may choose but the most common types sold in stores are the curled leaf parsley and the Italian parsley. The Italian parsley has a stronger flavor and holds up a little better during cooking.
Curled leaf parsley
Italian parsley
Parsley is an attractive plant as a garden border or in a mixed container but will likely have a visitor during the warmer season that will feed on the leaves. The black swallowtail butterfly will use parsley as a host plant so plant enough to share with the butterflies.
