Q. How can I get a community garden plot? A. There are four community gardens in Sarasota County. To obtain a plot, one pays a $30.00 one-time deposit and a $20.00 calendar year annual fee.

Q. Where are the community gardens located? A. The Bayou Oaks Garden is located on the corner of Old Bradenton Road and 35th St. The Orange Blossom Garden is located near the corner of N. Orange Ave. and 18th St. There are also community gardens located in Laurel Park near Forest St. and Nokomis Park near Nippino Trail. For more information see the Community Garden page on this site by clicking here.

Still need help? You can email our Horticulture Help Desk by clicking here!

Horticulture Help Desk

Q. What hours are you open? A. The Help Desk is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to Noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Q. What is your telephone number? A. 941-861-9807

Q. What is your address? A. The Help Desk is located in the Sarasota County Extension office, 6700 Clark Road, Sarasota, FL 34241

Q. What is your location? A. The Extension office is located inside Twin Lakes Park, about ½ mile east of I-75 on Clark Rd. Follow the entrance road into Twin Lakes Park then turn at the first right. The Extension Office will be ahead and to the right.

Q. How can I get soil tested? A. Bring in about ½ cup of soil taken from a depth of 4 to 6 inches. We can test for pH and soluble salts. The cost is $5.00 per sample.

Q. Why is my grass suddenly dying? A. It could be due to drought stress, chinch bugs, fungus, mowing too closely, or a number of other environmental or cultural factors. Contact the Extension office for assistance.

Q. What can I do to get rid of the weeds in my lawn? A. The best way to control weeds is through prevention. A thick, healthy lawn tends to crowd out weeds and prevent them from becoming established.

Q. What is the FYN program? A. A program, instituted through the UF/IFAS Cooperative Extension Service, which teaches and encourages Floridians to create and maintain Florida-friendly landscapes using nine basic principles. Contact the Extension office for further information.

Q. Can someone from the Extension office come to my yard? A. Unfortunately, this service is not available.

Q. What is the best variety of turfgrass to use? A. There are several types of turfgrass that are available. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages based on your particular soil and landscape requirements. Contact the Extension office for further information.

Q. Why did my tree, which has been in the landscape for several years, suddenly die? A. It could be due to any of several factors. It may have originally been planted too deeply, or the planting hole may have been too small. Death may also be attributed to stress from environmental factors such as prolonged drought.

Q. Is Spanish moss killing my trees? They seem to be dying. A. Actually, it is probably the other way around. Spanish moss is a harmless epiphyte. As trees begin to slowly decline and die, the canopy opens up allowing more light to enter and foster the growth of Spanish moss and other air plants.

Q. There is an area of my yard where everything I plant dies. Could there be something wrong with the soil? A. Most likely the plants are dying due to a cultural problem such as too much or too little water. The plants may have been installed too deeply or the root balls may not have been loosened before installation.

Q. What is the best variety of orange tree to plant? A. This depends on whether you would like a juice orange or an “eating” orange. Tangerines and tangelos are also popular for eating or juicing. Some trees bear in the fall and others in the mid-season or the spring.

Q. The leaves on my orange tree are falling off and the tree looks dead. What can I do? A. If there are no green buds on the tree and all the wood is dry and brown underneath when scraped with a knife, the tree has likely died from stress due to the extended drought.

Q. My palm tree appears to be dying and has mushrooms growing out of the base. What can I do? A. Unfortunately, the palm is dying from a common fungus disease called ganoderma. The best course of action is to remove the palm and root ball as soon as possible and never plant a palm in the same spot again. Fungal spores can linger in the soil for years. Any type of tree other than a palm can be safely installed in the same place.

Q. My mango tree has never produced any fruit. What could be wrong? Your tree may not have been grafted. Grafted trees normally begin producing fruit after 3 to 5 years. Non-grafted trees can take twice as long to bear fruit.

Still need help? You can email our Horticulture Help Desk by clicking here!

Insects and Pests

Q. What can I do about chinch bugs? A. Again, a healthy lawn tends to be more resistant to chinch bugs than one that is under stress. Judicious use of pesticides can also control chinch bugs before they have a chance to spread.

Q. Small yellow-green worms are defoliating my snowbushes. What can I do? A. The snowbushes are being attacked by spanworms which can defoliate a plant in short order. Spray the snowbushes with a pesticide containing B.t., or Bacillus thuringiensis, as directed on the product label.

Q. My yard is crawling with small bugs which are red and gray in color. Are these bugs harmful? A. No, you are describing the harmless Jadera bug which feeds on the seeds of golden-rain trees.

Q. There is a black fungus growing on some of my plants. What can I spray to kill the fungus? A. The black “sooty mold” is actually growing on the droppings of piercing-sucking insects such as aphids, mealy bugs, or scales. The insects can be killed by spraying with a mixture of 1 Tablespoon of mild liquid dishwashing detergent and 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil mixed well in a gallon of water. The sooty mold will gradually flake away once the insects are dead.

Q. A pine tree on my property is being killed by borers. What can I spray to kill the borers and save my tree? A. Unfortunately it is the other way around. Borers are attracted to trees that are under stress and dying. While sprays may temporarily reduce the population of borers, the tree is dying and cannot be saved.

Q. What can I do about pink hibiscus mealybugs? A. This introduced pest is highly resistant to all insecticides. Do not spray. Call the Pink Hibiscus Mealybug Helpline at 888-397-1517 for information on obtaining natural predatory insects that will attack and control the mealybug population.

Q. I am finding tiny ants in my kitchen and bathroom. What is the best way to control them? A. Use a liquid ant bait containing borax. Ants will carry the sugary bait back to the nest and feed it to the other ants which will soon die. Be sure to follow the label directions carefully.

Q. There is a nest of bees in one of the soffits of my house. What can I spray to get rid of the bees? A. Because of the danger of being stung or the possibility that the bees could be Africanized, the University of Florida recommends that you have a pest control company safely remove bees.

Q. The newly emerged fronds on my pygmy date palms are covered with a whitish, waxy substance with tiny reddish brown spots embedded in it. One palm has already died. What can I do? A. These are the symptoms of red date scale, an introduced insect pest that has been killing pygmy date palms state-wide, particularly those growing in lanai plantings or shaded locations. Contact the Extension office for further information and recommended treatment.

Q. The undersides of the fronds on my king sago are covered with a flakey, whitish substance. Many of the fronds are dying. What is this problem and what can I do about it? A. This is Asian cycad scale, an insect which has killed many king and queen sagos in Florida. It can be controlled by spraying regularly with a light-weight horticultural oil. It is also advisable to periodically remove as many of the dead scales as possible with a strong spray of water from a garden hose.

Still need help? You can email our Horticulture Help Desk by clicking here!

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Ask An Agent

The place where you can ask an Extension agent a question online and get an answer within 24-72 hours.

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