Planting Pinellas
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Episodes
Fall Gardening 101
August 23, 2013 19:49 - 2.49 MB application/pdfTheresa Badurek, Urban Horticulture Extension Agent Agapanthus(Photo-UF/IFAS) In the fall the weather will begin to cool and the rains will slow down. (Hard to imagine these days, isn't it?) These conditions present several challenges for the home gardener, but there are some things you can do to prepare your garden (and yourself) for the cooler, drier weather. If you use annuals in your landscape it may be time to replace some of the summer annuals. In early fall (Sept.-Oct.) try plan...
You Could Have it Made in the Shade
August 16, 2013 19:13 - 1.27 MB application/pdfDuring the summer when the heat is stifling, it’s important to take advantage of shade when you are outdoors. If your yard has no shade trees you may not have much respite from the heat. Shade on your home and air conditioner may also decrease your energy costs in the summer. With all of these benefits you may be considering planting shade trees on your property. Planting a tree is a (hopefully) long-term commitment so you want to choose the right tree from the start. If you choose an...
Be Snake Safe!
July 26, 2013 19:55By Theresa Badurek, Urban Horticulture Extension Agent, UF/IFAS Pinellas County Extension Coral Snake: venomous (photo http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw229) Gardeners spend a lot of time outdoors, which can bring you face to face with wildlife sometimes. The rabbits and squirrels stealing your veggies and tearing up your flower garden may not scare you, but many folks feel less warm and fuzzy about snakes. Did you know that Florida is home to 44 species of native snakes? The good news ...
No love for lovebugs?
May 14, 2013 17:57Theresa Badurek, Urban Horticulture Extension Agent May and September are prime times for lovebug mating - have they been bugging you? Perhaps you’ve heard the urban legend that they were created by researchers at the University of Florida- not true. Click here for a great article debunking this myth. During lovebug mating season there are many adult lovebugs present in some locations. They are attracted to heat and may confuse car exhaust for the smell of decomposing plants that they a...
Florida Summer Gardening 101
May 06, 2013 21:34 - 2.49 MB application/pdfIt’s May and the weather is still pleasant… for now. Soon we will be battling hot summer sun, bugs, humidity, and torrential rains every afternoon. These conditions present several challenges for the home gardener, but there are things you can do now to prepare your garden (and yourself) for the heat. Smart garden planning will give you more time to play here! Photo courtesy Pinellas County. If you use annuals in your landscape you probably know by now that many of them don’t ...
Share Your Views
February 25, 2013 21:33Pinellas County citizens survey opens online and on the go Got two minutes to help shape the future of Pinellas County? Residents can take a brief online survey to share their vision about what is good and what needs improvement in Pinellas County. How do people’s priorities align with present realities? What do they want the county to be like in five years? As the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners continues to set a strategic direction for the community, feedback from the su...
Insect, Plant & Disease ID
December 07, 2012 14:17 - 485 KB application/pdfLara Miller Natural Resource Agent Identification Resources: Insects, Plants, & Diseases Many Florida residents find unknown plants growing in their yard, unknown bugs in their houses or gardens, and apparent diseases on what were previously healthy plants. So what resources are out there to help you turn the unknown into known? Extension Offices Your local Extension office should be your first point of contact for helping you identify any mysterious problems or species in your home o...
Happy Holly-days!
November 30, 2012 15:00 - 3.21 MB application/pdfby Theresa Badurek, Urban Horticulture Extension Agent, UF/IFAS Pinellas County Extension Dahoon Holly, Ilex cassine We all know that there are many beautiful holiday plants to enjoy this time of year. This year I would like to focus on a group of plants that not only bring us pleasure, but also provide something for our wildlife- hollies. There are several native hollies that we can grow here that provide food and habitat for our wildlife while also providing decoration both outside and in...
Cinnamon Fern
October 31, 2012 14:00Cinnamon Fern by: Lara Miller, Natural Resource Agent Jonathan Houser, Brooker Creek Preserve Intern While the name refers to a spice many have come to love during this time of year, Cinnamon Ferns don’t actually produce cinnamon. They get their name from their cinnamon-colored fronds. Cinnamon ferns are fairly large and capable of growing six feet high by one foot wide. They can be found in large clusters of damp woods, marshes, wet ditches, and stream banks. There are two types of fr...
From Cypress Trees to Cypress Knees
October 29, 2012 13:00From Cypress Trees to Cypress Knees by: Lara Miller, Natural Resource Agent Jennifer Jones, Brooker Creek Preserve Intern Cypress trees can be found across the southeast United States, and they are known to dominate the forested wetlands of Florida. There are two distinct types found within Florida: the bald cypress (Taxodium distichum var. distichum) and the pond cypress (Taxodium distichum var. nutans). They share a few characteristics in common, such as roots that protrude...
Sword Fern - Native or Not?
October 24, 2012 13:00 - 4.62 MB application/pdfFlorida’s Native and Non-Native Sword Ferns by: Lara Miller, Natural Resource Agent Jennifer Jones, Brooker Creek Preserve Intern Florida is home to many native fern species, including the Boston fern (Nephrolepis exalta) and giant sword fern (Nephrolepis biserrata), which can be difficult to distinguish from non-native ferns that grow in the same environments, such as Tuberous sword fern (Nephrolepis cordifolia) and the Asian sword fern (Nephrolepis multiflora). Each of these are often ...
Fall Wildflower Festival
October 22, 2012 16:55Fall Wildflower Festival by: Lara Miller, Natural Resource Agent Jennifer Jones, Brooker Creek Preserve Intern Wildflowers, field. UF/IFAS: Photos Thomas Wright The Florida Wildflower Foundation defines a “Florida native wildflower” as any flowering herbaceous species, or woody species with ornamental flowers, which grew wild within the state’s natural ecosystems in the 1560s when Florida’s first botanical records were created. Wildflowers are beautiful and can be the perfect addition ...
Plumeria Rust
October 18, 2012 19:06Featured Guest Blogger: Jane Morse, UF/IFAS Commercial Horticulture Extension Agent, Pinellas County Have you ever wondered “what is wrong with this plant?” or “what is this insect, where did it come from and now what do I do?” or “oh my, what are these black, shiny, wormy looking things on the floor?” We hear questions like these every day at the Lawn and Garden Help Desk, supported by the University of Florida and Pinellas County, and we can usually answer your questions - free of charge. ...
Post-Storm Flooding and Your Landscape
June 27, 2012 19:03Wow, have we seen a lot of rain thanks to Tropical Storm Debby! Many parts of Pinellas County are completely saturated and some are still dealing with standing water. Many plants in the landscape are not tolerant of standing water. Under these conditions the roots are unable to get oxygen and essentially the root system suffocates. Some plants can tolerate up to a week or so in these flooded conditions while others will be damaged after only a day or two. Recovery from this situation is jus...
Summer Vegetable Gardening: Can you stand the heat?
June 13, 2012 19:33 - 1.53 MB application/pdfOkra crop If you come to us from up north, this is the time of year you would normally enjoy vegetable gardening. That’s not usually the case here in Florida. Sure, there’s plenty of sunshine and usually lots of rain… but the heat, oh my, the heat. Most crops people really want to grow just won’t perform in our subtropical summer temps, and it can be downright brutal to weed your garden mid-July. But what if you are determined to garden in the summer anyway? Besides sunscreen and lots of w...
Is your landscape storm-ready (Part 3)
June 06, 2012 19:19 - 1.15 MB application/pdfPart 3: Properly Training Your Trees for Wind Resistance This week's blog was written by guest blogger Jane Morse. Jane Morse is the Pinellas County Commercial Horticulture Extension Agent. This is part two of a three-part series. Trees are like children. When they are young they need lots of training to make sure they grow up strong, straight and healthy. Proper pruning is extremely important for good tree structure and the health of the tree. The most wind-resistant tree form is one th...
Is your landscape storm-ready? (Part 2)
May 30, 2012 19:36 - 988 KB application/pdfPlanting Wind Resistant Trees in Your Landscape Dr. Ed Gilman, Professor of Environmental Horticulture, University of Florida, consulting with a resident on wind resistant tree selection. This week's blog was written by guest blogger Jane Morse. Jane Morse is the Pinellas County Commercial Horticulture Extension Agent. This is part two of a three-part series. After you have selected a tree for your yard and are getting ready to plant it, you need to picture it full grown. Make sure ma...
Is your landscape storm-ready? (Part 1)
May 23, 2012 17:54 - 6.67 MB application/pdfThis week's blog was written by guest blogger Jane Morse. Jane Morse is the Pinellas County Commercial Horticulture Extension Agent. This is part one of a three-part series. Part 1: Wind Resistant Trees for Your Landscape When it comes to trees and storms, there are victims and there are survivors. The question to ask yourself before the next – inevitable – big Florida storm is: Will your tree survive or will it come crashing down on your roof? Trees have a lot to contend with during...
Oh Deer...
May 16, 2012 13:09This week's blog was written by guest blogger Lara Miller. Lara Miller is the Pinellas County Natural Resources Extension Agent. Tired of planting trees, shrubs, vines and flowers only to find them damaged by deer just days later? Pinellas County is a very urbanized county where human developments have replaced native deer habitats. This in turn limits the availability of natural food preferred by deer. In cases like this, deer adapt by feeding on gardens around homes. While fencing an...
Thanksgiving Mushrooms: The Turkey Tail
November 23, 2011 19:04This week's blog was written by guest blogger Dusty Purcell. Dusty is a Mycologist/Plant Pathologist who studied at the University of Florida. This Thanksgiving-themed fungus is not a true mushroom but really a polypore. Whereas your typical mushroom emerges from the soil as a stalk topped with a cap sporting gills on its underside, the typical polypore has no stalk, is attached to wood and has pores instead of gills. Polypores also have tough persistent flesh and live for weeks or months...
Flower Pot Mushrooms
October 28, 2011 20:00This week's blog was written by guest blogger Dusty Purcell. Dusty is a Mycologist/Plant Pathologist who studied at the University of Florida. There are a few delicate little mushrooms that commonly sprout from the soil of nursery grown plants. The yellow species pictured below appears to be the most common of them. Leucocoprinus birnbaumii growing with crape myrtle trees in a nursery. The pale specimen on the left is mature and has a fully expanded cap. The picture on the right depicts se...
Bee Balm
October 21, 2011 20:00 - 914 KB application/pdfFall is a great time to enjoy wildflowers in Florida. One of the wildflowers blooming in the Florida Botanical Gardens right now is Bee Balm, Monarda punctata. This is an herbaceous perennial that typically grows to about 18” tall and spreads. Like other herbaceous members of the mint family (Labiatae), Bee Balm has leaves that are in an opposite arrangement on a square stem. You can feel the angular shape of the stem by rolling it between your thumb and forefinger. The pinkish-purple showy...
Green Gills and Fairy Rings
September 23, 2011 19:23 - 654 KB application/pdfThis week's blog was written by guest blogger Dusty Purcell. Dusty is a Mycologist/Plant Pathologist who studied at the University of Florida. This is the ‘Green Gill Mushroom’, Chlorophyllum molybdites. If you live in Pinellas County during the summer months, I am almost 100% certain that you have seen this mushroom. For several reasons, it is an excellent first mushroom to learn: 1. It has a cool name. Chlorophyllum molybdites. Sound it out phonetically. No one will dare correct y...
Fall Vegetable Garden Varieties
September 16, 2011 20:00 - 1.53 MB application/pdfAre you planting a fall vegetable garden? Well don’t delay- planting most veggies should happen right away in case of early cold weather! When you are shopping for plants or seeds, remember that there are certain varieties of herbs and vegetables that are better suited to our climate and growing conditions. Suggested varieties for Florida are better adapted to our challenging weather patterns and more resistant to Florida pests and diseases. Here are a few popular cool-season vegetables w...
At Pinellas County Extension – registration made easy
July 22, 2011 21:05Rain barrels, cooking classes, financial plans, 4-H … Pinellas County Extension has always addressed a variety of issues to help residents improve their quality of life. As an outreach of the University of Florida, the educational programs are geared toward making the most of resources, from money management skills to programs that teach energy efficient practices. To make it easier for residents to participate in the variety of classes and program, Extension agents are introducing a citize...