“Symbiotic Serenity: Ant-Aphid Farming Dynamics”
Why is ant taking over my plants? Welcome to the world of symbiotic serenity, where ants and aphids work in harmony to create a thriving ecosystem. Ants farming aphids is a fascinating phenomenon in nature, where ants tend to aphids, protecting and nurturing them like...
White, Fluffy Tufts in Lawns May Be Trampweed
Do you have a low-growing weed that is producing tufts of white, fluffy, dandelion-like seeds, which float in the wind when disturbed or mowed? This is Annual Trampweed (Facelis retusa). I did not see this weed in North Florida until recent years. It’s native to South...
Take the Summer Off, Grow a Cover Crop
Take the Summer Off, Grow a Cover Crop As gardeners in the northern states plant and harvest crops until fall, those in the south know that summers can be brutal. In Florida and other areas in the deep south, temperatures can reach triple digits by the summer...
Sesame Surprise
Last spring, I attended a seminar at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center in Quincy hosted by the Gardening Friends of the Big Bend (GFBB). Brie Arthur was the guest speaker and taught us about foodscaping, gardening with grains, and other...
Grass Looking Bad?
Does your yard have patches of dead grass or areas that look thin and weak? The last two summers of heavy rain and the stress of December’s freezing weather have contributed to widespread outbreaks of Take-All Root Rot, a soil-inhabiting...
Pollinator Gardening – Tips for Apartment Living
Article written by Khadejah Scott, Horticulture/Agriculture/Natural Resources Agent - UF/IFAS Extension at Wakulla County. Gardening for pollinators is not only beneficial for the environment, but it can also be a rewarding and fulfilling hobby. However, living in an...
Blueberry Bees
It’s a bit early still for blueberries in north Florida, but they are definitely on the horizon. We have a handful of bushes at home and the office, and I’ve noticed the white blooms are gone and berries are forming as we speak. Many of us, myself included, look...
Video: Citrus Recovery and Pruning
Some citrus is recovering from our December 2022 hard freeze and pruning will be needed. Learn to identify your tree's graft and how to prune away any rootstock material with UF IFAS Extension Escambia County. https://youtu.be/TaMF30sKRFE
No Mow March Winning Photo
An activity during our No Mow March campaign was for participants to document flowers and pollinators from their landscapes. This activity was available through an INaturalist group specific to No Mow March. Although we only had 13 participants, they made 85...
No Mow March: 3 Pollinator-Friendly Shrubs for the Rest of the Year
No Mow March was an awesome success this year! Together, by leaving some unmown areas of our lawns and landscapes, we helped create acres of additional valuable pollinator habitat in a critical time of the year. However, we can’t forget that there are still nine...