If you are looking for a low maintenance plant that has attractive foliage and flowers and attracts wildlife, consider planting fennel. Fennel was planted in the pollinator garden at the Extension office in Bay County as a butterfly host plant for swallowtail butterflies in 2014 and has been a showstopper ever since. Fennel is a short-lived evergreen perennial that will reseed in the garden, but it is easy to remove plants if you get too many. It performs well in full sun to light shade and is quite drought tolerant once established.
The fernlike foliage has a delicate texture that contrasts with most landscape plants. Large umbels of tiny yellow flowers reach for the sky each spring and attract lots of pollinators and butterflies to the garden. Fennel is a culinary herb and leaves, flowers, and seeds can be used to season dishes with the mildly licorice flavor.
Fennel can reach 6 feet tall when in full bloom. J_McConnell UF/IFASFennel is a host plant of Eastern black swallowtail caterpillar. J_McConnell UF/IFASHoney bee visiting fennel flowers. J_McConnell UF/IFASBronze fennel foliage is a grayish purple. J_McConnell UF/IFASFennel foliage has a very fine, delicate texture. J_McConnell UF/IFAS
Now that we are moving into warmer soil temperatures, weak areas in lawns will have a better chance of making some recovery. However, this is highly dependent on whether or not correct lawn maintenance practices are followed. These practices include fertilizing, mowing and watering correctly.
Warmer soil and correct care help improve weak lawns
Many North Florida lawns came out of winter weak and thinning this spring. In areas of the lawn where there is at least sixty percent cover of the desirable type of lawn grass, recovery is possible. But where there is less than sixty percent desirable cover, reestablishment should be considered.
Applying the correct type and amount of fertilizer will promote lawn recovery. To maintain a healthy Florida lawn, it’s critical to use a fertilizer with adequate potassium. In most cases, use a lawn fertilizer with equal amounts of nitrogen (first number) and potassium (third number) such as 8-0-8, 10-0-10, 15-2-15 or similar analysis. Phosphorus (second number) should be low or zero unless you have the results of a reliable soil test indicating that more phosphorus is needed. Err on the side of being light handed when applying fertilizer to the lawn. In North Florida, most lawns will do just fine with an application in spring no earlier than mid-April and a second application in summer no later than mid-September.
Follow these mowing practices for a healthy lawn.
Never remove more than 1/3 of the leaf blade height at any one time.
Here’s the recommended mowing height in inches for each lawn grass: bahia – 3 to 4; centipede – 1.5 to 2; standard St. Augustine cultivars – 3 to 4; dwarf St. Augustine cultivars (Captiva and Seville) – 2 to 3; zoysia cultivars suitable for home lawns- 2 to 2.5; bermuda – .5 to 1.5.
Keep mower blades sharp.
Follow these irrigation practices for a deeper rooted and drought tolerant lawn.
Turn your automatic sprinkler system off and learn to operate it manually on an as-needed basis. Your lawn needs water when leaf blades start to fold in half lengthwise or when footprints remain visible in the lawn long after being made. Irrigate when at least 30% of the lawn shows these signs of water need.
Apply ½ – ¾ inch of water when you do irrigate. Place empty, straight-sided cans in the area being irrigated to see how long it takes to reach this amount.
Irrigate during early morning for more efficient water use and to minimize lawn diseases.
Here is a link to a UF/IFAS Extension publication on Best Management Practices for a Florida lawn. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep236
Like finding buried treasure on a desert island, walking up on a mound of sandhill milkweed (Asclepias humistrata) may elicit cries of excitement from someone who understands what they’re seeing. And not unlike searching for pirate booty, there’s a bit of danger involved, too—milkweed is highly toxic.
The eye-catching pink coloration of the leaves, stems, and complex flowers make this variety of milkweed stand out among the dunes. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
Last month in the dunes of Perdido Key, our Master Naturalist class found robust clusters of eye-catching, pink-tinged leaves, blooms, and buds of sandhill milkweed. Also known as pinewoods milkweed, this variety thrives in dry, sandy soils. It is native to the southeast, found typically in the wilds of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Its genus name, “Asclepias” refers to the Greek god of healing—indigenous people have used the plant for medicinal purposes (dysentery treatment and wart removal, in particular) for centuries. The species name humistrata means “spreading,” which describes the growth habit of the plant. Milkweed is highly toxic, so we do not recommend trying any medicinal uses at home! The “milk” part of the common name refers to its sap, which is a thick, sticky, white substance containing that toxic chemical.
The seedpods of sandhill milkweed are large and full of seeds with wispy fibers that allow them to float through the air for dispersal. Photo credit: Gabriel Campbell, UF/IFAS
As the only food source for the monarch caterpillar, healthy milkweed plants are crucial for maintaining populations of the famous monarch butterfly. The plant itself is rather complex and beautiful. Its five-petaled blooms grow in tight clusters, on stalks sticking several inches off the ground. The leaves are broad and a deep forest green, edged in the pale maroon/pink of the stems and flowers. The seedpods of milkweed are quite large (3-6” long), resembling pea pods and full of seeds. Each seed has a wispy white fiber attached, which helps it disperse in the wind like a dandelion. The fibers have been used for years as stuffing for pillows and mattresses, and were used for life jackets during World War 2.
Numerous monarch caterpillars feed on a sandhill milkweed plant. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
The first cluster of milkweed we found was host to multiple monarch caterpillars, recognizable by their greenish-yellow, white, and black stripes. By the time you see caterpillars, the milkweed is already working its magic, transferring its toxins to the insects but causing them no harm. Monarchs have evolved the capability to digest and metabolize this poison, which would induce heart attacks in nearly any vertebrate animal. Adult monarchs use several nectar sources, including milkweed flowers, and females lay their eggs on the plant so that their young can begin eating once hatched.
In the animal kingdom, red and orange are signs of danger. The bright orange coloration of an adult monarch butterfly serves as a warning to would-be predators to exhibit caution, as the toxins from their food sources stay within the butterfly’s body. The copycat viceroy, soldier, queen, and Gulf fritillary butterflies benefit from this trait by using mimicry in their own orange coloration to ward off predators.
Syrphid larva and oleander aphids. Photo credit: Lyle Buss, University of Florida.
When we think of pests we tend to focus mainly on insects. Insects make up roughly 80% of animal life, however only about one percent of insects are considered pests. The rest help pollinate crops, kill pests, clean up dead stuff, and make honey. Unfortunately, plants suffer from many more types of pests such as weeds, disease, and us. This episode of “Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE!” was all about managing pests.
Many soft-bodied insect pests can be controlled with insecticidal soap. Many insecticidal soaps are on the market that can help control pests like aphids and whiteflies. However, dish soaps are manufactured for cleaning dishes and not labeled for pest control. More information on insecticidal soaps can be found in the publication “Managing Plant Pests with Soaps”.
Although dish soap isn’t a good option for insect control, there are some things from around the house that can be used to help manage pests. The publication “Do-It-Yourself Insect Pest Traps” offers some excellent options for monitoring and managing pests with traps.
Florida is home to a plethora of insect pests. The Ask IFAS website has many articles on insect pests common in the garden.
Companion planting is the practice of planting two or more plant species close to each other to improve growth and/or pest control of one or more of the species. The article “Companion Planting: What is it?” offers some great recommendations and examples of this technique. Marigolds are an excellent companion plant because they can help deter and suppress nematode populations.
Some people prefer to only use naturally derived products for pest control. The publication “Natural Products for Landscape and Garden Pests in Florida” extensively reviews some of these products. Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) is a bacteria found in soil that can be used for caterpillar pest control.
We love our squash, cucumbers, and watermelons in the South, however there are a number of insects that like to eat them too. More information on cucurbit insect pests and their management can be found in the publication “Insect Management for Cucurbits”.
Armyworms like to feed on just about everything. The Ask IFAS website has a nice collection of publications on all types of armyworms.
Some fungi are fun to eat while others kill our landscape plants. One common fungal disease found in the landscape is Entomosporium leaf spot. This disease is very common on Indian hawthorns. The article “Keep an Eye on Your Indian Hawthorn” describes this disease and it’s control.
Aphids are a very common insect pest. In fact, some plant species have specific aphids. More information on different aphid species and their control can be found in the publication “Aphids on Landscape Plants”.
A plant in the wrong place is considered a weed. Some plants are particularly good at finding the wrong place and can take over our lawns. The publication “Weed Management Guide for Florida Lawns” offers solutions on controlling common lawn weeds.
Cockroaches do a nice job cleaning up litter when they’re outside, but we don’t need want them in our houses whether they’re cleaning up trash or not. The publication “Cockroaches and Their Management” is a great resource for cockroach species identification and management.
As previously mentioned, there are a lot more good insects than bad insects. For more information on predatory insects and biological controls check out the publication “Natural Enemies and Biological Control”.
Nature is fascinating and most people are lifetime learners. To help find out what you’re looking at, give the iNaturalist website and app a try.
Armadillos don’t mean any harm and can be kind of cute. However, they can make a mess of our yard and they build their dens in some undesirable locations. The publication “The Nine-Banded Armadillo” provides information on armadillos and their management.
Fire ants are pests of our lawns and pastures and their sting is brutal. For more information on fire ants please refer to the publication “Managing Imported Fire Ants in Urban Areas”.
Pests can be pesky, but they are manageable if you keep up with the art and science of their control. If you need help with identification and pest management options please don’t hesitate to contact your local Extension Office.
Past episodes of Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE can be found on our YouTube playlist.
Hurricane Season starts June 1 so we are are revisiting a video that discusses tree issues and property lines. There are often questions about who is responsible when storm-damaged trees end up on a neighbor’s property. UF IFAS Escambia County Extension discusses a few common situations using legal interpretations from the UF publication HANDBOOK OF FLORIDA FENCE AND PROPERTY LAW: TREES AND LANDOWNER RESPONSIBILITY.
