Doveweed is an aggressive, naturalized summer annual weed that rapidly invades warm-season turfgrass species, especially in residential lawns, and few herbicides can effectively control it. Because of these challenges, a well-designed management strategy is necessary for doveweed control. This 4-page fact sheet describes identification, growth requirements, chemical control and cultural practices. Written by Ramon G. Leon and Bryan Unruh, and published by the UF Department of Agronomy, June 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag395
Category: Lawn & Garden
Tawny Crazy Ant
As of 2012, tawny crazy ants have invaded 24 counties in Florida, parts of southeast Texas, and other areas of the southeastern U.S. The tawny crazy ant is considered a series pest. This species infests buildings and greenhouses, attacks crops, domestic animals, honeybee hives, displaces native ant species, and disrupts electrical equipment. This 3-page fact sheet covers the tawny crazy ant’s distribution, description, colonies, feeding habits, and pest status and control. Written by S. K. Hill, R. W. Baldwin, R. M. Pereira, and P. G. Koehler, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, October 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1076
Florida Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are in the genus Camponotus, in which up to over 900 species have been described worldwide. They get their common name, “carpenter ant,” because some species excavate nests in wood. Carpenter ants are sometimes called bulldog ants or bull ants. However, not all species in the genus Camponotus are true carpenter ants because some nest in preformed cavities or in soil. This 5-page fact sheet was original published as part of Pests in and around the Florida Home, and was written by R. J. Vazquez, P. G. Koehler, R. M. Pereira, J. Warner, and R. H. Scheffrahn, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, October 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1075
African Honey Bee: What You Need to Know
African honey bees entered the United States in the early 1990s and have since spread throughout the Southwest and Southeast, including parts of Florida. Compared to European bees, African bees are highly aggressive when disturbed and are more likely to sting humans and animals. This 6-page fact sheet covers the history and distribution of African honey bees in the Americas and explains how beekeepers and residents can manage their interactions with these bees. Written by H. Glenn Hall, Catherine Zettel-Nalen and James D. Ellis, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2014. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg113
Encouraging Landscape Water-Conservation Behaviors #1: Tailoring Programs To Florida Residents Who Use Irrigation in the Home Landscape
To better promote water-conservation practices among homeowners who irrigate their landscaping, Extension professionals must first have a clear understanding of this target audience’s habits, beliefs, and needs. This 10-page fact sheet recommends that Extension professionals analyze their audiences through several factors, including their interest in water conservation and knowledge of water issues and laws. Written by Laura A. Warner, Emmett Martin, Alexa Lamm, Joy Rumble, and Randall Cantrell, and published by the UF Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, May 2015. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc199
Perceptions of Florida-Friendly Landscapes: Linking Visual Quality and Environmental Health through Landscape Codes
Early efforts to promote Florida-Friendly landscapes emphasized the use of drought-tolerant plants, which created a negative association with a visually unappealing landscape. This has hampered the promotion of FFL yards and the adoption by homeowner associations. But recently many homeowners are rethinking their landscape maintenance and plant choices and HOAs are considering promoting environmentally friendly landscapes but express uncertainty about recommending FFL because of the need to maintain visual quality. We conducted a study to address both groups’ concerns and help develop FFL-oriented landscape codes that meet both groups’ needs. This 7-page fact sheet was written by Gail Hansen, Laura Warner, Paul Monaghan, Emily Ott, Tim Fogarty, Claire Lewis, and Esen Momol, and published by the UF Department of Environmental Horticulture, April 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep519
Rose Rosette Disease: A New Disease of Roses in Florida
Rose rosette disease is an incurable, destructive disease that affects both wild and cultivated roses. Over the past several decades, the disease has spread over much of the U.S., though it was first observed in Florida in 2013. This 6-page fact sheet describes the symptoms and diagnosis of the disease, as well as the cultural, chemical, and, possibly, biological controls that can minimize its spread. Written by Binoy Babu, Mathews L. Paret, Tim Schubert, Carlye Baker, Gary Knox, Fanny Iriarte, James Aldrich, Laura Ritchie, Carrie L. Harmon, and Svetlana Y. Folimonova, and published by the UF Department of Plant Pathology, May 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp317
Encouraging Landscape Water-Conservation Behaviors: Information Seeking Preferences of Florida Residents Who Use Irrigation in the Home Landscape
How can we encourage Florida residents who irrigate their home landscapes to adopt environmentally responsible irrigation practices? Provide them information they are interested in and deliver it through their preferred information channels. This 4-page fact sheet discusses the topics of interest to this audience and how they prefer to receive information about water-conservation practices related to their home landscaping, and makes recommendations for reaching this audience. Written by Courtney Owens, Laura Warner, Joy Rumble, Alexa Lamm, Emmett Martin, Randall Cantrell, and published by the UF Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, April 2015. (UF/IFAS Photo by Thomas Wright)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc204
Lemon bacopa: Bacopa caroliniana
Lemon bacopa is a native aquatic and wetland plant that is a welcome inclusion in a variety of settings, including water gardens, aquatic ponds, and wetland restoration and mitigation sites. The species is broadly adapted and extremely common throughout Florida, and its perennial nature assures a stellar performance year after year. Although lemon bacopa can be weedy in some situations, it is most often considered a beneficial native plant that brings a number of desirable characteristics to almost any aquatic setting. This 3-page fact sheet was written by Lyn Gettys and Carl J. Della Torre III, and published by the UF Department of Agronomy, April 2015. (Photo: Lyn Gettys, UF/IFAS)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag392
Olives for Your Florida Landscape
Olives have great potential as a landscape ornamental and may also provide opportunities for home fruit production. However, as a relatively new commercial crop to Florida, the cultural requirements of these trees are not completely known and research is ongoing to understand how to manage them for plant health and fruit yield as well as to make recommendations on varietal selections best suited to the southeastern region of the United States. This 5-page fact sheet includes culture and management information, selected references, and a table listing a selection of olive cultivars currently available in the U.S. Written by Mack Thetford, Jennifer L. Gillett-Kaufman, Michael J. Mulvaney, and published by the UF Department of Environmental Horticulture, February 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep515
Sting Nematode Belonolaimus longicaudatus Rau (Nematoda: Tylenchida: Belonolaimidae)
Among the most destructive plant-parasitic nematodes to a wide range of plants, Belonolaimus longicaudatus damages plant roots. When the plants cannot take up water and nutrients from the soil, they become stunted, wilt, and with severe infestation, die. Florida is considered to be the point-of-origin for Belonolaimus longicaudatus and therefore this nematode exhibits a great deal of diversity in morphology, host preference, and genetics in our region. This 6-page fact sheet was written by W. T. Crow, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, March 2015. (Photo W. T. Crow, UF/IFAS)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1080
Not All Landscape Palm Fertilizers Are Created Equal
Palms are widely planted in Florida landscapes. Their bold leaf textures create a tropical or Mediterranean look that is highly desired by residents and tourists alike. But palms have very high nutritional requirements, and deficiencies of any element can result in conspicuous and unattractive symptoms on their large leaves. UF/IFAS research shows that the most effective fertilizer has 100% of the N, K, Mg, and B sources in slow-release or controlled-release form and that all of the Mn, Fe, Zn, and Cu sources should be water soluble. This 4-page fact sheet explains the reasons for this recommendation and how to ensure that you have a formulation that will be effective. Written by Timothy K. Broschat, and published by the UF Department of Environmental Horticulture, March 2015. (Photo Credit: T.K. Broschat)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep516
Butia odorata: Pindo Palm
The pindo or jelly palm is a small, single-stemmed, feather-leaved palm widely grown in warmer parts of the US due to its unusual cold tolerance. It is considered hardy down to about 10°F (USDA zone 8A). The palm is slow-growing, eventually reaching 15 to 20 feet, making it suitable for planting under power lines. This 2-page fact sheet was written by Timothy K. Broschat, and published by the UF Department of Environmental Horticulture, February 2014.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/st105
Contaminants in the Urban Environment: Perfluoroalkyl Substances
Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) or perfluorochemicals (PFCs) are the most widespread and persistent manmade chemicals on earth. Common products that contain PFASs are Teflon pans, non-stick cookware, rain/waterproof jackets (like Gore-Tex), fire-fighting foams, food packaging, carpets, and furniture fabrics. PFASs stay in the environment for a long period of time, which means they can accumulate in organisms to levels that cause harmful effects. This 9-page fact sheet discusses the occurrence, use, exposure, and potential harmful effects of PFASs to humans and the environment, and suggests ways to reduce your exposure to PFSAs. Written by Ignacio A. Rodriguez-Jorquera and Gurpal S. Toor, and published by the UF Department of Soil and Water Science, March 2015. (Photos: Thinkstock.com)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss631
Contaminants in the Urban Environment: Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs), Parts 1 and 2
Pharmaceuticals and personal care products contain a variety of chemical substances that enter household wastewater from bath and shower, sinks, and washers and ultimately find their way into the environment. Continuous discharge of wastewater contributes to the accumulation of these substances in the environment — where they can be harmful to organisms. These fact sheets were written by Yun-Ya Yang and Gurpal S. Toor, and published by the UF Department of Soil and Water Science, March 2015. (Photo: iStock/Thinkstock.com)
Part 1 provides an overview of the use and sale of PPCPs in the United States and the world: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss632
Part 2 discusses the sources and impacts of PPCPs and offers common-sense ways we can protect our environment from PPCPs.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss633
Floridian Consumer Perceptions of Local versus Organic Ornamental Plants
Horticultural consumers in Florida are interested in local and organically produced plants. But these terms can mean different things in different regions. UF/IFAS researchers conducted a survey last summer which suggests that consumers in central Florida define local as plants that are grown near where they are sold and identify the most important local benefits as product safety, quality, and community support. Organic plants are perceived as requiring fewer chemical additives and being healthier for the environment. The importance of these traits varies by plant type. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Hayk Khachatryan and Alicia Rihn, and published by the UF Department of Food and Resource Economics, February 2015.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe964
Tawny Crazy Ant (previously known as Caribbean crazy ant) Nylanderia (formerly Paratrechina) fulva (Mayr) (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae)
Nylanderia fulva is part of a group of ants referred to as “crazy ants” due to their quick and erratic movements. It has been reported from 27 counties of Florida and 27 counties of Texas, as well as from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. Huge number of workers in infested areas can make human activities uncomfortable and difficult. They can infest sidewalks, buildings and gardens, and damage phone lines, air conditioning units and computers. They have killed honey bee larvae and used the hives as their nests, and are even displacing red imported fire ants where the two populations overlap in Texas. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Shweta Sharma, John Warner, and Rudolph H. Scheffrahn, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2014. (Photo: Lyle Buss, UF/IFAS)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1071
BOOKSTORE: SP 496 Trees: North & Central Florida ($24.95)
This sturdy, pocket-sized field guide–the only one of its kind for north and central Florida–is designed for landscape professionals, arborists, naturalists, gardeners, and anyone seeking to know the trees around them. Full color photographs of leaves, bark, flowers and full trees, together with clear descriptions and other information make identifying trees easier than ever. The book also features a handy diagnostic key, an introduction to plant parts, a glossary and a ruler to guide you, whether you’re a trained botanist or a total beginner. This field guide to 140 common tree species is written by Andrew Koeser, Gitta Hasing, Melissa Friedman, and Robert Irving and published by UF/IFAS. Available only at the UF/IFAS Extension Bookstore.
Io Moth Automeris io (Fabricius) (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)
The beautiful Io moth is one of our most recognizable moths, because of its prominent hind wing eyespots. The attractive Io moth caterpillar is also well-known because of its painful sting. But like many of the other saturniid moths, is less common now in parts of its range. With the exception of Cape Cod and some of the Massachusetts islands, it is now rare in New England where it was once common, and its populations have declined in most of the Gulf States since the 1970s. This 12-page fact sheet was written by Donald W. Hall, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2014. (Photo: Donald W. Hall, UF/IFAS)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1065
Bismarckia nobilis: Bismarck Palm
The Bismarck palm is a native of Madagascar that grows to a height of 30 to 60 feet with a spread of 12 to 16 feet. The massive 4-foot-wide costapalmate leaves are typically silver-green in color, but a light olive-green-leaved variety also exists. The persistent leaf bases are split, creating an attractive pattern on the 15–18-inch-diameter trunks. The dark brown male and female inflorescences are produced on separate trees, with females developing olive-brown fruit about 1.5 inches in diameter. The bold texture and color and eventual great height of this species make a strong statement in any setting, but can be overpowering in small residential landscapes. This 3-page fact sheet was written by Timothy Broschat, and published by the UF Department of Environmental Horticulture, February 2015. (Photo credit: T. K. Broschat)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/st101