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GIP Live Foodscaping: Questions and Answers

GIP Live Foodscaping: Questions and Answers

by | Apr 3, 2025

The Northwest District Agents discussed foodscaping by answering questions submitted by program participants. Included are the panelist’s answers along with supporting publications for the questions.  You may view the session on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEMXmaZqRTU

  • Suggestions for only 4-6 hours of sunlight in an oak tree hammock.
    Bell peppers can grow in some shade in containers or in the ground. Leafy lettuces for the cooler months.
    Publication: Peppers in the Shade, https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS368
  • What is the best citrus for North Florida?
    Satsuma would be a cold hardy selection with delicious fruit. Owari and Brown Select grow well in Panhandle. Tangerine and Meyer lemon is intermediate in cold hardiness. Start fruit in about a year but remove those early to but energy into the tree.  Look for harvesting fruit in about 3-5 years.  Look at our citrus publication for citrus fertilization with a fertilizer that contains zinc and iron.
    Soil test to match plants with the right locations.
    Publication: The Satsuma Mandarin, https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/CH116
  • What fruit trees can I grow?
    Choose a variety adapted to our area. Peaches, pears, plums, some citrus, Pineapple guava, Loquat. Choose ones with chill hours for our area. Look at Auburn and Georgia selections rather than Florida selections which are more adapted to central and south Florida.
    Publication:  Dooryard Fruit Varieties, https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/MG248
  • What about companion planting?
    One plant will benefit another – attracts beneficials, provides chemicals for a purpose. Use a trap crop that attracts insects to catch them before they move to your desirable fruit.
    Marigolds is an example of use around some edibles to reduce nematodes.
    Publication: Companion Planting, What is It? https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/hort/2023/02/21/companion-planting-what-is-it/

 

  • I need to add soil to my native/food garden. What are considerations?
    Sandy soils may need some amendments. Compost should be mixed in and not grow straight in compost. Maybe add ½ inch.
    Soil test first so you don’t add too much nitrogen through amendments.
    Publication: Soils and Fertilizers, https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/lawn-and-garden/soil-and-fertilizer/

 

  • I have 3-4 blueberry bushes and they are 2-4 years old and haven’t fruited. What is wrong?
    Know the cultivar so you are sure they have a cross pollinator.  Need the right conditions too.  Blueberries set in the fall so if fall pruning, you may have cut off flowering structures. Soil pH is critical. Blueberries like acidic soil and they will struggle in higher pH soils.
    Publication: Blueberry Gardener’s Guide, https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/MG359
  • How do I grow lavender in the landscape?
    Lavender likes low humidity and drier conditions.  Soil should be well drained and plants need good air circulation.  Maybe try Phenomenal lavender.  Grow in a pot that is very well drained and don’t amend soil when planting in the ground. Prune as needed to open up plant.
    Publication: Lavender, https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FP337
  • Which apple trees grow best in North Florida?
    You can grow a tree but it does not produce well due to lack of proper chill hours. Try the Shell apple which is more adapted to north parts of the counties.
    Our area may get 500-600 hours of chill generally.
    Publication: Dooryard Fruit, https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/MG248
  • What about edibles near saltwater?
    Many edibles won’t like saltwater intrusion.  Cowpeas, black eyed peas are the most salt tolerant. Some of the cuburbits (squash, pumpkin, zucchini, gourds) can tolerate some salt.
    Grow some plants in a protected area or in containers.  Consider some of the shrubby edibles that match the pH at the coastal sites.
    Publication: Soil Salinity and Vegetables, https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/media/sfylifasufledu/miami-dade/documents/disaster-preparation/post-hurricane-and-disaster/Soilsalinityinfodraft.pdf
  • How to protect plant from insects without pesticides, including squirrels?
    Reduce stressed by planting in the right spot and providing care.  You will also have many diverse plantings in a foodscape to allow beneficial to help manage pest. Monitoring the garden is very important to catch problems early and physically remove.  Consider safer options when pesticides are needed that are labeled for food crops.
    Might use some screening for small mammals and fencing for large animals. Motion activated sprinklers and scare devices such as ribbon, foils.  Chemical repellents that contain capsaicin.
    Publication: Natural Products for Pest Control, https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN197
  • Publication: Deterrents for Nuisance Wildlife, https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/UW371

 

  • What are the most common vegetables for small spaces?
    Some plants will need at least 12 inches of depth such as tomatoes.  Lots for winter edibles do well in small spaces and containers. Consider a patio version of the plant.  There are small selections of Pineapple guava and Pomegranate although they may produce smaller fruit.
  • How easy is it to grow in containers?
    You can grow in the ground with good soil and if you can work with plants on the ground.
    Containers allow you to create the right soil environment easy.  You do have to manage water carefully as the heat builds up.
    Publication: Growing Vegetables in Containers, https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/vegetables/growing-vegetables-in-containers/
  • What are the best tomatoes for the area?
    Determinate and cherry will perform a little better.  Choose early or mid producing plants to get fruit
    Panelist’s favorites are:
    Everglades and Sungold, Early Girl, Cherokee Purple is an heirloom
  • What edibles can handle full sun?
    Most fruit plants like sun since they are needing lots of energy.  Water must be available when rainfall is lacking.
  • Three fruit trees have not produced in 3 years. What do we need to do?
    We really need to know what they are first.  Do they need a plant for cross pollination? Are they flowering but not fruiting? How are they planted? Deep planting will cause a plant to struggle.  Contact your Agent for more help.
  • Will glyphosate residues from a fall application carry over to spring?
    Chemicals are regulated extensively so follow the label directions for safety. There should not be residue issues with this pesticide.
    Try to manage weeds with other techniques like mulches, handpulling, directed watering, soil solarization, etc.
    Publication: Use of Glyphosate and Herbicide Alternatives for Weed Control in Florida Landscape Planting Beds, https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ep580
  • What are some native plants for foodscaping?
    Blueberries, blackberries, Chickasaw plum, pecans, persimmons, Maypop, Mulberry.
    Use native plants to attract animals such as beautyberry.
  • Where can we find compost?
    Cotton gin to get cotton gin trash will need to be composted first. Manure from equestrian centers or zoos.  Make sure it is composted too.
    Peanut processing facility.
    Escambia County has bloom compost from ECUA.
  • Note: Amended soil with compost can be flammable. Ash can benefit garden if needed. Test soil pH first so you don’t add too much.

 

 

Bay Laurel: An Attractive Culinary Addition for Your Landscape

Bay Laurel: An Attractive Culinary Addition for Your Landscape

by | Feb 11, 2021

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 cooking. Mature leaves are leathery and dark green. Most are 3 to 4 inches in length with minute margin serrations. Small, inconspicuous yellowish-white blooms may appear in summer followed by a tiny fruit which turns black as it dries. Bay laurel is salt tolerant and can be grown on barrier islands.

Dark green bay leaves. Photo by Beth Bolles, UF IFAS Extension Escambia County.

The bay laurel tree is called daphne in Greece. Greek mythology says that Apollo, the sun god, fell in love with the nymph Daphne. Her father took action and turned her into a laurel tree. To remember Daphne, Apollo wore a laurel wreath and the tree came to represent honor and glory. Greek and Roman heroes and scholars were crowned with laurel wreaths. The earliest Olympic champions in 776 BC wore garlands of fragrant bay leaves. The tree was considered good luck, but the death of a bay tree was considered an omen of things to come.

Bay laurels are slow-growing and show variation in growth habits. Most have a dense and shrubby appearance with multiple shoots from the base while some have a single trunk. Under ideal conditions, planted in the ground, the bay tree can reach 25 feet or higher, but most commonly grow to about 6 feet. In our zone, 8B, bay laurels can grow in the ground if planted in a sunny southern or eastern exposure location near a wall or building for cold protection.

Bay laurel plants like well-drained, rich soil. If the bed is properly prepared, additional fertilizer is rarely needed. Bay laurels will survive light frosts and the infrequent hard freeze if it is not for a prolonged period. More mature trees can also freeze to the ground and come back from the rootstock. Young trees should be protected from cold stress for several years until they are at least a foot tall before planting in the ground.

Sweet Bay Tree

A bay laurel trained as a tree. Photo Credit: Karen Russ, Clemson University Extension

Bay laurels can also be grown indoors in containers in areas with strong natural lighting. Clay or wooden containers with many drainage holes are preferred. Plants should be fertilized regularly with complete fertilizer. In the summer, time-release fertilizer works best due to frequent watering. However, fertilizers too high in nitrogen will produce lush foliage with little flavor.

Bay laurel is a favored container-grown street plant in Europe. It has historically been found in gardens as a tree, a hedge, a topiary, or a focal point in an herb garden. Bay trees are only now gaining popularity in the United States. It was awarded the herb of the year in 2009.

Bay laurel has a reputation of being frustrating and difficult to propagate which results in very high prices for starter plants. To propagate use semi-hard wood cuttings and snap from branches rather than clipping. Strip the lower leaves and dip cutting in a rooting hormone. Stick in small pots filled with a fine-textured medium. If a knob forms at the end in a few weeks, then roots may form within a few weeks to several months. In recent years, plants have been more readily available in nurseries and even at large box stores.

Bay laurel is one of the primary culinary herbs in the garden. The culinary history has been documented for thousands of years. The leaves are treasured and used in many cuisines. Fresh leaves are tough but dried leaves are hard and brittle. Leaves are added at the beginning of cooking. Both fresh or dried are usually removed after cooking before food is served to prevent the risk of choking. Much is said about fresh versus dried bay leaves. I usually use fresh leaves because I have them available. I think they have a wonderful flavor. I use equal amounts of fresh or dried. Soft fresh leaves (petioles and midribs removed) are great chopped in salad dressings. Chopped leaves are also good in butters and cheeses with other herbs. Cajun cuisines use bay leaves to flavor rice and seafood. Bay is a primary element of bouquet garni, a bouquet of herbs, used in French cuisine. Bay goes in meats, soups, stews, vegetables, pasta, potatoes, and sometimes in custards and dessert sauces. Like parsley and marjoram, bay laurel is called a “liaison” herb which helps contrasting herb flavors blend rather than fight each other.

There are many plants that look like and smell like the bay laurel. Red bay, Persea borbonia, is native throughout our region and a substitute for bay laurel. Red bay is best used fresh. Its fragrance and flavor dissipate quickly if dried. This is one of the only substitutes. Others are poisonous or have little to no flavor. Madalene Hill and Gwen Barclay, authors of Southern Herb Growing, wrote, “A word to the wise: Be wary of collecting and using any wild plant as flavoring or food unless you’re absolutely sure of its safety. Just because a plant is called some type of bay or laurel does not mean it is edible.” Some are highly poisonous.

If you enjoy good food, you have enjoyed bay laurel, Laurus nobilis, whether you knew it or not. It’s time to grow your own beautiful and fragrant bay laurel tree. This will be a wonderful addition to your garden and to your kitchen.

 

Video: Growing and Preparing Horseradish

Video: Growing and Preparing Horseradish

by | Jan 22, 2021

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

Video: Getting Started with Cilantro

Video: Getting Started with Cilantro

by | Dec 4, 2020

Cilantro is an herb that grows well in the cooler months of North Florida gardening. Beth Bolles will share how to grow and use cilantro in the latest Garden to Table feature from UF IFAS Extension Escambia County.