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 …
Bipartisan Congressional Letter Calls for Stronger U.S. Approach to Preserving Common Food and Wine Terms
A coalition of leading farm and agricultural groups are applauding a bipartisan letter sent by 111 members of Congress urging stronger protections for American-made food and wine exports using common terms. This is an important message regarding the need for enhanced U.S. efforts to combat the European Union’s (EU) attempts to ban U.S. exports of cheese, meat and wine products that are …
Winterize Your Garden Doing These Must-Do Steps
Some things to do right now to winterize your garden. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. There are several must-do items that you must check off your garden to-do list before winter rolls around. First, pull all of your plants out. But, before you can do that, you should pull out any plant supports that they might be …
Scary Insects for Halloween: The Blood-Thirsty Calyptra
Sometimes insects show signs of monster-behavior. It’s nothing personal to us humans, and let me assure you that this behavior has nothing to do with full moons or anything that may live under your bed at night. Sometimes an insect’s monster-behavior is nothing more than the result of good old-fashioned circumstances, like leaving a door or window open. Fortunately, flyscreen …
Could the Miracle Fruit be for South Florida?
New study uncovers data showing how bountiful it can grow in the subtropics (UF/IFAS) — Scientists at University of Florida’s Tropical Research and Education Center have unlocked the mystery behind a highly sought-after berry known as the Miracle fruit in a study published this week. This news brings much needed insight to local growers, and food and drink manufacturers who …