Florida-Friendly Edible Landscaping series

There are many different terms for edible landscaping: foodscaping, food forest, permaculture, square-foot gardening, and urban agriculture. But the Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FFL) principles represent best management practices that can be applied to all types of edible landscapes. This series is for Floridians interested in expanding their own edible landscapes, with information about creating a backyard garden that delivers fresh food in an affordable, sustainable way.

Editorial Team

Tina McIntyre - Author
caroline.roper - Assistant
Tia Silvasy - Author

Publications

thumbnail for publication: Edible Landscaping Using the Nine Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Principles

1. Edible Landscaping Using the Nine Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Principles

Tiare Silvasy, Lynn Barber, Claire Lewis, Tina McIntyre, Tom Wichman, Gail Hansen, Jen Marvin, Terra Freeman, Joseph Sewards, Wendy Wilber, Jacqlyn Rivas, and Esen Momol

Maintaining edible landscapes in a way that protects the environment is an important concern for protecting Florida’s water quality. The objective of this new 7-page publication of the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department is to introduce the framework of the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ principles and apply the principles to guide decisions about Best Management Practices (BMPs) for care of edible landscapes.

thumbnail for publication: Mulching Herbs, Vegetables and Fruit Trees in the Florida-Friendly Edible Landscape

4. Mulching Herbs, Vegetables and Fruit Trees in the Florida-Friendly Edible Landscape

Tina McIntyre, Rachel Gutner, Tiare Silvasy, Jacqlyn Rivas, and Esen Momol

Mulching is the practice of spreading material around the base of a plant to protect the plant, conserving moisture or suppressing weeds. This new 7-page publication of the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department serves as a guide for homeowners and professionals to reference best practices on mulching and discusses mulch sources, application techniques, and management practices. It will clarify the mulch needs of fruit trees, shrubs, herbs, and vegetables to promote plant health. Written by Tina McIntyre, Rachel Gutner, Tiare Silvasy, Jacqlyn Rivas, and Esen Momol.

thumbnail for publication: Rethinking Wildlife in Your Florida-Friendly Edible Landscape

7. Rethinking Wildlife in Your Florida-Friendly Edible Landscape

Tina McIntyre, Hamutahl Cohen, Rachel Gutner, Tiare Silvasy, and Esen Momol

Considering wildlife in your edible landscape can be a complex challenge. Although wild animals can cause crop damage, this may not be a conflict that has to be addressed. This new 5-page publication of the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department provides a useful decision tree that helps users make choices regarding the species in their managed area. Our goal is to help the gardener become more accepting of wildlife among edible crops and coexist in a shared environment. Written by Tina McIntyre, Hamutahl Cohen, Rachel Gutner, Tiare Silvasy, and Esen Momol.

thumbnail for publication: A Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Approach to Pest Management in Your Edible Landscape

2. A Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Approach to Pest Management in Your Edible Landscape

Tina McIntyre, Rachel Gutner, Hamutahl Cohen, Tiare Silvasy, and Esen Momol

This new 8-page publication of the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department defines different types of pests that a home gardener might encounter and encourages diversifying landscapes as a solution to pest problems. It focuses on what is called “the triangle” of IPM, a guide to managing pests using multiple methods, and provides examples of Integrated Pest Management tools that can be applied in the home context to address these pests. Several links to resources relevant to edible Florida-Friendly landscapes are included. Written by Tina McIntyre, Rachel Gutner, Hamutahl Cohen, Tiare Silvasy, and Esen Momol.

thumbnail for publication: Pruning, Harvesting and Maintenance of Florida-Friendly Edible Landscapes

5. Pruning, Harvesting and Maintenance of Florida-Friendly Edible Landscapes

Rachel Gutner, Tina McIntyre, Tiare Silvasy, Hamutahl Cohen, and Esen Momol

Maintaining an edible landscape using the nine Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ (FFL) principles provides a practical approach to food production in the home environment. Integrating pest management strategies, addressing nutrient deficiencies, proper pruning techniques, timely harvesting, and mulching are all practices that contribute to having a healthy edible landscape. The audience for this new 6-page publication of the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department is Floridian homeowners attempting to grow edibles, such as vegetables, fruits and herbs. Written by Rachel Gutner, Tina McIntyre, Tiare Silvasy, Hamutahl Cohen, and Esen Momol.

thumbnail for publication: Soil Health and Fertility of Florida-Friendly Edible Landscapes

8. Soil Health and Fertility of Florida-Friendly Edible Landscapes

Tina McIntyre, Rachel Gutner, Tiare Silvasy, and Esen Momol

Maintaining an edible landscape using the nine Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ principles provides a practical approach to food production for homeowners and landscaping consultants. Integrating practical pest management strategies, addressing nutrient deficiencies, proper pruning techniques, timely harvesting, and mulching are all practices that contribute to a healthy landscape. This new 8-page publication of the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department provides homeowners with key Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ concepts and tips to enhance the health and fertility of soils while protecting the environment. Healthy soils result in improved production yields, beautiful landscapes, and a more resilient environment. Written by Tina McIntyre, Rachel Gutner, Tiare Silvasy, and Esen Momol.

thumbnail for publication: Efficient Irrigation for Florida-Friendly Edible Landscapes

3. Efficient Irrigation for Florida-Friendly Edible Landscapes

Jacqlyn Rivas, Tiare Silvasy, Luke Harlow, Lynn Barber, Jennifer W. Marvin, Esen Momol, Tina McIntyre, and Terra Freeman

This publication is written for Florida gardeners, homesteaders and other horticulturalists interested in planting and establishing edible landscapes and improving those landscapes by conserving water. This publication will provide guidance for choosing the ideal irrigation system for edible cropping systems as well as general tips for conserving water in edible landscapes.

thumbnail for publication: Recycling Organic Materials to Improve Your Florida-Friendly Edible Landscape

6. Recycling Organic Materials to Improve Your Florida-Friendly Edible Landscape

Terra Freeman, Tiare Silvasy, Lynn Barber, Tom Wichman, Claire Lewis, Tina McIntyre, Jacqlyn Rivas, Jen Marvin, and Esen Momol

This publication is intended to educate homeowners on environmentally friendly ways to enhance soil fertility for vegetables, herbs, and fruits in the home landscape. It discusses strategies for recycling nutrients in place or via composting systems to create productive edible landscapes with less waste. Adopting these methods into your landscape maintenance routine will build organic matter and add nutrients to the soil naturally.

Editorial Team

Tina McIntyre - Author
caroline.roper - Assistant
Tia Silvasy - Author

Publications

1. Edible Landscaping Using the Nine Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Principles

Tiare Silvasy, Lynn Barber, Claire Lewis, Tina McIntyre, Tom Wichman, Gail Hansen, Jen Marvin, Terra Freeman, Joseph Sewards, Wendy Wilber, Jacqlyn Rivas, and Esen Momol