Are you interested in gardening? What about recycling and composting? Want to save water or know more about drought-tolerant plants? Do you have an hour to learn something new that is beneficial to the environment?
If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, we have a great suggestion for you: Check out our county’s calendar of events. Each of the 67 counties in Florida has a University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension office. Upcoming programs are listed on the calendar with registration links at https://ifas.ufl.edu/extension-calendar-events/.
Many are free. Some have a small fee.
Hillsborough County’s upcoming events:
Triple Workshops: Composting, microirrigation and rainwater harvesting workshops are offered monthly from February through October on the first Saturday of the month. Learn how to create your own soil amendments and save water by using a microirrigation kit and rain barrel. Attend one, two or all three. Compost attendees receive a compost bin, kitchen bucket and compost thermometer. Microirrigation attendees will take home the traditional micro kit, a rain gauge and a hose timer. Rainwater harvesting attendees will receive a food-grade barrel that has been drilled and spigoted while learning how to use the water and on which plant materials. Reference materials are provided to attendees for each of the presentations, and there is a drawing for giveaway items at the end of each class.
Vermicomposting (Composting With Worms): Find out how to create the bin, what these specialty worms eat and how to harvest the castings. The nutrient-rich worm byproduct works very well in any garden, and you can make your own worm tea for watering plants … not for drinking!
Vegetable Microirrigation: This kit is a great addition to your vegetable garden. You will learn how to connect the kit to a hose bib and appropriately water vegetables.
Patio/Container Microirrigation: It works well for patio, container and hanging plants. This kit can connect several pots/containers on your patio, lanai or front porch.
While not necessarily an upcoming event, we also offer in-ground irrigation evaluations (over the telephone or in person) for high water users, defined by more than a 20,000 gallons-per-month average over the past year. Contact Will Stone at stonew@hcfl.gov.
For more information on environmental horticulture, contact the UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County office at 813-744-5519, stop by our office at 5339 County Rd. 579 in Seffner or visit our website, calendar of events and Facebook pages.
Lynn Barber is the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ agent for UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County. Contact her at labarber@ufl.edu.
