In this Issue. Volume XX Number XX. Spring 2018, Issue 5

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1 Volume XX Number XX Spring 2018, Issue 5 In this Issue Title Page Flower & Garden Expo...1 Extension Happenings.2-4 Florida Friendly Plants Lawn Care Tips All American Selections....7 Spring Veggies Lima beans, mustard, okra, sweet potatoes, and more thrive this time of year. For a complete list, download the North FL Gardening Calendar: EP/EP45100.pdf For more information contact: UF/IFAS Extension St. Johns County Terra Freeman terraf@ufl.edu (904) FAX (904)

2 EPIC FLOWER AND GARDEN EXPO SPEAKERS BUREAU Sat, April 21, :00 am Sea Turtles, Presented by Kelly Ussia, St. Johns County Parks Naturalist Sea turtle nesting season runs from May 1 st to October 31 st. Learn about the various species that nest on our beaches, the nesting process, and what you can do to help the sea turtle population. 11:30 am Florida s Butterflies and their Garden Preferences, Presented by Terra Freeman, UF/IFAS Extension St. Johns County Horticulture Extension Agent Florida is home to over 180 butterfly species, 40 of which are considered unique to the state, making Florida a premier location for butterfly gardens. Explore Florida s common butterflies and how to design gardens that will attract and nourish them. 1:00 pm Poisonous Plants, Presented by Cat Rogers, St. Johns County Master Gardener Learn about the Dr. Jekyll's and Mr. Hyde s of the plant world. They are beautiful, but deadly, plants. Some can be found as close as your own gardens, patios and pastures. Learn to recognize them and how they can affect both humans and animals. 2:30 pm Crotons, Presented by Mark Peters, Owner of Peters Croton Nursery Learn about the history of croton cultivation and how you can grow crotons in northeast Florida via containers. Sun April 22, :00 am Hydrangeas: How to Achieve the Desired Color, Presented by Barbara Purple, St. Johns County Master Gardener Caring for hydrangeas, with a focus on the materials needed to turn pink flowers to blue or blue flowers to pink; hint: acidity/alkalinity is not the determining factor! 12:30 pm Grow Your Own Vegetables, Presented by Barbara Purple, St. Johns County Master Gardener Learn how to turn a small patch of dirt into a growing machine that produces vegetables for you and your family. 2

3 Master Gardener Plant Clinics and Help Desk Is your lawn suffering from insect damage? Is your citrus tree exhibiting symptoms of a nutrient deficiency? Wondering what crops will grow in Florida this time of year? Master Gardeners are available to answer your diagnostic questions at the Extension office Help Desk at (904) , most weekdays from 9 to noon. You can drop a sample off, or call in with your questions. You can also bring your diagnostic questions to the Master Gardener Plant Clinic on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, from 10 am to 2 pm, located at Home Depot at 1750 US Hwy 1 South, St. Augustine. St. Johns County Master Gardener Program Applications The Florida Master Gardener program is a volunteer training program designed to help University of Florida Cooperative Extension faculty disseminate research-based information about horticulture to the public. UF/IFAS Extension St. Johns County is accepting applicants for the 2018 Master Gardener Program. The program provides participants with 50 hours of horticulture training and requires participants to donate 75 hours of volunteer service within their first year to become certified. The $100 fee covers books and training materials. The deadline to apply is Thursday, May 31, and classes will be offered on Wednesdays, from August 8 to October 17. Interested St. Johns County residents should contact Terra Freeman at terraf@ufl.edu for an application. UF/IFAS Extension St. Johns County Master Gardener Scholarship A special scholarship has been established with the UF/IFAS Extension St. Johns County Master Gardener Program. The amount awarded will be up to $1, This scholarship will be judged on the following criteria: school leadership, scholarship, community service and interest in the course of study. Candidates must be enrolled in a higher education program in the State of Florida in the fields of horticulture, agriculture or natural resources. To obtain the application, please terraf@ufl.edu. Applications can also be downloaded from the St. Johns County School District Scholarship site at: All applications must be received by the Scholarship Committee by May 1st,

4 Upcoming Events Florida-Friendly Friday: Recycle Yard Waste; Mulch; Reduce Stormwater Runoff; and Protect the Waterfront Friday, April 27, am to 12:30 pm St. Johns County Extension Wind Mitigation Building $10 fee Presented by Terra Freeman, Urban and Commercial Horticulture Extension Agent Register online at: Pre-registration required as spaces are limited! Use Eventbrite registration link to register. Bug Week This year, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences' Bug Week celebration arrives almost two months earlier than usual March 30 to April 7 and UF/IFAS Extension St. Johns County is buzzing with excitement about the theme pollinators! It's common knowledge that honey bees pollinate flowers and help produce many important food crops, including such Florida mainstays as watermelon, squash, cucumber, blueberry and avocado. What isn't so well known is that other insects act as pollinators too butterflies, moths, wasps, even ants and beetles! This year, Bug Week is raising public awareness about all of Florida s pollinators. To see a few examples and learn what pollinators do, check out the Bug of the Day and Bug Word of the Day posts on Twitter and Facebook beginning Monday, April 2. Find them by searching for #UFBugs on Twitter and Facebook. If you've taken a bug photo, reach other bug enthusiasts statewide by using the hashtag #UFBugs when you post it on your Twitter, Facebook or Instagram account. Throughout Bug Week and the rest of the year, we are ready to answer bug-related questions from local residents. Whether you need help attracting pollinators to your property, want to identify an unfamiliar bug, or have to solve a pest problem around the house, there are science-based solutions available. Now in its sixth year, Bug Week is UF/IFAS annual outreach event celebrating entomology, the scientific study of insects and their close relatives. To learn more, visit 4

5 Florida-Friendly Landscaping: Attracting Wildlife to your Garden Terra Freeman, Urban and Commercial Horticulture Agent, UF/IFAS Extension St. Johns County Did you know Florida has 69 identified ecosystems with over 4000 flowering plants, 700 land vertebrates, 1000 fish and 30,000 land invertebrates? With 7 USDA hardiness zones, it is no surprise that Florida ranks third in plant diversity of any state. Unfortunately, much of Florida s biodiversity is being lost to development, invasive species and other effects of urbanization, but by following some simple steps to create habitat for wildlife in our yards, we can help to restore vital elements for native fauna. By providing food, shelter, water and space, native wildlife such as butterflies, birds, bats, turtles, and frogs will flock to your garden. When planting for birds, butterflies, and other pollinators, it is important to research which types of plants will provide for the specific pollinators you wish to attract. Information is readily available, and this EDIS publication is a great place to start: Native Plants that Benefit Native Wildlife in the Florida Panhandle, uw384. Selecting native plants to provide food and shelter in your garden is a natural choice. Native flora has coevolved with native fauna, creating a symbiotic relationship that has helped both to survive over time. Native plants get pollinated while pollinators are nourished by food sources that provide the highest level of nutrition. Many require specific host plants to survive, hence the importance of keeping these native food sources in the landscape. For example, while adult monarchs will drink nectar from many flowers, the monarch caterpillar will only feed on milkweed or plants of the genus Asclepias. While 21 species of Asclepias are native to Florida, only about 3 are commercially available: butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), aquatic milkweed (Asclepias perennis), and swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata). Asclepias tuberosa, Butterfly Weed Scarlett milkweed, Asclepias curassivica, is also commonly available, but note that it is not a native species, and can actually contribute to monarch decline by halting migration. Migration is essential for keeping monarchs healthy and parasite free. Scarlett milkweed does not go dormant in the fall or during mild winters as the native species do, encouraging monarchs to stay. If you do have this in your garden, please consider replacing it with a native species. Other tips to keep in mind when designing a wildlife habitat in your yard are to plant masses of each type of plant (rather than just one of each), and multiple types of plants that offer blooms and berries throughout the seasons. When designing for butterflies, be sure to include both host plants for their larval stage and nectar plants for the adults. If you would like to learn more about gardening for wildlife, stop by my program on Florida s Butterflies and their Garden Preferences at the upcoming EPIC Flower and Garden Expo. 5

6 April, May and June Lawn Care Tips By Joe Kirby, Horticulture Program Assistant, UF/IFAS Extension St. Johns County Replace sod that has been damaged by frost. Mow weekly, following UF/IFAS recommended mow heights for lawn type. Do not remove more than one-third of the grass blade per mowing. Lawn Type Mow Height in Inches St. Augustine St. Augustine Dwarf Zoysia Zoysia Dwarf Bahia 3-4 Bermuda ¾ Check that irrigation system and heads are all functioning properly and repair if necessary. Supplemental irrigation should ideally be done only when needed. When watering, apply ½ - ¾ inch per zone. The following chart details St. Johns County Water Management District regulations for watering schedule: Time of Year Odd # or No Address Even # Address Non-Residential Property Daylight Savings Time Eastern Standard Time Wednesday & Saturday Thursday & Sunday Tuesday & Friday Saturday Sunday Tuesday Apply a complete granular fertilizer with little or no phosphorous (2% max) when temperatures are consistently above 75 degree F. If lawn is fertilized in April, may apply liquid iron in June instead of nitrogen. Weed and Feed fertilization is not recommended. Chinch bugs and other insects start to thrive this time of year. If present, treat affected area only. 6

7 Not Your Average Zinnia Shirley Barber, Master Gardener, UF/IFAS Extension St. Johns County Who doesn t love the big beautiful blooms of Zinnias? How often have you planted these flowers only to see them succumb to mildew and fungal diseases during the heat of the summer? The most recent generation of the Profusion series has produced a much different Zinnia. Profusion Double Hot Cherry was trialed in all parts of North America and declared the 2013 All-American Selections (AAS) winner in the bedding plant category. This special plant was also recognized for garden performance with Europe s FleuroSelect Gold Medal in The bushy well-branched plants average 8 to 14 inches high and spread 12 to 18 inches wide with 2½ to 3 inch double flowers. What this plant lacks in bloom size, it surely makes up for it with quantity of blooms. This prolific bloomer is covered in non-fading vivid cherry rose blooms for months. It displays disease resistance and tolerates heat, humidity, and drought. Best of all no deadheading is needed as this compact plant is self-cleaning. Zinnia Profusion Double Hot Cherry and its companions Profusion Double Deep Salmon and Profusion Double Yellow are stunning in the landscape and stand out as mass plantings. They are also beautiful and useful in container plantings. Zinnias are easy to grow from seed, germinating within 4 to 10 days and flowering just 60 to 65 days after sowing. This cheerful cutie will brighten your day with its cherry rose blossoms and will quickly become one of your favorite go-to landscape plants. Visit the gardens at St. Johns County Agriculture Center where there is always something to discover. An Equal Opportunity Institution. UF/IFAS Extension, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension. Single copies of UF/IFAS Extension publications (excluding 4-H and youth publications) are available free to Florida residents from county UF/IFAS Extension offices. 7