Common Virus That Could Impact Your Pumpkin Crop

Dan Fruits, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours, Vegetables

What you should know about a common virus that could impact your pumpkin crop. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. If you planted pumpkins and were hoping to have a more uniform crop of round, orange fruits, you might be a bit puzzled to find your crop loaded with imperfections, discoloration, and warts. All signs pointing to an outbreak …

Best and Worst Companions for Your Guava Crop

Dan Fruits, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours

Some of the best and worst companions for your Guava crop. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Some of the best Companion Plants for Guava trees include:  citrus trees, chives, marigold, comfrey, and borage. Some of the worst companion plants are cucumber, egg plant, and potato. For all of their hardiness, guava can be affected by several pests …

Tropical Fruit Easy to Grow Only Requiring Heat and Moisture

Dan Fruits, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours

A super-easy tropical fruit to grow that only requires heat and moisture. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. If you’re lucky enough to live in an area that is friendly to guava, there are many varieties you can grow, and they all have their own unique taste. They’re lovely in desserts, baking, smoothies, and eaten as fresh treats. Typically, …

Type of Melons Known for Their Sweet, Enticing Flavor

Dan Fruits, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours

The type of melons known for their sweet, enticing flavor and scent. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. There are two types of muskmelons that you can try growing. Eastern muskmelons have deep ribs on the skin. The western varieties have smooth-skins. Muskmelons don’t tolerate cold yet have a long growing season. It’s important to look at the …

Technologies for Improved Nutrient Analysis

Dan Citrus, Field Crops, Fruits, Herbs, Nursery Crops, Organic, Pecans, Specialty Crops, Sugar, Technology, Tree Nuts, Vegetables

Nutrient management is important for citrus production. Regular nutrient assessments should be conducted to optimize nutrient balance and prevent deficiencies or over-fertilization. Optimizing nutrition is important for tree health and can improve tolerance to stresses and diseases. Good nutrient management requires regular field monitoring to identify problems and examine crop responses. Leaves need to be collected and sent to a …

Protect Against the COVID-19 Delta Variant

Dan Aquaculture, Beef, Cattle, Citrus, Coronavirus, Dairy, Field Crops, Forestry, Fruits, General, Hemp, Herbs, Industry, Labor and Immigration, Livestock, Nursery Crops, Organic, Pecans, Specialty Crops, Sugar, Tree Nuts, Vegetables

If you would have asked us last September if there would still be a need to write a tip about COVID-19 a year later, our answer would have been, “We sure hope not.” So, what’s changed? The simplest explanation is the emergence of the Delta variant. When you hear us talk about food safety, we don’t often talk about variants. …

Breadfruit is Historically Significant Fruit with Many Uses

Dan Fruits, Specialty Crops, This Land of Ours

The historically significant fruit with many uses. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. People stranded on tropical islands in the middle of the ocean used to survive on breadfruit.  From the same family as mulberry and jackfruit, breadfruit is similar in texture to freshly cooked bread and tastes a little like a potato. Breadfruit can be found growing worldwide, …

Crop Dumping by Mexico Targeted by Florida Ag Commissioner Nikki Fried

Dan Exports/Imports, Field Crops, Florida, Fruits, Hemp, Herbs, Nursery Crops, Organic, Specialty Crops, Sugar, Trade, Tree Nuts, Vegetables

Concerns about crop dumping have been a refrain in the state since shortly after the North American Free Trade Agreement was approved more than a quarter century ago. (TALLAHASSEE/August 30, 2021) — Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried on Monday urged people to purchase Florida-grown blueberries, strawberries and other produce to help counter what she described as “unfair foreign trade practices” by …