Nature has a way of making life as easy as possible, but it will not happen fast, so planning is critical to success. One means is by putting some plants (trap crops) which attract beneficial and/or destructive insects. Insects are one of the main challenges in growing a vegetable garden. Warm weather and high humidity…Read more
Category: Main Stories
It Takes a Good Plan to Take on These Lawn Invaders
The grassy like leaves emerge green and ready to soak up the spring sun. Unfortunately, not all are the turf preferred for home lawns. Purple nutsedge, Cyperus rotundus, grows from every possible sunny location with soil capable of supporting the plant. This non-native pest is a rapidly spreading perennial which will take every opportunity to…Read more
An Exotic Species That Is Here for a Very Good Reason
Sometimes surprises can puzzle and perplex, and yet be pleasant. Finding a twenty-dollar bill in a parking lot, for example, would certainly be a positive experience. The occurrence would likely be tinged with pity for the person who lost it, though. Even if they were totally careless with their financial resources, the discovery would make…Read more
April Showers Bring Out More Than Flowers
The recent showers have been a welcome relief after a few weeks without the critical liquid from above. Irrigation and sprinklers can produce a bountiful vegetable garden, healthy shrubs and a lovely green lawn, but generous rains do it so much better and at a lower cost. April is an ideal time to plant many…Read more
A Healthy Staple Through the Ages
The seasonal temperatures have moved panhandle Florida’s vegetable gardens from winter to the spring phase. Still, the unusually cool March has made it possible for a few winter holdouts to remain for early April 2023. While many of winter’s leafy vegetables are responding to the longer days by bolting, sending up flower spikes, a few…Read more
The Importance of Tree Liability Awareness
On June 1st, Atlantic hurricane season officially begins and lasts until November 30th. This six-month period places coastal zone residents, as well as many entire states, at an increased risk of tree liability potential. When a healthy tree fails structurally in a storm, insurance will pay for damage caused by it, less any deductible. Generally,…Read more
An Exotic Species That Fits Right In
The polychromatic displays of Spring 2023 are located high and low, in residential and rural areas and seemingly without end. The blooms foretell the likelihood of the next generation of plants, but they are also an essential resource for insects in the spring. A grouping of insects commonly known as pollinators is currently busy collecting…Read more
Ancient Stars of the Sea
With the return of warmer weather, the focus of outdoor activities is shifting to pursuits where the partakers can maintain a personally comfortable temperature. So logically this means taking advantage of the local water resources. Panhandle Florida has a wealth of aquatic assets which can be enjoyed all year long, but spring and summer provide…Read more
A Tiny Pest With a Big Appetite
As contrite and well-worn as the statement is, springtime is truly the season of renewal and rebirth. The warming temperatures and ample rain have grass growing, birds singing, and shrubs blooming. Most area residents are leaving their homes and returning to the outside activities which make panhandle Florida so attractive to citizens and visitors alike….Read more
Cold Hardy Citrus in North Florida
Citrus has long been associated with Florida. A popular advertising slogan of the 1970s from the Florida Citrus Commission invited people to “come to the Florida sunshine tree…” because “breakfast without orange juice is like a day without sunshine.” The Florida citrus industry began in the northeastern region of the state along the St. Johns…Read more