Winter Care of Landscape Plants
January and February are typically the coldest months in Florida. Low temperatures can damage even the more cold-hardy plants. However, there are measures that can be done to help cold-damaged plants recover. After a frost or freeze, see if your plants are dry. Even...
Let Citrus Ripen on the Tree
Q. When is citrus fruit ready to harvest? A. Florida uses five indexes to determine maturity of citrus, including soluble solids, juice content, acid level, soluble solids/acid ratio and skin color. But, the home gardener can easily decide when most citrus types are...
What Does a Vegetable Garden Cost?
It's never too early to start thinking about your spring vegetable garden. Have you ever wondered how much it costs to grow your own vegetables? Does it cost less to grow your own vegetables or buy them from the grocery store or farmers market? A number of factors...
January is Tree-Planting Time
The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second-best time is Arbor Day. Florida recognizes the event on the third Friday in January but planting any time before spring will establish a tree quickly. Arbor Day is an annual observance that celebrates the...
Grow Your Own Christmas Tree
Christmas is among my favorite holidays. The religious significance, music, lights, amazing food, fellowship with family, and giving and receiving gifts all lend something special to the season. However, the tradition that arguably gets the most attention is...
Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE Program Summary: Selecting & Maintaining Trees
Trees provide shade, aesthetics, and perspective to the landscape. However, they only serve as burdens if not properly selected and maintained. To help determine what trees do best under certain conditions and to provide information on tree care, this month's...
Up Your Gardening Game with Sweet Onions
For many people in the Panhandle, gardening season begins when the weather warms in spring and nurseries start setting out tomato transplants. While I understand the allure of the yummy summer veggies and spring/early summer are the most traditional times to garden,...
Cold-hardy Bromeliads for North Florida
Bromeliads are a type of succulent that are valued for bold foliage and colorful, exotic and long lasting flowers. Members of the bromeliad family (Bromeliaceae) originate in the tropical Americas in habitats ranging from rain forests to deserts. Bromeliad species are...
Garden to Table: Growing Winter Herbs
As we go into the winter here in the Panhandle the following herbs will do well: cilantro, parsley, fennel, thyme, chives, oregano, sage and dill. Basil is a popular herb but will need to be inside by a kitchen window this time of year. It will drop leaves below 40...
Gifts for the Gardener
Christmas is on its way and it’s time to buy those gifts. If there is a gardener on your gift list, consider a gardening gift. There are all sorts of gift ideas for a gardener and the price range varies as well. A subscription to a garden magazine may be just the idea...