Ask IFAS - Powered by EDIS

Did you know?

Recent & Revised Publications

How to Identify and Propagate Different Types of Wild Coffee for Your Florida Garden

Teagan Young and Sandra B. Wilson

Rubiaceae, a family known for its economic and ornamental significance, includes several native Florida species, such as wild coffee (Psychotria spp.). This publication focuses on identifying and propagating wild coffee species: P. nervosa, P. nervosa 'Little Psycho', P. nervosa 'Turtle Mound', P. tenuifolia, and P. ligustrifolia. These species thrive in various soil conditions and attract pollinators, making them valuable, adaptable, and appealing for sustainable landscapes and Florida gardens. Research on propagation methods revealed that while physiological dormancy makes seed germination challenging, softwood cuttings treated with indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) showed high success rates in rooting. The publication outlines a production schedule, recommending specific substrates and misting techniques to optimize root development. It provides critical insights into enhancing the availability and cultivation of wild coffee species, promoting their use in Florida-friendly landscapes.

Balancing Pest Management and Insect Conservation on Ornamental Plants

Bernadette Mach, Jaret Daniels, and Adam Dale

Increasing public awareness of the dangers of declines in biodiversity has generated unprecedented interest in promoting beneficial insects and other wildlife in yards and gardens. Research shows that well-managed urban landscapes can support diverse wildlife and that many people want their yards to support insect conservation. The green industry has made efforts to align plant production practices, marketing, and landscape maintenance with consumer conservation goals. However, backyard conservation efforts can be hindered by insect pest outbreaks. These are often more frequent and severe in urban landscapes than in rural or natural areas because of environmental constraints. Invasive pest species may thrive unchecked and require intervention. People may face difficult decisions when trying to balance conservation goals with pest management and plant health needs. This publication explains the ornamental plant pest management process with an emphasis on protecting beneficial wildlife.

UF/IFAS Florida Trees Tutorial

Ryan W. Klein, Larsen McBride, and Howard Beck

The UF/IFAS Florida Trees website contains a database of detailed information on over 1000 trees. The website's Tree Recommendation Tool presented in this publication can help the user do a thorough site analysis, identify important characteristics of that site, and then recommend trees for that site based on those characteristics. Likewise, the website's Tree Search and Identification tools can help a user search the database for trees matching characteristics that the user specifies. Overall, the information found on the website can assist both homeowners and professionals with addressing species selection issues that may impact tree survivability and long-term performance.

How to Use the Web Soil Survey to Find Information about Your Land

Mary G. Lusk

The purpose of this publication is to provide step-by-step guidance on how to find soil data about a given parcel of land in the Web Soil Survey. This publication can be used by residents, growers, gardeners, construction personnel, landscape managers, septic system installers and inspectors, and many others. Written by Mary G. Lusk, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences, February 2025.

Pseudophoenix sargentii: Buccaneer Palm

Mica McMillan and Kara McCoy

This publication is intended for anyone interested in identifying and utilizing this Florida native palm in their landscape. Pseudophoenix sargentii is native to the Caribbean, Belize, Mexico (Quintiana Roo), and Navassa Island. This palm is widely adapted to south Florida soils, is salt tolerant, and grows well in full sunlight. As an attractive palm with blue-gray fronds and an erect trunk, this palm would make a beautiful addition to any landscape, but its slow growth and lack of cold tolerance have prevented it from being widely utilized in Florida landscapes.

Herbicidas para céspedes: modo de acción y manejo de resistencia

Pawel Petelewicz y J. Bryan Unruh; Traducido por Marco Schiavon y M. Cecilia Sánchez-Quintanilla

Este documento está diseñado como una herramienta para profesionales del césped, productores de tepes, superintendentes en campos de golf, encargados de campos atléticos y deportivos, paisajistas y especialistas en Extensión, con el objetivo de ayudar a desarrollar programas de herbicidas que reduzcan el riesgo de malezas resistentes a herbicidas en los sistemas de céspedes. Este documento es SS-AGR-394-Span, una publicación del Department of Agronomy, UF/IFAS Extension. Publicación original febrero 2025.

thumbnail for publication: Understanding Metrics for Communicating the Economic Importance of Florida’s Fisheries Part III: Measuring Economic Value

Understanding Metrics for Communicating the Economic Importance of Florida’s Fisheries Part III: Measuring Economic Value

Andrew Ropicki, Edward V. Camp, Christa D. Court, and Robert Botta

Understanding the economic importance of fisheries and coastal resources is vitally important for making good management decisions that affect human communities, local businesses, and environmental and ecological sustainability. This final publication in a series of three follows Part I, an overview, and Part II, methods to quantify economic activity. Part III focuses on measures of economic value and discusses different ways to think about and estimate the economic values of Florida’s fisheries and aquatic resources.

Manejo de Malezas para Patios de Florida

J. Bryan Unruh, Pawel Petelewicz, Laurie E. Trenholm, Erin E. Harlow, y Ramon G. Leon; Traducido por Marco Schiavon

Este documento es una herramienta de apoyo para una audiencia no profesional, que incluye propietarios de viviendas en Florida y a público entusiasta de las plantas, con el objetivo de gestionar de manera efectiva la invasión de malezas en áreas de césped. Sin embargo, este documento también puede ser utilizado por profesionales del césped, incluyendo, entre otros, productores de tepes, superintendentes de campos de golf, gerentes de campos deportivos y de atletismo, gerentes de paisajismo y especialistas de Extensión. Este documento es ENH884-Span, una publicación del Department of Agronomy, UF/IFAS Extension. Publicación original de febrero 2025.

Passion Fruit Propagation: A Comprehensive Guide

Ali Sarkhosh, Juan David Jimenez Pardo, Jonathan Clavijo-Herrera, Uzman Khalil, and Jonathan H. Crane

The climate of Florida is suitable for growing a variety of tropical and subtropical fruits, including passionfruit (Passiflora edulis). Passionfruit has a distinctive aroma and sweet-sour taste, and it has become highly appreciated in culinary and home gardening circles. The center of origin of passionfruit is South America, although it is also grown in other tropical and subtropical regions around the world. The cultivation of this fruit requires a solid understanding of effective propagation methods to ensure the availability of high-quality plant material. This guide covers various sexual and asexual propagation techniques, from traditional seed sowing to advanced methods such as tissue culture.

Lesion Mimics in Mule Palm (× Butyagrus nabonnandii)

Braham Dhillon, Lucas Altarugio, Seemanti Chakrabarti, and Kamaldeep Bansal

Palms (Arecaceae) are flowering plants with varied growth forms ranging from climbers to tree-like plants found across diverse habitats. Some palm species naturally hybridize with other species, whereas a few species can be artificially hybridized to produce new morphotypes. Mule palm (× Butyagrus nabonnandii) is an artificial hybrid that is becoming popular as a landscape ornamental because of its appearance and cold hardiness. However, hybridization among different species could lead to unintended outcomes, including lesion mimics. A lesion mimic phenotype was identified in mule palms growing across multiple farms across central and south Florida. As leaf spots are one of the most common symptoms observed during disease or nutritional deficiency, the detection of lesion mimics can sometimes be challenging. This publication documents a simple method to identify lesion mimics in palms. Correct diagnosis of lesion mimics would limit unnecessary applications of fungicides or fertilizers.

Subtropical Peach Defoliation and Chill Hours

Jonathan Clavijo-Herrera and Ali Sarkhosh

Proper foliage management is a key factor in having a healthy peach orchard and producing high-quality fruit. However, this is not an easy task for Florida growers. The warm and humid climate throughout Florida’s growing season makes it difficult to keep peach leaf rust and bacterial spot under control, which could cause premature defoliation. On the other hand, leaves tend to stay attached to the tree well into late fall, when they should start senescing and dropping to allow sufficient accumulation of chilling, a process required for buds to break the dormant status and bloom in the next season. Understanding dormancy and preparing trees for this stage is critical in subtropical peach orchards. In this publication, we will discuss peach defoliation practices for peach trees growing under the subtropical climate of Florida to provide information to county and state Extension faculty, growers, and homeowners interested in peach production in Florida.

Sustainable Nitrogen in Livestock Systems: Forage Legumes vs. N Fertilizers

Kevin Roger Trumpp, Kalyn Waters, José Dubeux, and Cleber Henrique Lopes de Souza

Nitrogen (N) is a key element in promoting plant and livestock growth and production. The two major ways to add N in pastures are fertilizer and integrating N-fixing forage legumes. The purpose of this publication is to compare these two options for cattle producers, farmers, Extension agents, and policymakers. Written by Kevin Roger Trumpp, Kalyn Waters, José Dubeux, and Cleber Henrique Lopes de Souza, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agronomy, February 2025.

more...

25,000 to 30,000

# of bees needed to survive the winter

A healthy colony consisting of 25,000 to 30,000 bees is an adequate size for overwintering success.

18,728

Pest Management Jobs

The Florida pest management industry accounted for more than 14% of the industry’s establishments in 2021

more than 1,700

homes built endangered woodrats

More than 1,700 supplemental woodrat nest structures have been installed across protected areas in northern Key Largo to aid in woodrat recovery

65,479

U.S. residents have their identity stolen each day

This publication is based on the insights of individuals who have been through this experience, researched it in depth, and have attempted to break it down into understandable segments.

95°F

Proper Temperature for Baby Chicks

Newly hatched chicks need to be maintained at 95°F for the first week of their lives. After the first week, chicks can tolerate temperatures 5°F cooler for each week until they are four weeks old.

Welcome to Ask IFAS