In this series, Cathy Isom has taken you through planting, growing, and caring for Lavender. In today’s program she fills you in on how to harvest Lavender. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Harvest your Lavender when approximately one-half to one-third of the flower buds are open if you are using lavender for oil. Cut low on the …
APHIS Launches Webpage for Pests and Diseases
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is launching a new “Pests and Diseases” webpage. The new page lists all pest and disease programs managed by APHIS as part of its mission to protect American agriculture and natural resources. On the new page, users can search by type (plant, animal), keyword (avian, fruit fly, cotton), …
How to Care for Your Lavender Plants
Cathy Isom continues her series on growing Lavender by giving you a few tips about how to care for your Lavender plants. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Lavender isn’t the easiest plant to grow but it can be done. Water once a week until plants are established. Lavender is drought tolerant and does not like wet feet, …
Growing Lavender for a Bountiful Harvest
Cathy Isom gives you a few of the tricks to growing Lavender for a bountiful harvest. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. There are a few key elements to successfully growing lavender. It wants lots of heat and sun, not too much water, tons of space to spread out, and lean soil. Lavender is divided into five main …
Plant, Grow, and Harvest Lavender
Cathy Isom has a few interesting tips about why you should plant, grow & harvest Lavender. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Aside from being a beautiful edition to your garden, there are so many reasons to love this gorgeous purple sweet smelling flower. You can cook with it, use it for medicinal purposes, decorate the dining table, …
USDA Provides Funding to Florida to Support Projects that Protect Agriculture and Natural Resources
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is allocating $7.2 million to Florida as part of its effort to strengthen the nation’s infrastructure for pest detection and surveillance, identification, and threat mitigation, and to safeguard the U.S. nursery production system. Overall, USDA is providing $66 million in funding this year to support 407 projects in 49 states, Guam, Puerto Rico, and …
How to Breed Your Homegrown Orchids
Cathy Isom began this series informing you of the extraordinary types of orchids. She covered planting, watering and feeding. Cathy concludes her series with how to breed your own homegrown orchids. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Once you have an orchid in your home that you’ve fallen in love with, you can take a cutting from the rootstock, …
How to Water and Feed Your Orchids
Cathy Isom concludes her series on orchids by letting you know how to water and feed your homegrown orchids. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. When it comes to watering and feeding your homegrown orchids the first step is to check your orchid’s individual water and feed requirements. Orchids need to be fed regularly with a weak solution (maybe …
UF/IFAS Master Gardeners Gear Up for Spring Festivals, Plant Sales
Spring is around the corner, and Master Gardeners across central Florida are gearing up for festivals and plant sales. The UF/IFAS Extension Master Gardeners Volunteer program, part of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, is celebrating 40 years in Florida. There are approximately 4,000 Master Gardener volunteers across the state, said Wendy Wilber, UF/IFAS Extension state …
How to Plant Your Own Orchids
There are different ways to grow orchids. Cathy Isom continues her series on these beautiful flowers by telling you how to plant your very own orchids. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The orchid range is vast, and their growing requirements are diverse. Choose a site where the temperature will be around 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit during …