CLUE

¿Cuánta agua estoy usando para regar mi jardín?

Por Nicholas Taylor, Kaitlin Robb Price y Bradley Spatz

Esta publicación provee contexto y motivación para reducir la cantidad de agua usada para regar el jardín. Esto se hace proporcionando una estimación de los galones de agua que son utilizados por ciclo de riego en Florida, y luego comparando ese monto de agua con el agua utilizada para actividades comunes al interior del hogar, como ducharse o lavar los platos. 

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.

Community ButterflyScaping: How to Move Beyond Butterfly Gardening to Create a Large-Scale Butterfly Habitat

Kathy C. Malone, Wendy Wilber, Gail Hansen, Jaret C. Daniels, Claudia Larsen, and Esen Momol

Crapemyrtle Pruning

Gary W. Knox, Edward F. Gilman, Teagan Young, Ryan W. Klein, and Leynar Leyton

Pruning is one of the most controversial aspects of maintaining crapemyrtle. Traditionally, many crapemyrtles were routinely topped, leaving large branch and stem stubs. This practice has been called "crape murder" because most people dislike the winter appearance and many professionals believe the practice impacts crapemyrtle health and structural integrity. UF/IFAS research has clarified the effects of various crapemyrtle pruning practices that resulted in the recommendations in this publication.

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.

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.

Encouraging Residents to Request Wildlife-Friendly Landscape Maintenance from Their Chosen Professionals: A Stages of Change Approach for Extension and Other Practitioners

Laura A. Warner, Dharmendra Kalauni, John M. Diaz, Emily Marois, Adam Dale, and Jaret Daniels

This publication explains Florida residents’ current involvement in requesting wildlife-friendly landscape maintenance (WFLM) and the perceived barriers and motivators associated with this behavior using the concept of stages of change. Written by Laura A. Warner, Dharmendra Kalauni, John M. Diaz, Emily Marois, Adam Dale, and Jaret Daniels, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, April 2024.

Fertilization and Irrigation Needs for Florida Lawns and Landscapes

R. Klein, A.J. Lindsey, M. McMillan, J. B. Unruh, and M.D. Dukes

Florida Friendly Landscaping™ Best Management Practices (BMPs) for management of commercial and residential lawns and landscapes were developed by scientists with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). These BMPs assist homeowners and professionals in making management choices that will help sustain lawns and landscapes in Florida without impairing Florida’s water resources.

Florida-Friendly Mulches and Their Uses

Don Rainey, Esen Momol, Jennifer Marvin, Tom Wichman, Chris Marble, Lynn Barber, and Susan Haddock

This new 6-page publication of the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department is intended for those persons seeking information on how to properly select and use mulch as one component of a Florida-friendly landscape design. Written by Don Rainey, Esen Momol, Jennifer Marvin, Tom Wichman, Chris Marble, Lynn Barber, and Susan Haddock.

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.

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.

Reclaimed Water in Your Florida-Friendly Edible Landscape

Terra Freeman, Tiare Silvasy, Yilin Zhuang, and Esen Momol

Reclaimed water plays a significant role in water conservation, a goal of every Florida-Friendly Landscape. However, using reclaimed water on plants harvested and consumed from the home landscape must be approached with caution for vegetables, fruit trees, herbs, and other edible crops due to the risk of contamination from pathogens and salts. Before using reclaimed water in your Florida-Friendly edible garden, it is important to have a clear understanding of what it is and how it can be safely used. The target audience for this new 4-page publication of the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department is Florida residents who irrigate landscapes, including edibles, with reclaimed water. Written by Terra Freeman, Tiare Silvasy, Yilin Zhuang, and Esen Momol.

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.

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.

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.

Steps to a Florida-Friendly Landscape

Claire Lewis, Tom Wichman, and Sydney Park Brown

A Florida-Friendly landscape is attractive, functional, and ecologically sound. Its creation and maintenance can be accomplished by using the landscape practices listed in this article. They are grouped according to how much money or labor they take to accomplish from easiest (Tier One) to most expensive and/or labor intensive (Tier Three). Even a simple practice—like raising the height on your lawn mower—can have significant, positive impacts on the landscape and the environment. Helpful websites from the University of Florida/IFAS are also included in this publication. These resources provide even more tips and practices to incorporate Florida-Friendly Landscaping