Choosing a Tree for Your Landscape
January and February are ideal months for adding a tree or two to your landscape in the Florida panhandle. In the cooler weather, the ground stays moist for a longer time, which helps prevent drought stress and the drying out of the rootball. Also, the winds are...
Ornamental Grass Pruning – A Winter Task
The term “ornamental grass” is a catch-all phrase used to describe grasses and “grass-like” plants. Individual species are adapted to a wide variety of landscape sites (i.e., wet or dry, sun or shade, hot or cold climates, and varied salt tolerance). Growth habits...
Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE Program Summary: Weeds – February 4, 2021
Gardeners worldwide and throughout time have bemoaned weeds. In Florida, we get to enjoy weeds all year long! Our February Gardening in the Panhandle (GIP) Live episode focused on weeds and weed control. Many homeowners are interested in ways to control weeds and...
Bay Laurel: An Attractive Culinary Addition for Your Landscape
Escambia County Master Gardener Volunteer Carol Perryman shares information for you to consider growing your own Bay laurel tree. Laurus nobilis, commonly known as bay laurel, is an aromatic tree native to the western Mediterranean and it yields the bay leaves used in...
Avoid Firewood Pests
Your firewood pile could be “bugged.” Many insects like to overwinter in wood. A wood pile is an ideal place for some insects to survive the winter. They don’t know that you intend to bring their winter home indoors during cold weather. During colder weather, you can...
Leon County’s Spring 2021 Seed Library Program Starts February 13
Leon County’s Spring 2021 Seed Library Program Starts February 13 Although we are still experiencing the coolness of winter, the spring gardening season is right around the corner. To get a head start on the heat that will start taking over by May – and certainly by...
Upgrade Your Gardening with Quality Pruners!
There is an old saying that rings true in pretty much any situation – “You get what you pay for.” Gardening tools, especially pruners, are no exception. We’ve all been there, fumbling around with a pair of rusty, dull, cheap garden pruners that just barely get the...
Soil has Many Names, Just Not the “D-word”
For all my years in the classroom, I never let students say the "d-word" when discussing soil science. In some instances, we had a "d-word" swear collection jar of a quarter when you used the term and even today, I hesitate from spelling the word out in text due to...
Video: Growing and Preparing Horseradish
Grow your own horseradish in your home garden. You can then harvest roots to make a delicious, spicy sauce for your favorite dish. Learn outdoor care and kitchen prep with UF IFAS Extension Escambia County. #gardentotable #homegrown #homegardening...
Bald Cypress: The Most Adaptable Tree for Panhandle Landscapes
Lately, to survive in Panhandle landscapes, plants must be able to tolerate extremes. Summertime temperatures over 100 degrees F, hurricane force winds up to 150 mph, deluges of 1’ of rain in a single day, spring and fall month-long droughts, and the wild winter...