Seminar: Successful gardening in the Florida summer

NORTH FLORIDA — It will not be long before we again are in the heat of summer here in North Florida. The heat, rain, humidity, insects, and fungi all take their toll on our gardens and landscapes.

To better prepare for this, you may be interested in attending a free seminar titled “The Heat is On! Successful Gardening in the Florida Summer.”

This presentation will be provided at the UF/IFAS Extension Office in Okaloosa County on Wednesday, April 20.

Margaret Stewart, Master Gardener Volunteer, will cover what vegetables to grow that will better survive the Florida heat. We’ll also cover herbs, annuals and perennials to consider growing during the warmer summer months.

Summer irrigation, potential pest problems, and what you can do about them also will be discussed. Included will be information on personal safety as well as prepping your garden and landscape for the upcoming hurricane season.

This hour-long presentation begins at 10 a.m. and will be held at the Okaloosa County Extension Office located at 3098 Airport Road in Crestview.

Seating is limited. So, please register for this free seminar using this link.

https://bit.ly/floridagardening

For additional info or for assistance, call the UF/IFAS Okaloosa County Extension Office at (850) 689-5850.

April Plant Clinic:

The April plant clinic will be held Friday, April 22 from 9 a.m. to noon in Fort Walton Beach at the Okaloosa Farmers’ Market located at 1954 Lewis Turner Boulevard close to the Northwest Florida Fairgrounds. It will be in the open-covered pavilion.

The plant clinic is designed to provide a place and time for people to bring in samples of plants for diagnosis including weeds for identification.

If you have a plant problem that you would like diagnosed, bring a sample of the weed, plant, insect, etc., to the clinic. Be sure to bring a fresh sample that represents what is seen in the landscape. This may include a plant stem with several leaves, a 4-inch square of grass with roots attached, etc.

You may also bring a sample of your soil for pH testing.

Larry Williams is the Extension horticulture agent with the Okaloosa County Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida. Contact Larry at 689-5850 or email lwilliams@myokaloosa.com.