by Daniel J. Leonard | Mar 6, 2025
Red Maple in flower. Photo courtesy of Carrie Stevenson.
A month ago, when the Panhandle was covered in snow, it would have been hard to imagine that spring was just around the corner. But warm spring weather has arrived, and with it, the first of our native trees to bloom each year – the venerable Red Maple (Acer rubrum). Reliably heralding spring in Northwest Florida each February, Red Maples adorn our roadsides and low-lying natural areas with brilliant red blooms. Spotting a Red Maple blooming amongst the otherwise drab landscape means winter is on its way out and spring has sprung – or will shortly.
Beyond the blooms, Red Maple has much to offer as a landscape tree. For one, it is unbelievably adaptable. Across its native range – one of the most expansive of any species in the US, occurring naturally from Maine all the way down to the Everglades,* the tree can handle soils that range from periodically inundated along streams and other wet areas to more well-drained upland sites. Adding to its adaptability, in the Panhandle, Red Maple typically tops out around 40’ in height and around 20’ wide with a spreading vase shape, rarely growing out of scale with most landscapes.
*Since Red Maple occurs over a huge area of the US, it’s important to purchase seedlings or named varieties that hail from areas with like climate conditions to the Panhandle. Avoid varieties from northern states for best performance.
Red Maple is one of the few shade trees that has true four-season interest in our area. We’ve already talked about its spring flowers, but it also has attractive deep green foliage in the summer (some selections, like ‘Summer Red’ are even known for reddish purple new growth), famous fall color (though it is more muted in Florida than locales farther north), and unique ridged light gray bark in the winter. The seeds of Red Maple are even pretty. These two-winged seed structures, called a samara, follow the spring flower show, appear pinkish red, and are a favorite of squirrels and other critters.
Red Maple samaras. Photo courtesy of Daniel Leonard.
Red Maple is a quick growing, low maintenance tree as well. If planted correctly and properly cared for, the species can grow several feet per year in its youth. Site the tree in a moist site that receives full sun, plant slightly higher than the soil level of the container the tree was purchased in to compensate for soil settling post-planting, and water regularly until established. After establishment, periodic fertilizing with a balanced fertilizer will help ensure Red Maple’s nutritional needs are met and maximum growth achieved.
If you’ve been looking for a medium-sized, native, flowering shade tree with four-season interest, Red Maple may be just the tree for your landscape. Plant one today! For more information on Red Maple, other recommended landscape plants, or any other horticultural topic, contact your local UF/IFAS Extension office.
by Joshua Criss | Mar 6, 2025
Ah, springtime is approaching quickly. You and I both know you’re getting anxious to get out into your gardens to grow your plants. I’m not faulting you, far from it. You’ll find that your local Extension agents want your garden to succeed as much as you do. Because we all want you to have a bountiful harvest, we need to have a conversation about fertility in your lawns and gardens.
Definitions
Before we get too deep into this topic, let’s define nutrition. You may hear some refer to fertilizers as “plant food.” While this is a common phrase concerning fertilizers, it is not factually accurate. Food is associated with energy creation within an organism. Plants are autotrophs, meaning they convert sunlight into energy. So, under this premise, sunlight is plant food, whereas plant nutrition is the building blocks of tissues or catalysts of metabolic processes.
The 17 elements designated as plant essential nutrients are categorized based on the quantity needed for healthy growth. All are important to have in your soil; as per the “Law of the Minimum,” your plant’s development will be limited based on the most deficient element.
UF/IFAS Photo
Macros
Those elements with the largest demand within the plant are known as macronutrients. The three most critical of these are very often absent in fertilizer conversations as they cannot be added to soil in granule form. These are carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, and their presence in your garden results from your cultural practices. You get them from air and water in the pore spaces of your soil. Appropriate tillage and irrigation are the only ways to provide these elements to your plants. They are critical for proper photosynthesis and fluid balance in the plant.
The most discussed elements are so vital that they make up the three numbers on every bag of fertilizer. These are nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K), all of which may be added to soil to overcome deficiencies (N often being the limiting factor). These elements are crucial for protein creation, photosynthesis, and fluid movement.
Secondary Nutrition
UF/IFAS Photo: J. Criss
The next set of nutrients have less demand than NPK. They are sulfur (S), magnesium (Mg), and calcium (Ca). Ca is essential for cell structure but is often abundant in our soils. S is frequently rained out of the atmosphere (though you may still need to add some) and facilitates enzymatic processes in plant cells. Mg needs the most attention in this category as it has a lot of mythology among gardeners. You’ve likely heard you should add this element to “green up” your plants. While it is true that Mg is critical to chlorophyll, adding it without testing for deficiencies first is a recipe for poor plant growth.
Micros
Our final category of fertilizer is micronutrients. These are iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), boron (B), chlorine (Cl), zinc (Z), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), and nickel (Ni). These serve various functions in the plant, mainly in metabolic processes.
To Sum Up
Plant fertilization is critical for lawns and gardens. It behooves gardeners to understand these elements and their role in plant growth. Once you do, you’ll understand the importance of applying the correct version of the element in the proper amount at a time and location to maximize use efficiency. You can learn more about what they do and how they react in the soil here. For more information, contact your local extension office.
by Donna Arnold | Feb 27, 2025
Extension agents occasionally receive calls about “alien” bug sightings, sparking concern among residents. One such insect, Gonatista grisea, commonly known as the Grizzled Mantis, Florida bark Mantis or Lichen Mimic mantis, often raises alarm. But there’s no need to panic—this mantis is a fascinating and harmless part of our ecosystem.
Photo Credit: Vincent Moore, Sweet Magnolia Ridge.
The Grizzled Mantis is native to the United States, ranging from southern Florida to Georgia and South Carolina, and is also found in Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Cuba. Adults are relatively small, with males measuring 36–38 mm and females slightly larger at 37–40 mm. Their grayish-green coloration and mottled dark markings provide excellent camouflage, allowing them to blend seamlessly into their surroundings, such as lichen-covered bark. They are characterized by triangular heads and large eyes, perfect for their ambush hunting style.
Quick and agile, Grizzled Mantids scuttle rapidly away from perceived threats. They exclusively prey on arthropods, adopting a head-down ambush position while resting on tree bark. Their preferred plants include sea grape, gumbo limbo, water oak, and magnolia, though they are not limited to these species.
Interestingly, mantids are gaining popularity as low-maintenance pets. Some enthusiasts collect egg cases or purchase late-stage nymphs. However, keep in mind that newly hatched mantids require ample food or separation, as they can become cannibalistic if resources are scarce.
Whether in the wild or as pets, the Grizzled Mantis is a unique and beneficial insect, playing a role in controlling arthropod populations. So, the next time you spot one, there’s no need for fear—just appreciation for this remarkable creature!
For more information, contact your local Extension Office or click on the link Grizzled mantid – Gonatista grisea.
by Mark Tancig | Feb 27, 2025
It’s almost March and it’s not just March Madness that’s about to happen, but No Mow March. This year will be the third year that the Horticulture Extension Agents of the UF/IFAS Northwest District have promoted No Mow March. The No Mow March campaign encourages those with lawns to leave some late winter/early spring wildflowers to benefit wildlife.
A Barred Yellow butterfly visit a violet, one of our late winter wildflowers that can be found in your lawn. Credit: Steve Coleman.
If you don’t think you’re ready to skip mowing the whole lawn for the whole month of March, then maybe you could try a small piece and hold off as long as you can. The point is to get you thinking of how your lawn, usually not considered an inviting place for most wildlife, can actually provide valuable ecosystem services. Many pollinator species in our area are emerging from their winter break and looking for food as we move into March. Plants in your lawn that are typically considered “weeds” are perfect pollinator feeders at a time when other landscape plants have yet to begin flowering. Providing extra floral resources can be especially useful in more developed areas where well-kept landscapes reduce what’s available for pollinators. Since the health and abundance of insect pollinators contribute to the ability of higher organisms, especially birds, if there’s more insects, then there’s more food for the birds, too!
While you’re not mowing, try observing the wild plants and animals that visit your lawn. You can get help identifying them by using apps like iNaturalist or Seek. You could also spend some time ripping out part of the lawn and planting a new flower bed of native plants. Or you can focus on identifying any invasive plant species in your landscape and work on removing them.
Instead of mowing, take a walk in the wildflowers during March. Credit: Taking a Walk near Argenteuil by Claude Monet.
The Horticulture Extension Agents of the UF/IFAS Extension Northwest District have put together a No Mow March website with more information, including a list of related workshops and classes, as well as a pledge you can take to affirm your choice to participate.
by Sheila Dunning | Feb 19, 2025
As the temperatures warm into the 60’s (or greater) and the rain chance remains good, keep an eye open for disease in your lawn. Large patch disease is common in turfgrass this time of the year. It is caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani. The fungus is present in the soil and thatch layer year-round. When the temperatures rise into the 60’s and 70’s it begins to spread. Large patch thrives under these conditions, especially when the soil is wet. With frequent showers the disease spreads quickly. The first symptom of large patch is circular, discolored areas within the lawn. The outer borders of the patches are orange to yellowish in color. In the center of the circle there are grass blades trying to green up again. They are usually unsuccessful, resulting in odd-shaped patches of dying grass that begin to connect to each other.
Picture from UF publication
A simple field diagnostic techniques to confirm large patch disease is to pull on the diseased grass shoots near the edge of the circle. The blades will come loose from the stolon easily. At the base of the leaves the stem and sheaths will appear dark brown and rotten. Yes, it is large patch.
Photo from UF publication
If the weather gets colder or hotter very quickly, the disease will go back into dormancy. Looking at the long-range temperature predictions, the rest of February will be going up and down. Remember, the groundhog said six more weeks of winter. So, start looking for a fungicide or two or contact your pest control service. However, remember fungicides don’t cure existing problems. They are utilized as a protectant for the unaffected portions of the grass. When favorable conditions are present, the turf should be sprayed in order to keep the fungus from penetrating the grass blades. Repeat applications will be needed for as long as the weather is cool and wet. Check the product label for the correct intervals. Several cultural practices promote large patch infection including over-fertilization, over-irrigation, low mowing height, poor drainage and excess thatch. This spring, after the grass has greened-up on its own, is a good time to look at these factors and make corrections. Keep a close eye because as soon as the temperatures drop again in the fall, large patch can reappear if the corrections were not complete. For more information: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/lh044
