Happy Fall Y’all: Florida Fall Gardens

Pinebarren Goldenrod, Solidago fistulosa. Photos by Dan Culbert, UF/IFAS

Today is the first day of fall: A season of cool, crisp air, roasting marshmallows over bonfires and watching warm-colored leaves drift to the ground.

However, it is still mighty hot here in the Sunshine State. Not to mention dry – so much for bonfires. And the leaves here don’t change colors unless the tree they’re growing on is getting ready to kill over. Oh well – we can still enjoy goldenrods blooming along the highway and SEC football on the weekends! Those are two things that undoubtedly go hand-in-hand with Florida falls.

One thing that many Floridians don’t necessarily associate with this time of year is planting gardens. But there are numerous vegetables, herbs, and flowers that flourish in Florida this time of year. Did you know that Florida strawberries are planted in October? In fact, according to the Florida Strawberry Growers Association, Hillsborough County produces about 15 percent of the nation’s strawberries and virtually all the berries grown in the U.S. during the winter.

What to Plant 

IFAS’s easy-to-use Florida Gardening Calendar can help you determine what to plant in your fall garden and how to care for it.

Just like your mum – chrysanthemums and marigolds are annuals that flourish in the fall of the year and are idyllic autumn blooms. For more fall bloomers and how to care for them, click here.

Prefer veggie tales? Here are a few vegetables that you might consider planting in your fall garden:

• Beets
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Kale
• Mustard Greens
• Onions
• Radishes
• Squash
• Turnips

Before you plant veggies, flowers or herbs, it is important to take into consideration current weather patterns and your location in Florida. What may be planted in October in South Florida, may not last through North Florida’s harsh winters. Take roses for example. I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden – but this is the time to plant them in South Florida. According to IFAS, North Florida residents may want to wait until spring as repeated freezes are harmful to the root system.  Visit IFAS’s Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide to determine when and what you should plant this fall.

Where to Start

Remember to buy local when you are purchasing transplants. And be sure to purchase plants from registered nurseries. Don’t transport plants across state or national borders as they may be harboring pests, diseases or other plant material. If transported, these pests, diseases and other foreign plant material could potentially establish permanent homes in areas where they have no natural predators, becoming an invasive problem by competing with the established natural resources. Protect our natural resources, don’t pack a pest.

Possible Pests 

Although the humidity may have dropped a bit, don’t be surprised if you have any pests rooting around in your foliage.

Giant African land snail

Two pests to look out for are snails and slugs. The Veronicell sloanei species attacks a huge variety of Florida’s fall crops, including beans and peas, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots and lettuce. Another menacing snail to look out for is the giant African land snail. This invasive pest can grow up to eight inches in length and will not only eat nearly every crop grown in Florida, but will also eat plaster and stucco! This species has been recently identified in Miami-Dade County.

If you see an invasive pest in your area, such as the giant African land snail, or would like help identifying or eradicating any plant pests that worm their way into your garden, call us toll-free at 1-888-397-1517. You can also visit us online at http://www.freshfromflorida.com/pi/ for more information about Florida’s plant industry.

Enjoy the last of those summer crops and prepare for the bountiful fall harvest ahead! Click here for information about Florida’s seasonal availability and enjoy this yummy recipe for Fall Harvest Chowder. Even though the temperatures haven’t dropped off in our home state, jump into the spirit of fall by growing a fall garden.

Enjoy ag blogs? Here is another great resource about fall gardening in Florida: Fall Into Place.

Happy fall y’all!

Hurricane Preparedness: Protect Your Plants

Floridians don’t often have the definite signs of a new season, such as the red and orange leaves of autumn or the falling flakes of winter snow. However, there is one season that Floridians are all too familiar with: hurricane season.

The Atlantic Hurricane season begins on June 1 and lasts until November 30. Floridians gear up for this time of year by stocking up on canned food, bottled water and batteries, and dusting off those hurricane shutters.

When preparing for hurricanes here at DPI, we think about protecting Florida’s plant industry, and you should too.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina racked up over $700 million in damage to agricultural interests in Miami-Dade County alone. Winds ripped 7,000 acres of avocados off the trees and left many sitting in flooded groves. Florida nurseries were left with devastation and ruin, a terrible blow to an industry worth $15.2 billion in Florida, according to the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association.

But the extent of hurricane damage doesn’t end there.

In 2004 and 2005, hurricanes contributed to the spread citrus canker, a bacterial disease of citrus that causes premature leaf and fruit drop, to over 80,000 acres of commercial citrus.

Experts here at DPI, along with researchers at IFAS and other institutions, have been working to create tools to predict disease spread as a result of extreme weather events and as a means of targeting resources for citrus disease survey and detection activities. DPI, in partnership with the USDA, also developed the Citrus Health Response Program to provide the industry with pest and disease management strategies.

Just as many of you protect your plants during a freeze by bringing them inside or throwing a sheet over them, you can protect your plant life during a hurricane, too.

Whether you’re a hobby gardener or a commercial nursery owner, protect your plants this hurricane season.

Hurricane Preparation Tips

Prior planning is the best solution to help prevent hurricane damage. But there are a couple of things to keep in mind in the few days or hours before a hurricane.

For those of you with large potted plants, lay them down with the container toward the wind. Bring small potted plants into a secured location to prevent them from becoming a flying hazard during the storm.

When planting new trees in a hurricane-prone area, the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) at the University of Florida recommends:

1. Plant tree species that are high quality, have good structure and are more wind resistant such as:
   

   Crape myrtle
• Cabbage Palm
• Crape myrtle
• Dogwood
• Live Oak
• Southern Magnolia
• Sweetgum
2. Match recommended species to the local site conditions. Consider soil properties (soil depth, water table and compaction) and aerial space needed for a mature-sized tree. Avoid planting trees near power lines or close to buildings.
3. Consider planting trees in groups of five or more as opposed to individually. But be sure to give trees adequate rooting space with no obstructions.
4. Plant a variety of species, ages, layers of trees and shrubs to maintain diversity.
5. Establish a structural pruning program early on. This will reduce the length of branches competing with the main trunk, promoting optimal tree health.

Take a look at this IFAS Extension manual on Assessing Damage and Restoring Trees after a Hurricane for more information about preparing for and recovering from a hurricane. Click here for hurricane preparation tips for nursery growers.

Hurricane Mocktail Recipe

At the end of the day, hurricane preparation can be tiresome. Rejuvenate yourself with a tropical Hurricane mocktail – festive, right? This sweet treat is great for kids and easy to make! Enjoy this recipe year-round and be sure to use fresh Florida orange juice!

Photo by Marg (CaymanDesigns)

Ingredients

~ 1 (10 ounce) bottle V8 tropical blend
~ 1 1/2 ounces orange juice
~ 12 pieces ice
~ 1 ounce grenadine
~ carbonated lemon-lime beverage

Directions
~ Put ice in shaker, add V8 & OJ
~ Shake thoroughly
~ Pour into hurricane glasses
~ Pour grenadine over the juices
~ DO NOT STIR
~ Pour soda on top to fill glass
~ DO NOT STIR
~ Enjoy :)

Please share any of your own great hurricane preparation tips (or recipes)! Cheers to protecting Florida’s plant industry this hurricane season.

Love, Bugs and Other Drugs

Miami is a known hot-spot for intercepting illegal imported goods into the nation. With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, cut flowers will be passing through Miami and its international airport at an increased rate. WSB-TV Atlanta reported that cut flowers were being used by cocaine traffickers to attempt to sneak the illegal substance into the country. While illegal drugs are of critical concern to the nation, illegal bugs are of significant concern, too. According to WSB-TV’s article, more than 8 out of every 10 cut flowers shipped into the country during Valentine’s Day season come through Miami International Airport, with flowers most commonly originating from Colombia and Ecuador, places from which invasive insects could easily hitch a ride to the United States.

Florida is a sentinel state for invasive pests and diseases, with a new potentially devastating pest or disease entering the state each month on average. When you travel, or decide to purchase products that have to be imported, keep in mind the risks associated with importing invasive pests and diseases. Agricultural inspectors work hard every day to make sure that harmful pests and diseases do not move past our ports, but it is the responsibility of all citizens to protect Florida and the food produced here. Help protect Florida’s agriculture and natural resources: don’t pack a pest!

Click here to read WSB Atlanta’s article, “Valentine Flowers Checked for Bugs, Drugs.”

FNGLA showcases Florida’s unique horticulture industry with 2011 Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition

Florida’s agriculture industry is unique in many ways due to the state’s varying climate allowing for the production of over 280 different commodities, from the hay fields in Escambia County to the specialty fruits grown in Miami-Dade. However, perhaps the facet of the industry most unique to Florida is its availability and quality of tropical plants and foliage in nurseries around the state.

For more info, visit http://www.fngla.org.

The Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA) is the state’s oldest and largest association focused on the needs of the environmental horticulture industry. Although FNGLA has a long history in Florida, the member-driven organization is committed to meeting the needs of the growing, changing industry. FNGLA members and professionals are on the cutting edge of their field, especially in regards to tropical plants.

This week (Jan. 19-21), FNGLA is hosting the Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition in Fort Lauderdale. The theme of thisyear’s event is “Setting the Trend with V.I.P.s – Very Important Plants.” With over 200,000 square feet showcasing tropical plants, foliage, flowers, industry exhibits and short courses, this indoor virtual garden is one experience you don’t want to miss. If you’re a wholesale buyer, this is an opportunity to have access to the biggest variety of resources for tropical foliage and plants in the nation.

FNGLA’s Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition is setting new trends with tropical plants important to Florida and its horticulture industry.

Awesome plants, industry resources and a few days in sunny South Florida? This sounds like a no-brainer for plant industry professionals. This event is sure to highlight Florida’s ability to set exciting, new trends for the tropical horticulture industry, and also prove just how important Florida’s V.I.P.s are to the state. Drop by the DPI booth and visit with one of our plant inspectors, to learn more about how the division protects Florida’s horticulture industry.

Florida is home to a wide variety of tropical plants available in nurseries throughout the state.

Greenhouse and nursery products are Florida’s leading agricultural commodity in terms of cash receipts and exports. In 2008, cash receipts for Florida’s greenhouse and nursery products totaled $1.8 billion. Those in tune with popular culture know Peter Parker’s famous line from the movie, Spiderman: “With great power comes great responsibility.” As a booming industry with an international impact, professionals involved in Florida’s horticulture community have the power and responsibility to protect the resources that support the greenhouse and nursery products it markets. As Floridians, and therefore stakeholders in those resources, consumers share that responsibility by having the power to make sure to only purchase plants from registered nurseries and to follow state and federal policy and regulations for moving plants and plant parts within and across state lines. Florida is a sentinel state for plant pests and diseases, and it is imperative that we all do our part to protect Florida’s resources, as well as the industries, like horticulture, that have a large economic impact for the state.

For more information, visit http://www.fl-dpi.com, or call DPI’s Helpline at 888-397-1517.