UF/IFAS Extension
Charlotte County
UF/IFAS Extension Charlotte County is a partnership between the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Charlotte County government, to provide scientific knowledge and expertise to the public.
Contact
charlotte@ifas.ufl.edu
941.764.4340
1120 Centennial Boulevard
Port Charlotte, FL 33953
Harvest now, plant in the fall – backyard cauliflower
The cauliflower has a long history of cultivation in the Old World but is now a worldwide favorite amongst Cole crops. All Cole crops – cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collards and kale – originated from one plant – Brassica oleracea and are easy to grow
02/06/2023
The telltale leaf notcher
At least initially, it seems that some pests were blown away by Hurricane Ian. Once such pest in my yard was the Sri Lankan Weevil
02/02/2023
National Ag Day: Growing a Climate for Tomorrow
March 21st is National Agriculture Day, a time to recognize and celebrate the men and women who produce our food, fuel and fiber. Now celebrating its 50th Anniversary, the theme for this year’s Ag Day is “Growing a Climate for Tomorrow”
03/20/2023
Shrub, hedge, material for a floral arrangement – the all-purpose pittosporum
While many landscape plants have one or more common names that people recognize, the pittosporum is most often called just “pittosporum”. Many other names such as the Japanese mock-orange, Japanese pittosporum, and tobira have been used, but I don’t think that I would respond if I heard one of these aliases
01/09/2023
2023 – New year’s gardening resolutions
It has been an interesting 2022 gardening year beginning with a hard freeze and finishing up with a hurricane, but 2023 is ready for cultivation and planting! Take time for some personal horticultural reflection and goal setting in the gardening department! The New Year is a great time to make some horticultural resolutions that will benefit any landscape. Let's look at some tips, techniques and strategies that will make your
01/08/2023
Christmas palms in color
When you imagine the perfect small palm, you might think of one around ten feet tall, with deep-green, feather-like arching fronds about five feet long emerging from a bright green crownshaft on a gray trunk about six inches wide topped at Christmas time with clusters of bright red fruits. Is the Christmas palm the perfect small palm? Like all plants, the Christmas palm has its advantages and disadvantages
01/07/2023
Norfolk Island pines – enjoy them now, maybe don’t plant them later
If you want a small “living” table- top Christmas tree for the Holidays, the Norfolk Island pine will likely fit the bill. Easy to maintain for many years in a container, the Norfolk Island pine (a conifer, but not really a true pine) is the perfect Holiday gift and an ideal decorative interiorscape specimens
12/15/2022
