by Mary Salinas | May 23, 2018
A healthy lawn is a joy to stroll, relax and play on. It can also be part of an environmentally friendly landscape. But, sometimes it can seem to be a mystery on how to achieve that lush, healthy lawn in the Florida environment. Since we have lots of sandy soils and experience long periods of warm and hot weather, many suppose that giving the lawn lots of water will help do the trick. Not so.
Photo credit: UF/IFAS.
But what harm can it cause to give the lawn plenty of water all the time? Isn’t that a good thing? No! Overwatering your lawn can lead to the following problems:
- Development of fungal diseases (fungi love a moist environment!)
- Increased insect pest pressure
- More rapid thatch development
- More weeds (those little emerging weed seedlings thrive on consistent moisture!)
- Some weeds, like dollarweed and sedges, can be an indication of overwatering
- A shallow root system when frequent, light watering is applied
- Washing away of fertilizer down into the soil past the root system
- Higher water bills.
Our lawns need, on average, about 1/2 to 3/4 “of water a week during the summer. This recommendation changes depending on soil type, shade, temperature, wind, and season. To figure out how long to run your sprinklers, watch this YouTube video from UF/IFAS.
We recommend running your automated system only when your lawn shows signs of needing water such as:
- Leaf blades fold
- The lawn looks ‘off-color’
- Footprints remain and are visible
For more information:
Watering Your Florida Lawn
Gardening Solutions: Irrigation
Your Florida Lawn
by Julie McConnell | Apr 16, 2018
I’m hard pressed to tell you my favorite song, movie, or place to eat, but when we start talking plants I can come up with whole categories of favorites. I won’t commit to just one species, but when it comes to woody shrubs I am a huge fan of viburnums. We have small ones, tall ones, evergreen, deciduous, smooth leaves, textured leaves, berry producers and sterile types. There are so many different types there must be one for every gardener.
Buds and flowers of Viburnum luzonicum. Photo: J_McConnell, UF/IFAS
I thought I knew a lot of viburnums after spending ten years in the nursery industry, but had not seen Luzon Viburnum, Viburnum luzonicum, until Dr. Gary Knox gave one to me in the fall of 2014. The plant was little more than a couple of stems and light green leaves, but he assured me it would get large and would perform well in the Florida panhandle.
That scrap of a plant went into a large, non-irrigated, full-sun bed in my yard and was hand-watered through the first summer, but after that has been left to fend for itself. My Luzon viburnum is currently over 6 feet tall by 4 feet wide and covered in flowers. It gets no TLC in my landscape, but has yet to be plagued by any pests. The foliage emerges with a slightly pink tone then settles into a light green usually starting in February or March. By late March clusters of small white flowers cover the shrub. It is reported to have the potential to produce berries that transition from red to black, but I have not yet observed that in my garden.
This is not a plant you are likely to stumble across in most garden centers, but is worth keeping a lookout for in case you see it. It is on display with many other wonderful plants in the Gardens of the Big Bend at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) in Quincy and in the past has been available at Gardening Friends of the Big Bend plant sales.
For more information about this plant see Missouri Botanical Garden webpage.
by Sheila Dunning | Apr 9, 2018
This month, recognized by the Senate and Florida’s governor, reminds diggers why calling 811 before all outdoor digging projects is important to your safety. Before installing a mailbox, fence, deck, garden or tree make sure to call Sunshine 811 to have underground lines marked. 811 is the free national number designated by the Federal Communications Commission. It notifies utility companies, who in turn send their professional locators to identify and mark the appropriate location of underground line with paint and flags in colors that identify the utility type. The following colors represent the seven various utilities: red, orange, blue, green, yellow, purple and white. To see which colors correspond with each utility go to: http://www.call811.com/faqs/default.aspx.
Hitting an underground utility line while digging can cause injuries, utility service outages to an entire neighborhood and damage to the environment. Failure to call before digging results in one unintentional utility hit every eight minutes nationwide. You could also be financially affected with costly fines and high repair costs.
Calling 811 in Florida is the law. At least two full business days before digging, do-it yourselfers and professional excavators must contact 811 by phone to start the process of getting underground utility lines marked. This is a free service. Be sure that all utilities have been marked before grabbing the shovel. Follow up on your one call ticket by contacting 811 again on the third day. For more information on Florida’s law, visit www.Sunshine811.com.
by Julie McConnell | Mar 13, 2018
Shore juniper forms a thick groundcover and tolerates hot, dry sites. Photo: J_McConnell, UF/IFAS
We all know that when you have bare ground in Florida, eventually something unwanted moves in or the soil moves out. To avoid either of these negative outcomes, a good practice is to grow robust vegetative groundcovers, especially if the soil slopes and is at high risk of eroding. Turfgrass is one option, but what if you don’t enjoy caring for a lawn or the site is difficult to maintain or even unsafe to mow? An often overlooked option in our area is Shore Juniper Juniperus conferta.
Although some people find this plant less than exciting, its easy to explain why it can be a good option in certain situations.
- Easy to find at nurseries
- Inexpensive
- Low water requirements once established (you’ll need to turn the irrigation off on these!)
- Salt tolerant
- Evergreen
- Cold tolerant
- Low, spreading growth habit (won’t block view)
- Do not require pruning (junipers cannot tolerate heavy pruning!)
A common cultivar of shore juniper is Blue Pacific Juniper which grows to be about one foot tall but spreads two to three feet wide. The new foliage has a blue cast that gives it the common name. It creeps along the ground and will provide good ground cover to sloping sites. This plant should be planted on 3 foot centers so they have room to expand without crowding. Plant in well-drained soil and apply two inches of mulch on bare soil between plants to reduce weeds while the plants are filling in. Only water until established, then stop automated irrigation and only water as needed. Read more at Establishing Shrubs Florida Landscapes.
by Mark Tancig | Feb 5, 2018
An important skill for the Florida gardener is to be able to identify and control invasive, exotic plant species. These plants invade and disrupt Florida’s unique natural ecosystems, often spreading from surrounding urban and suburban landscapes. Being proactive in reducing their spread helps protect the integrity of Florida’s natural areas. Cooler days, fewer bugs, dormant vegetation (including poison ivy!), and striking plant characteristics make this time of year perfect for identifying and controlling invasive, exotic plants in urban/suburban woodlands. For additional motivation, February 26 through March 2 has been proclaimed National Invasive Species Awareness Week.
National Invasive Species Awareness Week is February 26 to March 2 this year.
In north Florida, two easily recognizable invasive, exotic plants are coral Ardisia (Ardisia crenata) and heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica). Both of these plants were introduced decades ago as ornamental plants due to their showy foliage and fruit and ease of cultivation. I picture an adventuring botanist or gardener returning from some exotic locale and sharing what a beautiful and easy growing plant they had found. These characteristics make them easy to notice.
Coral Ardisia (left) and heavenly bamboo (right) are easy to recognize this time of year. Credit: UF/IFAS; Gil Nelson.
In small areas, manual control methods can be used to successfully rid an area of these common pest plants. Simply pick off the berries and place them in a small container – a 5-gallon bucket works great. Pull up the mature plant being sure to remove the roots. The seeds should be double-bagged and placed in the garbage for disposal in a landfill. The plants can be tossed to the side and allowed to dry out and breakdown. For larger plants, a shovel or root jack can be used to help ensure that the roots are removed from the soil. Follow up is often necessary for total control.
Chemical control methods are more efficient and practical for large areas. County Extension offices can help you select the right herbicide control program for your individual site and particular invasive, exotic species present.
During February and leading up to National Invasive Species Awareness Week, look for opportunities in your community to help rid natural areas of these pesky plants. For more information on invasive, exotic species, including photos, videos, and control recommendations, visit the UF/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants website – plants.ifas.ufl.edu.
You can help rid local natural areas of invasive, exotic plants. Credit: Mark Tancig
by Matt Lollar | Jan 25, 2018
We’re having a cold winter this year and I’m sure the last thing on your mind is your spring garden, but it’s time to start ordering seeds! The spring gardening seed catalogs are now out on garden center magazine racks and it’s tempting to buy everything that looks good in pictures. However, there are a few things to think about when picking out what you want to grow.
Know Your Season
Vegetable crops are usually grown by season. We are lucky in Florida because we have both a warm season and a cool season. We are unlucky too because we have very hot summers! Usually our spring crops suffer from too much heat and humidity in July and August. Cool season crops are typically planted from September to March, while warm season crops are typically planted in February and March or August and September. Eggplant and okra are outliers because they can usually make it through the summer. It’s important that you follow tried and true planting dates for the crops you intend to grow. You can find a very helpful table embedded in the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide that lists what to plant when.
Know Your State
As you may have noticed, North Florida has a very humid climate year-round. We not only have to give our crops extra care due to rain and humidity, but we also need to grow varieties adapted for our climate. Some recommended varieties are listed in Table 2 of the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide. You can also find some recommended varieties in Seed Sources for Florida Homegrown Vegetables. (Please note that some of the seed sources listed in this publication are geared more toward commercial growers, so they may be unavailable unless you intend to plant quite a few acres in one crop.)
Know How Green Your Thumb Is
Probably the most important thing about gardening is your level of commitment and experience. Take a few minutes to assess your skills as a gardener and the amount of time you are willing to commit to your garden. Then use the following list to help you determine what to plant.
- Easy to Grow in Florida – Radish, Collard, Turnip, Kale, English Pea, Green Bean, Sweet Potatoes
- Somewhat Easy to Grow in Florida – Okra, Yellow Squash, Zucchini, Eggplant, Watermelon, Sweet Corn
- Hard to Grow in Florida – Tomato, Cantaloupe, Muskmelon, Pumpkin
This is only a short list, but I hope it gives you a starting point to help you determine your skill set.
A variety of calabaza squash. Photo Credit: University of Florida/IFAS
Know the Difference Between Open Pollinated, Heirloom, and Hybrid Varieties
- Open-pollination of crops occurs when insects, birds, wind, or other natural mechanisms carry pollen from flower to flower. Seed can be saved from open-pollinated varieties which will produce crops with similar characteristics to their parents.
- Heirloom varieties have a history of being passed down within a family or community. As the name suggests, seed can be saved from heirloom varieties which will produce crops with similar characteristics to their parents.
- Hybridization is a controlled method of pollination in which the pollen of two different varieties or species is crossed by human or natural mechanisms. Seed saved from hybrids will most likely not produce as vigorously as their parents and may produce crops that are significantly different from their parents.
I would never want to discourage you from growing new crops, but I hope you now have a little better plan as to what to plant this year. If you want to try something new with minimal risk then I would recommend you try growing yard-long beans, calabaza squash, and malabar spinach. These vegetables serve as excellent substitutes for some of the more commonly grown varieties. You can read more about these crops and other minor vegetables by visiting the University of Florida/IFAS Minor Vegetable Webpage.
