UF/IFAS researchers are working on a decision-support app to help policy makers and growers decide the best regional treatment options for laurel wilt disease, which is challenging Florida’s $35 million-a-year avocado crop. Laurel wilt disease is spread by several ambrosia beetle vectors. People, whether they grow avocados or not, can spread the beetles when they move infested wood products – …
Time to Consider Growing Your Own Vegetables
Why now is the best time to consider growing your own vegetables. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. We are closing in on almost a year since the COVID-19 pandemic sort of halted the world, forcing us to retreat into our homes and forgo physical social contact. Though grocery stores are open for business, government officials have asked …
Historically Significant Fruit Goes Beyond Food and Medicine
A historically significant fruit that goes beyond food and medicine. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Breadfruit can be found growing worldwide, used for food, medicine, boat building, and to prevent erosion of hillsides. All parts of the tree are used, and they are an important part of the ecosystem, wherever they grow. From the same family as …
More COVID-19 Tests for Florida Ag Workers
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recently announced updates to COVID-19 testing sites in Hendry, Miami-Dade, Collier and St. Lucie counties for farmworkers. The effort to provide access to no-cost testing for farmworkers is part of a partnership with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, the Florida Division of Emergency Management and county governments. Testing services will continue as …
Get Florida Freeze Updates With Winter Weather Watch
By Chris Oswalt There was a time back in 1962, on Dec. 12 and 13, when a devastating freeze in Florida decimated a significant portion of the state’s citrus industry. In Polk County, the freeze caused serious damage to 134,000 acres of citrus. In 1963, citrus growers were concerned about receiving timely weather information and frost warning bulletins. Back then, …
Winter Pruning Tips to Get the Job Done Right
Some winter pruning tips to get the job done right. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. There are a few things to know about pruning to get the job done right. For example, plan to prune on a mild, dry day when it hasn’t rained or snowed recently. You may consult a tree service expert to determine the …
Plants that Should Be Pruned in the Wintertime
Why you should prune in the wintertime and which plants need it. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Pruning is an essential part of plant care, but you must take care to prune at the correct time of year. Some plants require winter pruning when they’re dormant. This preps your plants to focus on growing flowers and fruit …
Plant Protection Today – Tracking the Elusive Asian Giant Hornet
PPQ Shares Cutting-Edge Methods with State Partner By Greg Rosenthal (USDA/APHIS) — After weeks of searching, Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) entomologists–—with some cutting-edge methods from USDA’s Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ)–—have located and eradicated the first Asian giant hornet (AGH) nest ever found in the United States. For months, WSDA had been trying to find the nest they …
Tips to Ripen Green Tomatoes Indoors
How to ripen green tomatoes. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Even if the tomatoes you’re growing are green, you can still pick them and after-ripen them indoors. Especially, if you live in a region with cold weather extremes. It’s perfectly ok to harvest tomatoes when the fruits begin to change color and soften to the feel. At …
Fruits and Veggies Easy to Grow in Your Garden
Some fruits and veggies that are easy to grow in your garden. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Covid-19 has forced us into the new normal of social distancing. And when it comes to grocery shopping, produce availability in stores is less consistent. There’s no better time than now than to learn how to grow our own fruit and …