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Water quality and quantity are important issues. The frequently asked questions (FAQs) in this publication, based on extensive UF/IFAS research, address common concerns related to water, irrigation, fertilizers, best management practices (BMPs), landscapes, and landscape maintenance. Written by Michael D. Dukes, Bernard Cardenas, Laurie E. Trenholm, Ed Gilman, Chris J. Martinez, John L. Cisar, Thomas H. Yeager, Amy Shober, and Geoffrey Denny, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, revised September 2024.

This publication addresses some of the most frequent questions that residents ask regarding the function and maintenance of their stormwater ponds. Written by Ange Asanzi, Miranda Carver Martin, Michelle Atkinson, Chamoda P. D. Dissanayake Mudiyanselage, Basil V. Iannone III, Eban Bean, Alexander J. Reisinger, Mary Lusk, Dail Laughinghouse, and Paul Monaghan, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, August 2024.

Many residents evaluate their landscape professionals on price alone; however, quality landscaping is an investment in your property. Knowing what to look for in a landscape professional will help you get the most for your investment, ensure your yard reaches its greatest potential and protect Florida’s water and other natural resources. This new 7-page document, published by the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department, is intended to provide guidance to residents and entities such as HOA community associations when hiring a landscape professional. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep614

Well-designed edible ornamental landscapes, also called foodscapes, provide landowners with aesthetically pleasing, multipurpose gardens that provide food, color, and cover year-round. The purpose of this new 15-page publication is to guide Floridians on how to design, install and maintain their edible ornamental landscape using reliable plants suitable for north-central Florida and the best management practices of Florida-Friendly Landscaping™. Written by Amanda Marek, Mark Bailey, and Gail Hansen, and published by the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep618

Efforts to mitigate outdoor water use in Florida's urban landscapes increasingly include promotion of regionally appropriate landscaping based on its documented effectiveness. Targeted initiatives, however, require an understanding of mechanisms underpinning low irrigation use in single-family homes with Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FFL). This paper reports survey research conducted in southwest Florida to identify factors associated with irrigation practices among FFL clients. Results indicate that approximately half of survey participants irrigated less frequently than once per week year-round. Aesthetic considerations, horticultural knowledge, and membership in a homeowner's association (HOA) with rules regarding yard care were key variables underlying landscape characteristics and maintenance, while property values, water conservation attitudes, lawn grass, and in-ground irrigation system use significantly predicted irrigation practices. Homes with in-ground irrigation systems were more than six times more likely to water their landscapes at least once per week during the warm season when residential outdoor water use is at its peak. A $100,000 increase in a home's market value increased the odds of weekly watering by a multiplicative factor of two, whereas a one-point increase in a six-item Likert scale used to measure a homeowner's water conservation attitude decreased the odds by 76%. Homes with no grass in the landscape were 71% less likely to water on a weekly basis. Providing homeowners, and HOAs, with educational resources that build on existing support for water conservation could augment adoption of low maintenance plants and sustainable practices in Florida's urban landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Useful to retail and landscape firms who are interested in encouraging FFL-related purchases and installations, this 3-page fact sheet written by Hayk Khachatryan, Alicia Rihn, and Caroline R. Warwick and published by the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department is an overview of how both DIY homeowners and those who hire professional landscaping service providers perceive the value of residential landscapes and the best methods to encourage them to purchase or install FFL. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe1063