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Articles from the Local Media

This section provides the text of articles written by Miami-Dade County Extension personnel that have appeared in local media outlets. John McLaughlin has begun a column entitled "A Word or Two About Gardening," which has appeared in the Calkins Media newspapers, South Dade Newsleader and Palmetto Bay Leader, and which is intended for Miami-Dade homeowners. Click the links below to read the respective articles.

• Flowering wines: Some impressive climbers that attach by twinning and clinging

• Flowering vines: Meet some clambering shrubs that appreciate our support

• Heliconias: Much more than just Parrots and Lobster Claws

• Your Miami-Dade landscape can be a great source of holiday color

• Ginger: Attractive foliage and stunning flowers for a shady Miami garden

• Looking to accentuate the tropical? Ornamental bananas, bird-of-paradise and traveler’s tree provide striking foliage and showy flowers

• Ground cover options in Miami-Dade for full sun locations

• Some small durable palms for Miami-Dade

• A guide to what ails your citrus tree

• Becoming reacquainted with a long lost love-Citrus trees return

• Put some regal splashes of color in your Miami-Dade landscape

• Biohazards in the yard: playing it safe

• Replacing and/or restoring damaged trees: A post hurricane time-out

• There are Green Alternatives to a Chain Link Fence

• Your Miami-Dade Guide to Holiday Plants

• Beware of intrusive plants - a timely post-hurricane topic

• Weeds-what's in a name?

• Groundcover for open, sunny, natural landscapes

• Conserving water in a Miami-Dade vegetable garden

• In Miami-Dade think raised bed gardening

• A foolproof way to brighten a dull yard

• Some more rare and exotic tropical fruit trees for Miami-Dade yards

• Accent plants: an essential part of a tropical garden

• Feeding your landscape plants--macro and micro nutrients

• Feeding your landscape plants--first understand your soil

• Succulents Can be An Excellent Choice for Miami-Dade Landscapes

• Some Sunny Garden Color

• Three Tropical Fruit Favorites: Bananas, Papaya and Pineapple

• A Taste for the Exotic - Some not so Familiar Fruit Trees

• Low Maintenance Landscape Roses for Miami-Dade

• What About Growing Roses in Miami-Dade County?

• Making Up Your Flower Beds

• Plant Clinic(Column in the Sunday Miami Herald)

• Leafy Green Vegetables and More

• The Garden Blues and How to Enjoy Them

• Taking the Stress Out of Gardening

• From Africa via Thailand Comes Some Low-Maintenance Garden Color

• If Not Grass then What?  

• Time to Plant the Veggies  

• Some Neat Little Trees

• If You Like Chutney & Guacamole.....

• You too Can Learn to Read Palms

In-House Publications & Fact Sheets

Trees & Landscape Plants

• Ground Cover for South Florida: Full Sun to Limited Shade

• Bioecología de Arboles Naativos y Exóticos de Puerto Rico y las Indias Occidentales/Silvics of Native and Exotic Trees of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean Islands (Spanish)

• Fruit Tree Recovery Post-Storm

• El Aguacate en Florida

• Succulents in Miami-Dade: Plantinga Dry Rock Garden

• Managing Fruit Orchards to Minimize Hurricane Damage

• Using a chainsaw safely

• El Anón en Florida

• La Atemoya

• Guía para el cultivo de los Arándanos en Florida

• El Canistel

• La Carambola en Florida

• Las Ciruelas en Florida

• El Chicosapote (Níspero)

• La Guayaba

• La Granada

• La Jaca en Florida

• El Lichi en Florida

• El Limón Criollo

• El Limón Persa en Florida

• El Mamey Sapote en Florida

• El Mamoncillo Longan en Florida

• El Mango en Florida

• La Manzana en Florida

• El Marañón en Florida

• La Maracuyá o Parchita

• La Papaya

• The Pitaya in Florida

• Los Plátanos en Florida

• Cultivo de Frutales en Macetas

• Poda y Estructuración de Arboles Frutales Caducifolios en Jardines

• Arbolitos  para los Patios de Miami-Dade

• Small Trees for Miami-Dade Landscapes

• Local Retail Nurseries that Specialize in Flowering Trees and Shrubs

• Edible Palms and Their Uses

• Mussaendas for South Florida Landscapes

• Marchitez por Fusarium  en Palmas del Genero Phoenix del Sur de Florida

• Diagnostico de Campo de las Enfermedades de las Palmas Ornamentales

• The Cashew Apple (Anacardium occidentale) in Florida

• Palmas del Genero Phoenix para el Sur de Florida

• Cultivo de la Verdadera Palma Datilera en el Sur de Florida

• Tropical & Sub-Tropical Fruit Trees for Miami-Dade County

• Phoenix Palms for South Florida  

• Tree Planting: A Quick Guide for Homeowners (Click here for 317 Kb )

• Siembra de Árboles: Una Guía Rápida para Propietarios (Apriete aqui 162 Kb )

• Low-Maintenance Landscape Plants for South Florida (Click here 768 Kb ) 

• Native Landscape Plants for South Florida (Click here 384 Kb )

• Growing Plants in the Shade
• Short-Day Shrubs for Fall and Winter Color

• Caesalpinia, The Other Birds-of-Paradise

• Growing True Date Palms in South Florida

• Desert Rose, Adenium obesum

• Blackberry-lily, a Flowering Perennial for South Florida
• Crown-of-Thorns, Euphorbia millii  

• Roses in Your South Florida Landscape

• Old Roses for South Florida (Click here 1.7 Mb )

• Terrestrial Orchids for South Florida

• Groundcovers for Shade: South Florida

• Cycads in the South 'Florida Landscape' (Click here 3.3 Mb )

• Cycads for South Florida (online slideshow)

• Healthy Palms in Healthy South 'Florida Landscapes' (Click here 1.8 Mb )

• Overused, Inappropriate & Underutilized Palms for
  South 'Florida Yards' (online slideshow)

• Palms for South Florida (online slideshow)

• Invasive and Banned Plants of Miami-Dade County

• Native Plant Nurseries in South Florida  

For the latest information on planting trees please refer to "Planting Trees in Landscapes" by Dr. Ed Gilman

Pests, Diseases & Deficiencies

• Deficiencia de Magnesio en las Palmas
• Lobate Lac Scale
• Concern about the Lobate Sac Scale

• Pudricion de la Yema por Phytophthora en Palmas del Sur de Florida

• Pudricion de la Yema en Palmas por Thielaviopsis
• Fusarium wilt of Date Palm in South Florida
• La Deficiencia de Potasio en Palmas
• La "Copa Encrespada" en Palmas y la Deficiencia de Manganeso
• Magnesium Deficiency of Palms
• A Pink Hibiscus Mealybug Primer... and Update
• Reported Plant Hosts of Pink Hibiscus Mealybug (PHM)
• Potassium Deficiency of Palms
• Manganese Deficiency of Palms
• Field Diagnosis of Diseases in Landscape Palms
• Phytophthora Bud Rot of Palms in South Florida
• Thielaviopsis Bud Rot of Palms
• Snail & Slug Management in South Florida

Landscape Maintenance

• Hurricane Damage Reduced in Trees Pruned for Strength
• La Poda de Formacion Reduce los Danos Causados por Huracanes
• It's all in how you define it
• Irrigation of the Home Garden: Vegetables
  and Bedding Plants in South Florida
• Nutrition and Fertilization of Landscape Palms

• Mulch Practices for South Florida

• Make Your Bedding Plants Last Longer

• Certified Arborist Brochure

A Guide to Planting an African-American/African Focused Yard in Miami-Dade County

   Select those topics of interest from the menu below. A printed version of the complete  guide is available on request for residents of Miami-Dade County from the U.F./Miami-Dade County Extension Office.

• Introduction and Acknowledgements

• Historical Background to the African American Garden

Plants for use in a Traditional African American Yard in Miami-Dade

• Vegetable and fruit Crops Including a Selection of those Grown in Africa

• Ornamentals: Annual/Bedding Plants

• Ornamentals: Flowering Perennials

• Ornamentals: Trees, Shrubs And Vines

A Selection of Ornamental African Plants Suitable for the Miami-Dade Landscape

A Selection of African Palms and Cycads Suitable for the Miami-Dade Landscape

Resources and Links

Agricultural/Horticultural Safety

• Gardens As a Source of Infectious Disease: Reducing the Risk  

• Agricultural Safety: Thunderstorms and Lightning

Drought & Water Conservation

• Landscape Drought Recommendations (Click here for 781 Kb )

• Saving Water Outdoors
• Rethinking Turf

Commercial Ornamental Production

• The Nursery Industry in Miami-Dade County
• Nursery Business Management: Can You Make a Profit?

• Caesalpinia, The Other Birds-of-Paradise

• Blood-lily... a Potential Nursery Crop for South Florida
• Calla-lily... a Potential Nursery Crop for South Florida
• Crown-of-Thorns, Euphorbia millii... Production and Landscape Use  
• The Desert Rose, Adenium obesum: Nursery Production  
• Paperwhite Narcissus... A Potential Nursery Crop for South Florida

Commercial Agriculture

• Tropical Fruit Nurseries in Southern Florida
• Miami-Dade County Agricultural Land Retention Study
• Consider Exporting...  
• Agricultural Safety: Thunderstorms and Lightning
• Seguridad en la Agricultura: Tormentas Eléctricas y Relámpagos

Pesticide Training

• Pesticide Applicator Certification: Which License Do I Need?

• Exams Required for Pesticide Applicator Certification & Study Materials for Certification Exams

• License Requirements for Lawn & Ornamental / Ornamental & Turf Pesticide Applicators in Florida

• How Many CEUs Do I Need to Renew My Pesticide License?

• Renewing Your Pesticide License with CEUs

Family Economic Stability

• Coping with Financial Stress  

• Debt Watch  

• Identity Theft is on the Rise  

Food Safety

This electronic repository contains over 4,000 publications related to agriculture, natural resources, the environment, and human and rural development. The database is updated twice a week, so check back frequently for the latest information! Click on the EDIS icon to the left to go to the site.

Home Landscaping and Gardening Publications on EDIS

Landscaping/Enviroscaping

• Basic Principles of Landscape Design
• Low Maintenance Landscapes
• Enviroscaping
• Enviroscaping to Conserve Energy: Determining Shade Patterns for South Florida
• Enviroscaping to Conserve Energy: A Guide to Microclimate Modification
• Enviroscaping to Conserve Energy: Trees for South Florida
• Enviroscaping to Conserve Energy: Ground Covers for South Florida
• Florida Guide to Environmental Landscaping
• Energy Efficiency & Environmental News: Landscape Maintenance
• Landscape Design for Water Conservation
• Landscaping to Conserve Energy: Annotated Bibliography

Choosing, Planting & Maintaining Landscape Plants & Trees

• A Guide to Selecting Existing Vegetation for Low-energy Landscapes
• Selecting and Planting Trees and Shrubs
• Native Trees for South Florida
• Ornamental Trees for South Florida
• Landscape Trees for Energy Conservation--South Florida Trees
• Native Shrubs for South Florida
• Pruning Landscape Trees and Shrubs
• Native Ground Covers For South Florida
• Flowering Perennials for Florida
• Bromeliads
• Florida Coonties and Atala Butterflies
• The Seagrape
• Hibiscus in Florida
• Salt Tolerant Plants for Florida
• Coping with Drought in the Landscape
• Conserving Water in the Home Landscape
• Dispelling Misperceptions About Trees
• Community Tree Care
• Evaluating and Treating Landscape Trees Following a Hurricane
• How Trees Grow in the Urban Environment
• Salt Tolerance of Landscape Plants for South Florida

Planting, Maintaining & Irrigating Your Lawn

• Preparing to Plant a Florida Lawn
• Selecting a Turfgrass for Florida Lawns
• Seashore Paspalum for Florida Lawns
• St. Augustinegrass for Florida Lawns
• Maintenance of St. Augustinegrass Lawns
• Fertilization and Irrigation Needs for Florida Lawns and Landscape
• Yearly Calendar for St. Augustinegrass Care and Culture
• Bermudagrass for Florida Lawns
• Maintenance of Bermudagrass Lawns
• Establishing Your Florida Lawn
• Watering Your Florida Lawn
• Water Requirements of Florida Turfgrasses
• Turf Irrigation for the Home
• Let Your Lawn Tell You When To Water
• How to Calibrate Your Fertilizer Spreader
• Mowing Your Florida Lawn
• Environmental Stresses and Your Florida Lawn
• Improving Drought Tolerance in Your Florida Lawn
• Minimizing Traffic Damage to Your Florida Lawn
• Promoting Turf Recovery Following a Hurricane
• Low Temperature Damage to Turf
• Reduced Irrigation of St. Augustinegrass Turfgrass in the Tampa Bay Area
• Growing Turfgrass in the Shade
• Turfgrass Diseases and Their Control
• Weed Control Guide for Florida Lawns
• Nematode Management in Home Lawns
• Management of Insects in Lawns
• Thatch and Its Control in Florida Lawns

Other Irrigation Articles

• Irrigation of Lawns and Gardens
• Microirrigation in The Landscape
• Causes and Prevention of Emitter Plugging In Microirrigation Systems
• How to Calibrate Your Sprinkler System
• Energy Efficiency & Environmental News: Residential Irrigation Systems Controllers and Sensors
• Evaporation Loss During Sprinkler Irrigation

Pest Control 

• The Smart Way to Avoid Landscape Pests and Other Problems
• What's Bugging Me? - A Guide for Environmental Landscape Pest Control by Homeowners
• Landscape Plant Insect Management Suggestion
• Energy-Efficient Enviroscaping And Pesticides
• Home Owner's Guide to Integrated Plant Disease Management
• Integrated Pest Management Strategies

Yard Waste/Compost/Mulch

• Mulches for the Landscape
• Landscape Mulches: What Are The Choices in Florida?
• Landscape Mulches: Will Subterranean Termites Consume Them?
• Landscape Mulches: How Long They Retain Their Color?
• Landscape Mulches: How Quickly Do They Settle?
• Converting Yard Wastes Into Landscape Assets
• Construction of Home Compost Units

Attracting Wildlife

• Butterfly Gardening in Florida
• Landscaping to Attract Birds in South Florida
• Florida Monitoring Program: Point Count Method to Survey Birds
• Nighttime Bird Roosts
• An Introduction to Aquascaping
• Backyard Habitat Ponds
• Water for Wildlife
• Watching Florida's Wildlife
• Addressing Wildlife Needs in Construction Site Management Plans
• Laws that Protect Florida's Wildlife
• South Florida Wildlife in Danger of Extinction
• The Value of Endangered Species: the Importance of Conserving Biological Diversity

Miscellaneous Articles

• The Second Rule of Holes
• Guidelines for Judging Environmental Landscapes
• Considerations for Developing a Lawn and Landscape Maintenance Contract
• Selecting a Lawn Maintenance Service
• Propagation of Landscape Plants
• Landscape Plant Propagation Workbook: Unit I. General Principles of Plant Propagation
• Landscape Plant Propagation Workbook: Unit II. Propagation by Cuttings
• Landscape Plant Propagation Workbook: Unit IV. Propagation by Division
• Germinating Your Own Bedding Plants for the Florida Landscape
• Soil pH and Landscape Plants
• Budgeting For a Better Landscape
• Plants and Youth: Creating Dish Gardens and Windowsill Water Gardens
• How to Minimize Wind Damage in the South Florida Garden

Horticultural Links