Skip to main content
IFAS ExtensionUniversity of Florida
Login
Faculty Member Image

Tiare Silvasy

County agent

Send Email

Tiare Silvasy

Orcid ID0000-0001-9186-4573

County agent

Extension agent II, residential horticulture and Florida-Friendly Landscaping™, UF/IFAS Extension Orange County

Publications

thumbnail for publication: Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide

Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide

Sydney Park Brown, Tiare Silvasy, Larry Williams, and Danielle Treadwell

This guide provides research-based recommendations appropriate for home gardens. It covers planning, soil preparation, compost and fertilizing, irrigation and drainage, and pest management with and without pesticides. Includes tables with fertilizer and insect control recommendations, a planting guide with planting dates and spacing information, and a table of varieties recommended for Florida gardens.

thumbnail for publication: Victory Gardeners: Gardening as Part of a Healthy Lifestyle and Considerations for Starting a Home or Community Garden

Victory Gardeners: Gardening as Part of a Healthy Lifestyle and Considerations for Starting a Home or Community Garden

Maxine Hunter, William J. Lester, Hannah Eason, Erin E. Harlow, Tiare Silvasy, LuAnn Duncan, Rebecca Elliott, Samantha DeForge, Danielle Treadwell

Healthy lifestyles, victory gardens, and Blue Zones are familiar terms to most, and each incorporates a holistic approach to human well-being. The therapeutic and nutritional benefits of gardening have long been recognized. After World War I, many service members were treated using horticulture therapy methods. During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals and families turned to gardening as a source of supplemental food and physical and emotional wellness. The benefits of gardening, however, go beyond promoting physical health; they promote a "healthful lifestyle." This is a holistic term which encompasses several dimensions of your life, including the spiritual, emotional, physical, intellectual, financial, social, and environmental dimensions (Lynch et al., 2021). This publication is a basic guide to incorporating gardening into your lifestyle including planning, planting, and harvesting considerations.

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

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: Edible Landscaping Using the Nine Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Principles

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: Eastern Lubber Grasshopper, Romalea microptera (Beauvois) (=guttata (Houttuyn)) (Insecta: Orthoptera: Acrididae)

Eastern Lubber Grasshopper, Romalea microptera (Beauvois) (=guttata (Houttuyn)) (Insecta: Orthoptera: Acrididae)

J. L. Capinera and C. W. Scherer

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

thumbnail for publication: Gardening in Raised Beds

Gardening in Raised Beds

Terry Brite DelValle and Tiare Silvasy

This document is ENH1211, one of a series of the Environmental Horticulture Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date May 2013. Revised July 2016.

thumbnail for publication: Reclaimed Water in Your Florida-Friendly Edible Landscape

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.

thumbnail for publication: Efficient Irrigation for Florida-Friendly 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.

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

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

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

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.

thumbnail for publication: What is Florida-Friendly Landscaping™?

What is Florida-Friendly Landscaping™?

Esen Momol, Michael Scheinkman, Michael Thomas, Tom Wichman, Gail Hansen, Claire Lewis, Jennifer Marvin, Lynn Barber, Tiare Silvasy, Terra Freeman, Tina McIntyre, Emily Brown, Amanda Peck, and John Bossart

Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ (FFL) provides science-based landscape design and plant selection practices for installing and maintaining resilient, aesthetically pleasing landscapes. Once established, FFL landscapes require little, if any, irrigation, fertilizer, or pesticides. This new 7-page publication of the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department provides a brief overview of the FFL program, outreach, and requirements.

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

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: Central Florida Gardening Calendar

Central Florida Gardening Calendar

Sydney Park Brown and Tiare Silvasy

A UF/IFAS numbered Fact Sheet for Homeowner audience(s).

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

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.