The Neighborhood Gardener – February

Happy gardening!

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4th Annual Bee College

The most extensive educational honeybee event in Florida will be held March 11–12, 2011, at the Whitney Marine Laboratory in Marineland, Florida. This year's Bee College is bigger than ever! The two-day event will offer more than 80 lectures, classes, and workshops taught by nationally recognized experts. There are classes for beekeepers of all ages and experience levels, including gardeners, naturalists, county agents, and anyone else interested in honeybees. More

2011 Florida School Garden Competition

The Florida School Garden Competition is underway!  The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company will be sponsoring this year's competition. Cash prizes will be awarded for first-, second- and third-place winners in three categories: single class garden, multiple class/grade garden, and entire school garden. In addition, Miracle-Gro will be donating gardening prizes to all entrants.  Deadline for entries is March 30.  More

Plant of the Month: Chickasaw Plum

Chickasaw plum is a native shrub or small tree that makes an attractive Florida-friendly addition to any yard. Each spring, even before putting out new leaves, the trees are covered with clusters of tiny, fragrant, white flowers. Later small fruits appear, which can be eaten fresh or turned into tasty jelly. More

February in Your Garden

Now is a good time to check citrus trees for scab disease. Apply a copper fungicide when new leaves appear and again when two-thirds of the flower blossoms have fallen. If citrus trees weren't fertilized January, do so now. Frequency and amount of fertilization depends on the age of the tree.

For more month-by-month gardening tips, check out the Florida Gardening Calendar. Three different editions of the calendar provide specific tips for each of Florida's gardening regions—North, Central, and South. More

Training Opportunity: Invasive Reptiles

Several large, non-native lizards and snakes are now breeding in central and southern Florida. Early detection and rapid response networks are the key to preventing new species from being introduced and keeping established invaders from spreading to new areas. "Introduced Reptile Early Detection & Documentation," also known as REDDy, is a free, online course that will teach you how to recognize and report large, invasive reptiles. (This class is no longer offered. 10/25/2021)

Friend or Foe? Foe: Clothes Moth

Clothes moths, or more specifically, clothes moth larvae, are major pests of fabric and other items made of natural fibers. Adult moths do not feed on fabrics, only the caterpillars. Damage appears as holes, eaten through by the tiny white caterpillars. Learn how to prevent these pests from getting into your closet. More