Gardening In The Panhandle

Protect New Vegetable Transplants

 

Protecting new vegetable transplants in the garden can be very challenging for most gardeners.

Continue below for a few tips that will make transplanting vegetables more successful:

 

  • Create A Collar: A collar can be made from a bottomless plastic cup or a waxed cardboard carton to protect transplant from cutworms. The collar should extend one inch above and below the surface of the ground.
  • Row covers can be placed at planting to keep insects out. Remember to leave plenty of excess material for the growing vegetable plants. Remove the row cover when plants that need bees for pollination begin to flower.
  • Make sure to plants stay in a continuously growing state and in a state of good health by supplying appropriate amounts of water and fertilizer. A healthy plant is more than likely going to survive an insect attack than a sick plant. However, too much fertilizer can cause plants to be more inviting to aphids and whiteflies.
  • Monitor or scout the garden twice weekly for pest problems. This means inspecting the vegetable plants from both the upper and lower foliage to the soil level. It is best to keep a record book on pest problems and the performance of different varieties.  Also include photographs of insects, diseases and beneficial insects. Be sure to correctly identify the insects. 
  • The ability to identify beneficial insects of the garden is important (praying mantis, spiders, big-eyed bugs/assassin bugs, lady beetles, and all wasps).  Plant flowers in the vegetable garden that provides nectar and pollen which will attract beneficial insects.
  • Most large insects like caterpillars can be removed by hand and destroyed.
  • Watch for disease symptoms early and remove any diseased leaves or plants to the prevent problem from spreading. Most plants that produce fruits, pods, or ears can stand up to 20 percent loss of leaves without loss of potential yields. Do not panic and start spraying at the first sign of leaf feeding or a sick looking plant. Call or visit your local University of Florida Extension Service for recommendations on controlling any vegetable insect or disease problem.
Image Credit Eddie Powell

Image Credit Eddie Powell

 

Image Credit Eddie Powell

Image Credit Eddie Powell

 By Eddie Powell

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Author: pep5 – pep5@ufl.edu

pep5

Permanent link to this article: http://bay.ifas.ufl.edu/newsletters/2013/05/20/protect-new-vegetable-transplants/

Scale: A Major Pest of the Home Landscape and Garden

 

Adult Scale - Image Courtesy Lyle Buss

Adult Scale – Image Courtesy Lyle Buss

Many different species of scale insect infect citrus in North Florida, and mid spring is usually when gardeners notice them on their fruit trees and ornamental shrubs.  Many different species of scale affect Florida homeowners and cause a host of problems in the garden and landscape. Citrus is particularly prone to scale infestations in North Florida.

The Satsuma Tangerine, Citrus unshiu, is currently a fruit that is highly prized by home gardeners in North Florida. Now is the time to act to prevent heavy scale infestations since weather is warming and control methods cannot be used when daytime temperatures are very hot.  This pest has already been observed at multiple locations throughout the Florida Panhandle in both home gardens and commercial production areas.

Scale often reduces tree vitality by ingesting sap that would otherwise be used by the tree for growth and fruit production.  They may also cause premature fruit drop and defoliation. A secondary pest that may occur as result of Scale is Sooty Mold. Sooty Mold lives off of the surgery secretions of the scale and can cause citrus leaves to look black and eventually drop.

The good news is that Scale is relatively easy to control when managed in winter or early in the spring growing season.  From October through mid-May growers should use Horticultural Oil to control scale, particularly horticultural oil containing petroleum products.  These products deprive scale insects of oxygen. This will smother them, but dead insects will need to be washed off if complete removal is desired.

Cottony Cushion Scale - Image Courtesy Matthew Orwat

Cottony Cushion Scale – Image Courtesy Matthew Orwat

 

Applications should be timed correctly since horticultural oil applications can burn plants once the outdoor temperature reaches 94 ® F. A good rule of thumb is to apply horticultural oil on cool and cloudy days to minimize leaf damage. Always consult the label of each individual product before application and never apply more than the recommended amount. This last statement is especially crucial for horticultural oil applications, since increased rates are highly likely to damage plants. For more information, please consult this UF / IFAS publication on Citrus Scale and the Citrus Pest Management Guide.

Cottony Cushion Scale - Image Courtesy Matthew Orwat

Cottony Cushion Scale – Image Courtesy Matthew Orwat

 

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Author: Matthew Orwat – mjorwat@ufl.edu

Matthew J. Orwat started his career with UF / IFAS in 2011 and is the Horticulture Extension Agent for Washington County Florida. His goal is to provide educational programming to meet the diverse needs of and provide solutions for homeowners and small farmers with ornamental, turf, fruit and vegetable gardening objectives. Please feel free to contact him with any questions you may have.

http://washington.ifas.ufl.edu/lng/about/

Matthew Orwat

Permanent link to this article: http://bay.ifas.ufl.edu/newsletters/2013/05/09/scale-a-major-pest-of-the-home-landscape-and-garden/

Choosing A Lawngrass

 

 

Image Credit: Uf / IFAS

Image Credit: UF / IFAS

A beautiful lawn can add substantial value to a home.  While providing an attractive setting for landscape ornamentals, a good lawn will reduce weed growth and prevent erosion.  Selecting the proper grass for a specific location is a basic key to attaining these goals.

Five lawngrasses are commonly grown in Florida.  Saint Augustine, Bahia, Centipede, Zoyia are most popular, while Carpet is used less often. This article will offer some facts which could assist the home gardener in choosing the best home turf species. 

The most important thing to consider when selecting a lawngrass is the compatibility of that grass with the soil, climate, and growing conditions of a specific area.  For example, along the coast a salt tolerant grass such as Saint Augustine should be planted.  Attempting to grow Centipede or Bahia is asking for trouble.   These grasses might be able to be established  in a coastal location, but only with considerable expenditures of time and money.  Likewise, if grasses are needed for a shaded lawn, plant Saint Augustine or Bahia, not Bermuda, which requires full sun.

After  it is determined which lawngrasses will grow well in a given area, one should be chosen that is able to be managed properly.  No lawngrass is maintenance free, but some types do require more care than others.  For example, Bermuda produces the most beautiful lawns, but only if it’s heavily fertilized, frequently mowed, and kept free of pests and diseases.  If a high level of maintenance cannot be provided, it would be wise to plant a low care grass, such as Bahia, or Centipede.  Saint Augustine is not difficult to maintain, but thatch and chinch bugs are common problems.

The amount of water a particular grass requires is another consideration.  Bahia has excellent drought tolerance Saint Augustine ranks second and Centipede ranks third.

In recent year, dramatic improvements in Zoysia grass have been made by turfgrass breeders.  These improvements include insect resistance, accelerated establishment, and overall performance.  Zoyiagrasses are adapted to a variety of soil types and have good tolerance to shade, salt, and traffic.   They provide and extremely dense sod that resist weed invasion, but certain pest can be problematic.

Out of all Florida Lawngrasses, Bahia is mot resistant to pests.  It’s the best choice for landscapes heavily infested with nematodes.  Saint Augustine also has good nematode tolerance, but chinch bugs are a serious threat to this grass.  While it may be severely damaged by nematodes, Centipede has few other pest problems, providing it is not fertilized to heavily.  Bermuda is plagued by many problems, in fact, it’s particularly impossible to grow this grass without a continuous control program to cope with nematodes, insects, and diseases.

A a number of good lawngrasses grow well in Florida, but each has certain advantages and disadvantages as well as specific cultural requirements.  Area climate, landscape soil type, amount of home site shade and sun, and the degree of traffic by people and pets are important considerations when choosing home lawn truf types. 

Information was provided by J. Bryan Unruh, Associate Center Director and Professor, West Florida Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Science, Jay, Florida.

Also, feel free to contact your local county extension agent or refer to these UF / IFAS publications on trufgrass selection.

For more information on choosing a lawngrass contact the author Roy Lee Carter, County Extension Director - Gulf County Florida, at

639-3200.

 

 

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Author: Roy Carter – rlcarter@ufl.edu

Roy Carter

Permanent link to this article: http://bay.ifas.ufl.edu/newsletters/2013/05/03/choosing-a-lawngrass/

Bigleaf Hydrangea

 

Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas

Bigleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) are familiar faces in the southern shade garden.  Although not originally from North America, they were introduced here over 200 years ago and perform well in the climate of the Florida Panhandle.  Here are some quick tips about Bigleaf Hydranges.

  • Hydrangeas prefer morning sun with afternoon shade or full shade and well-drained, moist soil
  • The form is a mounding shrub that can have varying heights and widths, allow for a mature size on average of 6′ x 6′
  • Hydrangeas have large green leaves that may be glossy or dull and are deciduous unless the winter is very mild
  • There are two main flower types:mophead and lacecap

    Lacecap hydrangea

    Lacecap Hydrangea

  • Mophead flowers are rounded and usually composed of sterile flowers, with a few fertile flowers
  • Lacecap flowers have sterile flowers on the outer edge of the circle, with fertile flowers in the center.  When fertile flowers are fertilized they may turn a different color and the sterile flowers on the outer edge may invert themselves so they appear to be hanging down
  • Flowers may be white, pink, purple, or blue; flower color is influenced by soil conditions and you may see multiple colors on the same plant!

    Penny Mac Hydrangea

    Penny Mac Hydrangea

  • Bigleaf hydrangeas generally bloom on old wood, however, there are some types that will also bloom on new wood and fall into either “free-flowering” or “everblooming” categories.  Free-flowering have flower buds on the tips of branches (old wood) and develop flower buds up and down the stem that flower after terminal (tip) buds flower.  Everblooming hydrangeas form flower buds on the tips of both old wood and new wood and can flower throughout the season.
  • If soils are sandy and infertile, add organic matter before planting
  • Water as needed, especially during establishment phase (typically first year or two).  Expect hydrangeas to wilt during hot summer afternoons, as with any plant check the soil moisture before irrigating to avoid overwatering
  • Avoid overhead irrigation, leaf spot diseases and powdery mildew are more prevalent when foliage is wet for extended periods
  • Prune after flowering, but before August when shaping is neededFor more information about long flowering hydrangea varieties see “New Hydrangeas for North and Central Florida:  Bigleaf and Mountain Hydrangeas”
    To learn more about influencing flower color and general care of hydrangeas read “French Hydrangea for Gardens in North and Central Florida.”
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Author: Julie McConnell – juliebmcconnell@ufl.edu

Horticulture Extension Agent, Bay County

Julie McConnell

Permanent link to this article: http://bay.ifas.ufl.edu/newsletters/2013/05/02/bigleaf-hydrangea/

Gulf Coast Small Farms – Spring Field Day – May 10

gcsf

 

UF/IFAS NW District Extension agents and the UF/IFAS West Florida Research and Education Center have joined forces to provide relevant hands on training for the Small Farmers of northwest Florida and surrounding areas by developing the Gulf Coast Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises program.  This Spring Field Day will be a sneak peek at what the program will offer in the coming months and years.

Join us to discover new production practices and opportunities for your small farm or fruit and vegetable gardens!

Topics and Demonstrations:

  1. Irrigation Practices
  2. Small Farm Integrated Pest Management
  3. Hydroponic Float Bed Lettuce
  4. Protected Agriculture
  5. Food Safety Issues for the Small Farm

field day

Register here: Gulf Coast  Small Farms & Alternative Enterprises

For more information please contact:

Robin Vickers at 850-393-7334 or rvickers@ufl.edu

Blake Thaxton at 850-623-3868 or bthaxton@ufl.edu

 

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Author: Blake Thaxton – bthaxton@ufl.edu

Santa Rosa County Extension
Agent I, Commercial Horticulture

Blake Thaxton

Permanent link to this article: http://bay.ifas.ufl.edu/newsletters/2013/04/12/gulf-coast-small-farms-spring-field-day-may-10-2/

April is Safe Digging Month

300x200_safe_digging_monthThis month, recognized by the Senate and Florida’s governor, reminds diggers why calling 811 before all outdoor digging projects is important to your safety. Before installing a mailbox, fence, deck, garden or tree make sure to call Sunshine 811 to have underground lines marked.  811 is the free national number designated by the Federal Communications Commission.  It notifies utility companies, who in turn send their professional locators to identify and mark the appropriate location of underground line with paint and flags in colors that identify the utility type.  The following colors represent the seven various utilities: red – electric, orange – communications (telephone, cable tv), blue – potable water, green – sewer, yellow – gas, purple – reclaimed water, and white – site of intended excavation.  To learn more about color designation and their corresponding  utility go to: http://www.call811.com/faqs/default.aspx.   Locate marks are good for 30 calendar days.  Any work beyond that requires another call to 811.  If the marks are destroyed before your project is done, stop digging and call 811.

 

locating mark

 

Hitting an underground utility line while digging can cause injuries, utility service outages to an entire neighborhood and damage to the environment.  The depth of utility lines varies, and there may be multiple utility lines in one common area.  Even if you think you know where an underground line is, time tends to change things.  Erosion or tree roots can shift those utility lines.  Failure to call before digging results in one unintentional utility hit every eight minutes nationwide.  You could also be financially affected with costly fines and high repair costs.

 

 

 

The Common Ground Alliance (CGA) Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) provides industry stakeholders with a way to anonymously submit data into a comprehensive database for analysis of the factors that lead to events.  An event is defined by the CGA DIRT User’s Guide as “the occurrence of downtime, damages, and near misses.”  The number of events submitted to DIRT for 2011 totaled 207,779.  However, according to CGA DIRT “when a call is made to the one call canter (811) prior to excavation, 99% of the time there will be no damage”.

 

shoveling

 

Calling 811 in Florida is the law.  At least two full business days before digging, do-it yourselfers and professional excavators must contact 811 by phone to start the process of getting underground utility lines marked.  This is a free service.  Be sure that all utilities have been marked before grabbing the shovel.  If you don’t see locate marks, don’t assume there are no underground utility lines.  Verify with the Sunshine 811 Positive Response system.  Follow up on your one call ticket by contacting 811 again on the third day.  Sunshine State One Call is a not for profit corporation which began with the 1993 adoption of the “Underground Facility Damage Prevention and Safety Act,” Chapter 556, Florida Statutes.  Online you can visit: www.online811.com, or call (800) 852-8057.  If you provide a valid e-mail when requesting your locate ticket, positive response updates will automatically be sent to you when all utilities have responded.  For more information on Florida’s law, visit www.Sunshine811.com.

 

 

 

 

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Author: sdunning – sdunning@ufl.edu

http://okaloosa.ifas.ufl.edu

sdunning

Permanent link to this article: http://bay.ifas.ufl.edu/newsletters/2013/04/12/april-is-safe-digging-month/

Design a Butterfly Garden

Butterfly feeding on red pentas

Photo courtesy of David Davidson

Butterflies are not only beautiful to look at in the landscape; they serve as important pollinators of  fruiting plants. Attracting them to the garden and incorporating some features to get them to stay and reproduce involves advanced planning. Some steps to achieve butterfly garden optimization are outlined below.

  • Choose a location that provides some protection from wind. Trees and shrubs that provide wind protection also serve as a safe harbor from rain and predators.
  • The garden should offer both sunny and partially sunny environments.
  • Ensure that any new plantings have access to a convenient irrigation source. A plentiful water source allows butterflies to be successfully established and maintained in good health.

Now plants need to be chosen. Adults feed on the nectar of many flowering trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals.  Fortunately, there are usually many choices that will meet diverse site requirements and varied taste preferences. In order to retain garden butterflies, certain plants need to be available to serve as host plants for their young. Here are a few hits to assist with this selection process.

  • Determine which species of butterfly is common in a given geographical area. Most species have very few plants on which the caterpillars can feed, so host plants need to be chosen wisely.
  • Determine whether any of the existing plants are host plants and if they are appropriate for a butterfly garden. For example, cassia is a host plant for the Cloudless Sulphur and citrus is a host plant for the Giant Swallowtail.
  • In choosing  nectar plants, select those that are native or Florida-Friendly as they are lower maintenance, and less troublesome in the long run.
  • Choose plants that have flowers in a variety of color, size, and shape. Different butterflies like to feed at different elevations, so choose trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals of varying heights.
  • In order to have nectar available throughout the time when the butterflies occur, include plants that bloom at different times of the year. And include some plants that bloom all the time, like pentas or moss verbena.

Larger plants should be placed in the background with smaller plants layered in the foreground. When planting smaller annuals and perennials, place them in masses to better attract the butterflies. Consider placing host plants in an area that is in close proximity to the nectar plants, but in an area of your garden that is not a focal point. Host plants can get quite ragged looking from hungry caterpillars!

Good maintenance practices will enhance garden health. Regular fertilization, and as needed irrigation,  will help keep garden plants in bloom and healthy – healthy plants are less susceptible to disease and pests. Avoid pesticides as they may harm butterflies and other beneficial insects. Never use a Bt or systemic pesticide since these target butterfly larvae. Lower risk oils or soaps are useful in treating localized insect infestations however. Lastly, be aware of beneficial insects that will help achieve satisfactory pest control.

Once the plants are placed there are several things to do to complete the butterfly garden.

  • Add a spot where water can puddle on the ground for the adult butterflies to drink. They require minerals from the soil that get dissolved in the water.
  • Also add a rock or log in a sunny spot where butterflies can rest and sun themselves.
  • Consider placing a comfortable place for you to sit and enjoy the beauty of your garden and its inhabitants!

For more infortmation on butterfly gardening and for a plant list, please check out Butterfly Gardening in Florida

Enjoy the Butterflies !

 

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Author: mderrick – mderrick@ufl.edu

Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County

mderrick

Permanent link to this article: http://bay.ifas.ufl.edu/newsletters/2013/03/27/design-a-butterfly-garden/

Palm Care Tips

Every landscape manager and home owner, especially on the gulf coast, wants to add the tropical feel to their landscape.  The chief way to achieve this is by incorporating Palms and other tropical plants to their surroundings.  Like with any other plant one would like to care for it properly.  The improper care of Palms, I would like to blame on simple lack of “know how” and nothing else.  Some palm care practices are a real problem in Northwest Florida; whether it is pruning, installing, or fertilizing.  University of Florida has some great resources available to Green Industry Professionals on Palm care and maintenance.  Let’s hit some highlights and use these tips to improve Palm care in northwest Florida.

First, installation is very important with Palms, as it is with all plants.  One practice that ultimately results in death to a Palm is planting too deeply.  Some have done this in the past to help secure the Palm from falling over.  This may seem like a good idea but will harm the plant in many ways.  Look at these two palms that were planted at the same time, see the difference?

Make sure when your planting to dig the hole twice as wide as the rootball and only as deep as the rootball is tall.  Then for support build a supporting structure, but do not nail directly into the trunk (this will allow an entry point for disease).  Once planted, water the palm in thoroughly, allowing for all the air pockets to be compromised   If the fronds are tied up, untie them as soon as your palm is planted.

The next issue that faces many landscape professionals is pruning palms.  Many prune a palm too much for a variety of reasons.  Take a look at this palm for an example of a palm that has been pruned too much.

 

Follow the 9 to 3 clock rule, only pruning above the horizontal line of the crown of the palm.  If you follow this rule you will generally be pruning correctly.

Read more about pruninginstalling and general palm information for northwest Florida.

Photo Credits, University of Florida.

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Author: Blake Thaxton – bthaxton@ufl.edu

Santa Rosa County Extension
Agent I, Commercial Horticulture

Blake Thaxton

Permanent link to this article: http://bay.ifas.ufl.edu/newsletters/2013/03/13/palm-care-tips/

Wait to Fertilize Lawn

Fertilizing your lawn before the soil temperature is adequately warm results in waste of fertilizer and possible lawn injury.

Close up of cold injured lawn grass blades

Close up of cold injured lawn grass blades

Lawn cold injury from too early fertilizer application

Lawn cold injury from too early fertilizer application

Despite the fact that you can easily force your lawn to turn green early with many of the high nitrogen fertilizers, it’s a false sense of accomplishment. That new green growth is dependent on the availability of other elements, some of which are poorly available under cool soil temperatures. Iron, for example, is not readily available while the soil is still cool. This is exactly what happens when your lawn begins to turn bright yellow after being fertilized too early. In other words you’ve induced or caused a nutrient deficiency by fertilizing too early. It’s simply a matter of the soil being to cool to allow the roots to take in the needed iron to support the new growth that you’ve caused from fertilizing too soon.

There are other needed nutrients, such as potassium, which are not readily available under cool soil temperatures. As a result, some of these fertilizer elements leach below the root area before grass-roots are in a position to use them. As a result of fertilizing too early, you’re wasting fertilizer and money that’s washing away and not being used by your lawn. Waiting to fertilize during more favorable soil temperatures allows for more efficient use of the fertilizer and less waste.

In order for our lawn grasses to efficiently use fertilizer, consistently warmer nights are required. So why not wait until mid April to fertilize? You’ll waste less fertilizer, save money and have a healthier lawn in the process. It’s a win, win, win situation.

 

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Author: Larry Williams – llw5479@ufl.edu

Larry Williams is the County Extension Director and Residential Horticulture Agent for the UF/IFAS Extension Office in Okaloosa County.

Larry Williams

Permanent link to this article: http://bay.ifas.ufl.edu/newsletters/2013/02/22/wait-to-fertilize-lawn/

Best Time to Prune is Now Till Bud Break

eddie Sheers

Why Prune?

•          Control plant size or form

•          Remove damage (mechanical, disease, etc.)

•          Prevent potential damage (overlapping branches, poor crotch angles, diseases, etc.

•          Stimulate new growth (rejuvenate old plants, fill bare areas, increase flowering, etc.)

 

When to prune:

•          Corrective pruning due to injury or dead tissue should be done as soon as evident.

•          Avoid pruning from August 15 until plants are dormant.

•          Most pruning should be done during the dormant season or immediately after flowering.

 

Rules of thumb:

•          The “May Rule”.

•          May defined if the plant blooms before May 1, prune immediately after flowering has ended (flowers produced on old wood or last year’s growth: Azaleas, Forsythia, etc.)

•          If the plant blooms after May 1, prune during the dormant season (flowers produced on new growth: Crape Myrtles, Lilac Chaste tree, etc.).

•          As with any rule there are exceptions: Oak leaf Hydrangea.

 

General rules of Pruning:Eddie Hand Pruners

•          Local in affect (usually within 6” of cut).

•          Cuts should be made ¼” above a bud or to a crotch (Lateral branch).

•          Cuts should be made at angles.

 

Pruning Equipment: (Make sure blades are sharp)

•          Hand Snips (for small branches)

•          Loppers (branches > 0.75” in diameter)

•          Pruning Saw (limbs > 1.5” in diameter)

•          Shears (for a more formal look)

•          Pruning Knife (for clean-up)

 

Safe Pruning Principles:

•          Keep equipment clean and in good repair.

•          Appropriate, properly fitted safety equipment for job (eye and ear protection, no loose fitting clothes, etc.)

•          Keep equipment within your control zone. Don’t over extend, know the limitations of your equipment and yourself.

•          Know your surroundings (overhead utilities, other workers, etc.).

•          Be able to identify Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and other skin irritants.

 

Quick Tips to Remember:

•          Pruning: Remove dead wood and seed pods annually during the dormant season.

•          Size control should be done by cultivar selection, not by pruning.

•          To promote a second set of flowers, prune away faded or spent flowers throughout the season.

 

For more information, click here for a UF / IFAS Extension publication on proper pruning techniques.

 

     If you have any questions contact your local county extension agent.Eddie Loppers

by Eddie Powell – Walton County Extension Horticulture Agent

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Author: pep5 – pep5@ufl.edu

pep5

Permanent link to this article: http://bay.ifas.ufl.edu/newsletters/2013/02/15/best-time-to-prune-is-now-till-bud-break/

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