November-December 2009Volume 3, Issue 6

Be Berry Careful 2

Fall Leaves Can Control Weeds 3

Colorful Plants Usher in Fall 4

Growing Dooryard Fruits In The 5Home Landscape

Go Green This Christmas 6

Bacillus Subtilis Strain Used To 7Control Diseases

Minigardening 7

Trees That Provide Fall Color 8

Indoor Pest Management 9

Holiday Gifts for the Florida 9Gardener

Newsletter Deemed Best in the 10Nation

Firebush (Hamelia patens) is a reliable perennial that provides fall color inthe garden

Photo Credits: Theresa Friday, Santa Rosa County

In This Issue....

Our Gulf Coast weather allows foryear round gardening.  There is al-ways something to do in the land-scape or garden, even during cool-er weather.  Although the first frostwill likely occur in late Novemberto early December, now is a greattime to plant trees, shrubs andcool-season annual flowers and ve-getables.

The pansy is one of our best winterannual flowers.  It is extremely

cold tolerant, able to withstandhard freezes and recover com-pletely.  A well established andmaintained pansy bed providescolor throughout the winter and in-to late spring.

Cool season vegetables can bestarted now by planting the seedsof beets, carrots, kale, kohlrabi,mustard, parsley, radish and spin-ach.  If transplants are still avail-able, you have time to plant broc-coli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts,Chinese cabbage, collards, kale,

Volume 3, Issue 6 November-December 2009 1

leek and onions.

November is also an ideal time for planting hardy shrubsand trees in the landscape.  Our relatively mild soil tem-peratures allow for root growth during the winter.  Fallplanted woody ornamentals are well on their way to-ward establishing their new root systems before thestress from summer heat the following year.

Permanent lawn grasses in Northwest Florida (bahia-grass, bermudagrass, centipedegrass, St. Augustinegrassand zoysiagrass) go dormant in late fall or winter. Thesegrasses grow very slowly and lose color in the fall, andturn completely brown with the first frost.  If you want agreen lawn throughout the winter, sow ryegrass.

Theresa FridayEditor

Santa Rosa Countytlfirday@ufl.edu

Be Berry Careful

With the change of season, comes the ripening of color-ful berries on many landscape and wild plants. Some ofthese berries are very enticing to children and many arepoisonous.  Below are just a few that might be in youryard or nearby woods.

Lantana flowers produce small clusters of green berriesthat mature to blushish black. All parts of the plant arequite toxic.

Photo Credits: Theresa Friday, Santa Rosa County

Lantana is a very popular summer flowering perennial

plant.  Butterflies adore the flowers and birds are attrac-ted to the berries.  However, all parts of the plant arequite toxic and poisoning may occur year-round, but ismost common in summer and fall.

Pyracantha is also a common landscape shrub withbright orange or red berries.  Eating large amounts of theberries by children is reported to cause stomachache,blistering of the tongue and vomiting.

Common pokeweed is a perennial weed often found inpastures as well as fence-rows, and wooded areas.  It is avery tall plant that develops attractive purple berries inearly fall.  It is also known as poke berry, pigeon berry,inkberry coakun, pocan bush, scoke, poke salad, andAmerican nightshade.  And it’s this last name, Americ-an nightshade that should tip you off that it isdangerous.  All parts of this plant contain toxins. However, it’s the roots and the seeds that contain thehighest concentration of toxins.

With Christmas just around the corner, be sure to placemistletoe berries out of reach.  Between 1985 and 1992,U.S. poison control centers reported 1,754 cases of acci-dental poisoning of children or pets with mistletoe.

Always caution children about the danger of eating unfa-miliar berries.  Unless you absolutely know that a berryis edible, do not eat an unfamiliar one. 

Pokeweed usually grows in disturbed, sandy soils. Theplant contains toxins. Sheep, cattle, horses, and poultryare susceptible to pokeweed poisoning.

Photo Credits: Theresa Friday, Santa Rosa County

Volume 3, Issue 6 November-December 2009 2

Always be prepared in case a plant poisoning should oc-cur.  First, learn to recognize and name many of the nat-ive and cultivated plants near your home.  It’s not thatwe necessarily need to eliminate or discourage the use ofthese plants in our landscapes. But we do need to beaware of the potential hazards of some of these plants,particularly when they are used in landscapes frequen-ted by young children and pets. As the saying goes “anounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

References:

Common Pokeweed, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AG254

Poisonous Plants of the Southern United States,http://www.caf.wvu.edu/~forage/library/poisonous/index.htm

Theresa FridayHorticulture FacultySanta Rosa County

tlfriday@ufl.edu

Fall Leaves Can Control Weeds

Weed control is not top on my list as a reason to usemulch. There are weeds that can push through mulchsuch as nutsedge (nutgrass) or that can germinate andgrow in the mulch. But done correctly, mulching plantbeds and gardens can help inhibit some weeds.

In addition to weed control, mulch provides other bene-fits. It can make landscapes look more attractive. Itkeeps roots evenly moist, acts to insulate roots from ex-treme heat and cold and can help decrease loss of soilfrom wind and water erosion. Mulch serves as a barrierto some soil-borne diseases. And, as organic mulchbreaks down, it improves the soil’s fertility, aeration,structure and drainage.   

Tree leaves make good mulch. They can be placed onthe soil surface beneath and around shrubs, trees, peren-nials, annuals and vegetables.

Fall leaves are abundant. Some people feel over-whelmed by the volume. One resident reported rakingmore than 100 large bags of leaves from his half-acre

property. One large oak tree can contain over 250,000leaves!

Fall leaves used as mulch

Photo Credits: Larry Williams, Okaloosa County

Mixing leaves from several different species of trees canmake better leaf mulch. Leaves of the same size tend tomat together and produce a shingling effect that can shedwater and reduce gas exchange in the soil. Shreddedleaves stay seated better on the landscape than wholeleaves.

A mulch layer three inches deep after settling is enoughfor most plants. If possible, extend the mulched areas outto the outermost leaves (called the drip line) and beyond.And be sure to pull the mulch back a few inches fromthe main trunk. Never pile mulch around the trunk.

So, instead of putting all those leaves curbside in plasticbags to be hauled off, use them to benefit your land-scape, which may include less weeds.

Larry L. WilliamsHorticulture Extension Agent

Okaloosa Countylwilliams@co.okaloosa.fl.us

Volume 3, Issue 6 November-December 2009 3

Colorful Plants Usher in Fall

Cooler weather is finally coming to the panhandle. Soit's time to plant cool-season flowers. If you select theright flowers, you can have color from now into spring.Just be sure to plant in full sun.

Plant seeds of larkspur and poppies in November for aspectacular show of color in spring. Here the blue, white,and pink spikes of larkspur flowers are contrasted by theorange foliage of 'Tropicana' canna, a perennial in thegarden. The larkspur will die back in late spring. But youcan collect seed for planting again the next fall. And, ifyou're careful not to pull them as they emerge, you willeven have a new crop of larkspur seedlings emerge inthe garden in late fall from the seed that fell to theground the previous spring.

Photo Credits: David Marshall, Leon County

Everyone knows that you plant pansies in the fall. But doyou know about some of the other good options forplanting with the pansies? In this photo there are

blue and orange pansies, coral-colored diascia, and'Flambe Yellow' chrysocephalum. All bloom well here inthe panhandle during the cool months, if planted in fullsun.

Photo Credits: David Marshall, Leon County

This is the best time of year to plant petunias in the pan-handle of Florida. Don't worry about winter damagingthem. If it gets cold enough to hurt petunias, you willhave lots of other plants that are damaged also. So thecold-damaged petunias will be the least of your worries.This Supertunia 'Vista Bubblegum' has performed ex-ceptionally well in our plantings in Tallahassee. Plant itnow and you will have flowers into the beginning of sum-mer 2010. The peak show will be in spring, when every-one else is just beginning to plant their petunias!

Photo Credits: David Marshall, Leon County

Nemesia is a great cool-season annual that can beplanted in the fall. Flowers have a sweet fragrance. It willbloom through next spring. Sometimes nemesia willeven live through the following summer and resume

Volume 3, Issue 6 November-December 2009 4

flowering the following fall.

Photo Credits: David Marshall, Leon County

David MarshallHorticulture Extension Agent

Leon Countymarshalld@leoncountyfl.gov

Growing Dooryard Fruits In TheHome Landscape

There is a variety of fruits that can be grown success-fully in the North Florida home landscape. Some ofthese may include apples, blackberries, blueberries, figs,grapes, kumquat, Loquat, peaches, pears, persimmons,plums, and Satsuma’s. Growing these fruits at home canbe very challenging, but will yield a great reward if doneproperly. Some things one may want to keep in mindwhen growing fruits in the landscape is proper plant se-lection, proper pruning and training, proper pest man-agement, and proper fertilization.

The first thing to keep in mind is proper plant selection.When discussing correct plant selection always considerusing disease resistant and disease free plants, it is alsoimportant to select a variety that is suitable for yourarea.Always buy disease resistant varieties when pos-sible. This will help limit the amount of fungicide ap-plications each year. Never purchase a diseased or un-healthy plant, either. This may cause more headache andtrouble later on down the road.

For fruit trees like apples, peaches, pears, plums, andfigs make sure the selected variety is a low chill variety.These particular plants require chilling during the wintermonths of the year in order to set fruit. The Panhandle ofFlorida usually receives anywhere from 400-700 chillinghours a year. A chilling hour is defined as an hour be-low 45 degrees Fahrenheit, but above freezing.

The next practice that needs to be taken in considerationis proper fruit pruning and training. This is crucial in or-der to have a good crop. Pruning will promote plantgrowth and vigor and with that said it will help the plantset fruit if done correctly. Without proper pruning or

training of fruits, good yields cannot be expected.

When pruning a plant you must know if the fruit is bornon the current season’s growth or last year’s wood. Thiswill help determine what to prune out of the plant andwhat to keep. Sometimes there will also be a need to thinfruit on years that have a heavy crop load.  This shouldbe done before the fruits begin to develop and ripen.This will help the fruit that remains on the tree get thenutrition needed to develop properly. Something else tokeep in mind is that some plants, like grapes and black-berries, may have to be trained to a trellis system.

Another principle to consider is proper pest manage-ment. When trying to control a pest, the first thing thatneeds to be done is to properly identify the pest in ques-tion. A sample can always be taken to a local extensionoffice for help with diagnosing the pest.

The muscadine grape is native to the southeasternUnited States

Photo Credits: Theresa Friday, Santa Rosa County

For fungus disease, fungicides like Bravo(chlorothalonil), Quadris (azoxystrobin), Dithane (man-cozeb), and Topsin (thiophanate methyl) may be used.These chemicals may control diseases like anthracnose,Botrytis, leaf spots, and powdery and downy mildew. Remember to always read the pesticide label thor-oughly.

When controlling insects, insecticides like Seven (car-

Volume 3, Issue 6 November-December 2009 5

baryl), Malathion, Ortho Bug B Gon (permethrin), Ad-mire (imidacloprid), and horticultural oils and soaps maybe purchased. These products will control insects likeaphids, beetles, caterpillars, lacebugs, leafhoppers,leafminers, scales, thrips, and whiteflies.

Always keep a weed free area under the plant. The mostcommon method to keep down all vegetation under theplant is apply Round-up (glyphosate). Do not let Round-up get on the fruit leaves because it will cause damage.By keeping this area weed free it cuts out the competi-tion from weeds for resources like water and nutrients.

The last practice to keep in mind is proper plant fertiliza-tion. This is key in producing a healthy plant that in turnwill generate higher yields. A soil test should be per-formed every year in order to adequately evaluate thesoil. These kits may be obtained at your local extensionoffice.

If a soil test cannot be performed a good rule of thumb isto fertilize using 1 lb of 13-13-13 per inch of trunk dia-meter. This should be done two to three times a year.The first application should be made in the spring as theplant begins to grow, the second application in themiddle of the growing season, and a third applicationshould be made right before fruit sets. This fertilizationguide does not replace the accuracy of having a soil testperformed and consulting with the local extension agentabout specific scenarios.

For more information on fruit care and maintenanceplease visithttp://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_fruit_and_nut_general

Collin W. AdcockHorticulture Extension Agent

Washington Countycollinwa@ufl.edu

Go Green This Christmas

Eastern Redcedar is a compact, pyramidal tree making itan excellent choice for a Christmas tree. But rememberthat this tree is not a true cedar but a member of the juni-per family.

The leaves are dark shiny green and usually arranged inopposing pairs. The trees form berry-like fruit that be-come greenish-white to greenish-blue as they mature.Each little berry contains one to four seeds. The birdsand animal feed on them and spread the seed around.

Prior to the availability of plantation grown Christmastrees, wild Eastern Redcedars were the tree of choice formany because of their natural conical shape and readysupply.

They can be started by seed. Grafting and air layeringare recommended propagation techniques to have a plantthat comes "true".

The Eastern Redcedar is known to aid in erosion controlbecause of its fibrous root system. It also serves as a typeof moth repellant that has been used for many years inclosets. Eastern Redcedar also makes a good choice inthe yard because of its wildlife benefits. Bird will nest inthe foliage because it provides such a great cover.

So this year when you’re headed out to get a freshChristmas tree, why not get one you can enjoy for morethan one month. Get one from a local nursery that isalready in a pot, just keep it watered and plant it outsidein January, February, or when Christmas is over.

Eddie PowellHorticulture Agent

Walton Countypep5@ufl.edu

Volume 3, Issue 6 November-December 2009 6

Bacillus Subtilis Strain Used ToControl Diseases

A new organic disease control product will be on theshelves this spring. The product will be labeled for orna-mentals, lawns, vegetables and fruits. It is made from astrain of bacteria called Bacillus subtilis.

Bacillus subtilis is a naturally occurring bacterium that iscommonly found in soil, water, air, and decomposingplant material. Under most conditions, however, it is notbiologically active and is present in the spore form.  Ba-cillus subtilis strain QST 713 controls the growth of cer-tain harmful bacteria and fungi, presumably by compet-ing for nutrients, growth sites on plants, and by directlycolonizing and attaching to fungal pathogens.

The B. subtilis strain QST 713 is a naturally occurringstrain that was isolated in 1995 from soil in a Californiapeach orchard. This product is applied to foliage. It isnot considered a genetically modified organism.

The B. subtilis strain QST 713 is approved for use on awide variety of food crops, including cucurbits, grapes,leafy vegetables, peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes.It isalso labeled for ornamentals, trees, shrubs and lawns.

Target pests include fungi and bacteria that cause scab,rust, powdery mildew, downy mildew, dollar spot,brown patch, and early leaf spot, early blight, late blight,and bacterial spot.

No harmful health effects to humans are expected fromuse of B. subtilis strain QST 713.  Be sure to read the la-bel and follow the EPA guide lines for the use of person-nel protective equipment.  This will help to insure thesafety of the applicator.

At this time there are no adverse effects expected to non-target organisms, the exception being honey bees.  Toreduce the risk to honey bees, applicators are not al-lowed to spray areas where bees are actively foraging.  

Ken RudisillHorticulture Faculty

Bay Countykrru@ufl.du

Minigardening

Many people who are growing flowers and vegetables incontainers are practicing minigardening.  This practice iscommon among persons living in apartments, condomin-iums or yard limited homes.  Minigardening areas caninclude spots such as near the foundation of the house;along sidewalks and drives; on balconies, patios andporches.  Because minigardening involves growing incontained vessels, most any outdoor space that receivesadequate sunlight, even rooftops, are suitable for plantgrowth.  Containers for minigardens can range fromhanging flowerpots, planters, cans, baskets or even anold bathtub. 

If you decide to grow using homemade containers,punch holes at the bottom of the container for drainageof excess water.  The growth medium can be native soil,a commercially available potting mix or a soilsubstitute.  If using a native soil, resist using a heavy soilsuch as clay since these typically do not drain well andcan retain moisture for longer periods.  Heavy soils cancause root rot problems if they do not drain well.  For alist of soil substitutes please visithttp://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/VH/VH03200.pdf.

Red Sage Salvia planted in an old bathtub in Quincy, FL

Photo Credits: Alex Bolques, Gadsden County

Monitoring your growth media for moisture is essential,especially when using a sandy mix and during hot/dryweather.  Please keep in mind that the more porous thegrowing media, such as sand, the quicker it will dry outand leaching of nutrients can occur.  Fertilizers can be

Volume 3, Issue 6 November-December 2009 7

drenched or top dressed.  Ready mixed soluble fertil-izers can be used for drenching and 1 (one) level tea-spoon of dry fertilizer per square foot of soil surface fortop dressing.  Follow the fertilizer label directions forbest results.

Alex BolquesFAMU Horticulture Extension Faculty

Gadsden County ExtensionABOL@ufl.edu

Trees That Provide Fall Color

Leaves turning color in the northern part of the UnitedStates can be quite spectacular.  Up north, the leaves allchange color in a one to two week period.  This syn-chronizing of fall color is brought on by the quicklychanging cooler weather and shortening days.

In North Florida, our weather changes more slowly andthe shortening of day length is more gradual.  Thus ourtrees tend to change color over a longer period of time. 

Most of our trees begin a color change sometime in Oc-tober and will continue turning into December.  Al-though variable everywhere, leaf color tends to be lessconsistent here.  The quality of color is actually better ifsoil moisture is good and we have cool night temperat-ures with no freezes or frosts and cool, bright, un-clouded sunny days. These conditions allow the tree toproduce the most sugars. The sugars are what we see inthe leaves once the green chlorophyll is gone from theleaf.   Cold and dry weather produces the poorest fallcolor because the tree produces the least amount of sug-ar.

There are however, several trees that will provide stun-ning fall color in our area.  The often planted shumardoak has brilliant red to red-orange fall color.  It is quiteadaptable to most urban soils.  Trees that are not so com-mon include the blackgum and sourwood. Both treesconstantly give us a scarlet red color. The blackgum cangrow into a large shade tree while the sourwood is gen-erally a medium sized tree often growing in light shade.

Blackgum showing beautiful fall color

Photo Credits: Stan Rosenthal, Leon County

Two oaks that often catch my eye in the fall are thewhite oak and turkey oaks.  The white oak is a large treethat grows in rich soils and has a reliable red fall color. The turkey oak grows in sandy open woods and is asmaller oak.  It grows 30 to 40 feet tall and will produceorange, red and red-brown fall colors.

Stan RosenthalExtension Agent

Leon Countyrosenthals@leoncountyfl.gov

Volume 3, Issue 6 November-December 2009 8

Indoor Pest Management

During the cooler months of the year, homeowners movemany frost tender plants or house plants back into struc-tures or homes for protection. During their stay inside,keep a close watch for arthropod pests on plants whichcan build up quickly in this artificial environment.

The best prevention for indoor pest problems is to in-spect plants thoroughly before bringing them indoors. Look over all the leaves, stems, and trunks for any signsof eggs, nymphs, or adult arthropods.  You may want tospray your plants with an insecticidal soap to help man-age any insects you are unable to see. 

Some of the common indoor pests during the winter arespider mites, whiteflies, mealybugs, and fungus gnats.  

Photo Credits: Beth Bolles

Spider mites may be heaviest on plants that receivebright light and are in drier indoor air.  Heavily infestedplants will have fine webbing on leaves and stems.  Usea hand lens to see the microscopic mites or shake stems

over a white piece of paper to see the spider mites. 

If you see small white insects hovering over foliagewhen it is disturbed, you have whiteflies.  While theadults fly, the immatures are attached to the undersidesof leaves as flat circles. 

Mealybugs are often found on stems and in leaf axils. These insects have a white powdery covering and longfilaments at the end of the body.  Many mealybugs canbe found grouped together on plants. 

If your container’s soil is kept too moist, fungus gnatscould be a problem.  Infested plants may show wilt, yel-lowing leaves, or even drop foliage.  The maggots live inthe organic soil and can feed on small plant roots.  Al-lowing soil to dry or changing out soil can help controlfungus gnats. 

Effective controls for spider mites, whiteflies, andmealybugs include many least toxic methods. Sprayingthe foliage with water can take care of light spider miteinfestations.  Insecticidal soaps work well against mite,whiteflies, and mealybugs.  For more information onmanagement techniques of indoor pests visit: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG004.

Beth R. BollesHorticulture Agent

Escambia County Extensionbbolles@ufl.edu

Holiday Gifts for the Florida Gardener

The holidays are the perfect time to show your favoritegardener how much you care.  There are many thought-ful gardening gifts for every price range, from just a fewdollars to many hundreds. And there’s something forevery taste.

Books make great gifts.  When choosing a book for yourFlorida gardener, ensure that it addresses the uniquegrowing conditions in the southeast.  When choosing abook about plants, try to find one that lists them byhardiness zone.  The hardiness zone classification is ahandy guide to selecting plants that will be successful inyour specific environment.

Volume 3, Issue 6 November-December 2009 9

Your Florida Guide to Perennials by Sydney Park Brownand Rick Schoellhorn is a must have for anyone whowants to know more about growing perennials in Flor-ida’s challenging environmental conditions.  All the ba-sics are covered from preparing the soil to utilizing aFlorida-friendly approach to maintaining your perennialgarden.  With over 250 perennials featured and nearly200 color photos, this book is like having a garden ment-or that you can come back to again and again.

Another book to consider, especially for anyone whowants a healthy looking lawn, is The Florida LawnHandbook by Drs. Laurie Trenholm and Bryan Unruh. The new third edition is now available and is com-pletely up-to-date.  This “how-to” book is written inpractical language by turfgrass experts and coverseverything from how to prepare your soil and select yourgrass to how to deal with weeds, insects and diseases.

For the avid gardener, one who appreciates the value ofLatin plant names, The Pronouncing Dictionary of PlantNames is now available in a new edition.  Offered by theAmerican Nurseryman Publishing Co. this handy littledictionary contains more than 3000 botanical names. Each is spelled phonetically and contains a brief descrip-tion of the plant name origin and its meaning.

For more ideas, visit the IFAS Extension Bookstore athttp://www.ifasbooks.ufl.edu/merchant2/.

Theresa FridayHorticulture FacultySanta Rosa County

tlfriday@ufl.edu

Newsletter Deemed Best in theNation

Gardening in the Panhandle, this Northwest ExtensionDistrict horticulture newsletter, was recognized by theNational Association of County Agricultural Agents(NACAA) during its national conference in Portland,OR in September. It was chosen as the national winnerin the team newsletter category. In the poster session,the newsletter was recognized as a national finalist.

Agents (L-R) Alex Bolques, Carrie Stevenson, Larry Wil-liams, Theresa Friday, and Ken Rudisill receive theaward for the best team newsletter in the nation fromNACAA

Volume 3, Issue 6 November-December 2009 10

For More Information

Contact your local Extension Office

SolutionsForYourLife.com

Northwest District Extension OfficesBay County647 Jenks Avenue, Suite APanama City, FL 32401-2660(850) 784-6105http://bay.ifas.ufl.edu

Holmes County201 N Oklahoma StreetBonifay, FL 32425-2295(850) 547-1108http://holmes.ifas.ufl.edu

Okaloosa County5479 Old Bethel RoadCrestview, FL 32536-5512(850) 659-5850http://okaloosa.ifas.ufl.edu

Calhoun County20816 Central Avenue East, Suite 1Blountstown, FL 32424-2276(850) 674-8323http://calhoun.ifas.ufl.edu/

Jackson County2741 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 3Marianna, FL 32448-4022(850) 482-9620http://jackson.ifas.ufl.edu

Wakulla County84 Cedar AvenueCrawfordville, FL 32327-2063(850) 926-3931http://wakulla.ifas.ufl.edu

Escambia County3740 Stefani RoadCantonment, FL 32533-7792(850) 475-5230http://escambia.ifas.ufl.edu

Jefferson County275 North Mulberry StreetMonticello, FL 32344-2249(850) 342-0187http://jefferson.ifas.ufl.edu

Walton County732 N 9 Street Ste BDeFuniak Springs, FL 32433-3804(850) 892-8172http://walton.ifas.ufl.edu

Franklin County66 Fourth StreetApalachicola, FL 32320-1775(850) 653-9337http://franklin.ifas.ufl.edu

Leon County615 Paul Russell RoadTallahassee, FL 32301-7060(850) 606-5200http://leon.ifas.ufl.edu

Washington County1424 Jackson Avenue Ste AChipley, FL 32428-1602(850) 638-6180http://washington.ifas.ufl.edu

Gadsden County2140 West Jefferson StreetQuincy, FL 32351-1905(850) 875-7255http://gadsden.ifas.ufl.edu

Liberty County10405 NW Theo Jacobs WayBristol, FL 32321-0368(850) 643-2229http://liberty.ifas.ufl.edu

Gulf County200 North 2nd StreetWewahitchka, Fl 32465-0250(850) 639-3200http://gulf.ifas.ufl.edu

Santa Rosa County6263 Dogwood DriveMilton, FL 32570-3500(850) 623-3868http://santarosa.ifas.ufl.edu

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research,educational information, and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination withrespect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions,or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, FloridaA&MUniversity Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating.