Thank you! I bought an orange grove in Highland County Florida. The soil is so sandy, sugar sand. I want to one day, plant other tropical trees, plants, and vegetables. Currently, my land is all oranges. What do you suggest I should do first to start improving my sandy soil?
Hi Vincent, So glad you enjoyed our video! We suggest you reach out to your lcoal experts at the Highlands County Extension office in regard to soil recommendations for your area. They can best advise for your climate/growing conditions. You can reach them at highlands@ifas.ufl.edu or (863) 402-6540. Thanks!
This is great, thank you! I love the idea of chop and drop for composting but concerned about buildup that could create habitat for rodents and pests. We live in an urban area and don't want to invite infestation. Is this a legitimate concern?
Rats should not be a problem if you chop and drop vegetative plant material and do not add any fruit, bread or meat. Mulch over the chop and drop or pitchfork it around every so often to close any cavities they may build for nests. Regular disturbance is a good deterrent for rats and other rodents.
If I had to guess I would think it would be from shells, like from clams and whatever else. That kind of thing is very alkaline. Just a guess really. Im sure Florida wasn't always above water, probably more so the further south you go.
South Florida has limestone rock near the soil surface which is high in calcium carbonate, which increases the pH. Adding organic matter will help buffer the pH and help plants grow. You can also consult our Florida-Friendly Landscaping Guide to Plant Selection and Landscape Design to see which plants can tolerate a higher pH. ffl.ifas.ufl.edu/media/fflifasufledu/docs/FFL-Plant-Guide_v03222022_web.pdf
Thanks for the video! I'm amending my sandy soil in my backyard and this was very helpful 😊.
TY! Very helpful.
Thank you! I bought an orange grove in Highland County Florida. The soil is so sandy, sugar sand. I want to one day, plant other tropical trees, plants, and vegetables. Currently, my land is all oranges. What do you suggest I should do first to start improving my sandy soil?
Hi Vincent, So glad you enjoyed our video! We suggest you reach out to your lcoal experts at the Highlands County Extension office in regard to soil recommendations for your area. They can best advise for your climate/growing conditions. You can reach them at highlands@ifas.ufl.edu or (863) 402-6540. Thanks!
This is great, thank you! I love the idea of chop and drop for composting but concerned about buildup that could create habitat for rodents and pests. We live in an urban area and don't want to invite infestation. Is this a legitimate concern?
Rats should not be a problem if you chop and drop vegetative plant material and do not add any fruit, bread or meat. Mulch over the chop and drop or pitchfork it around every so often to close any cavities they may build for nests. Regular disturbance is a good deterrent for rats and other rodents.
Why would south Florida have a higher PH soil than north florida?
If I had to guess I would think it would be from shells, like from clams and whatever else. That kind of thing is very alkaline. Just a guess really. Im sure Florida wasn't always above water, probably more so the further south you go.
South Florida has limestone rock near the soil surface which is high in calcium carbonate, which increases the pH. Adding organic matter will help buffer the pH and help plants grow. You can also consult our Florida-Friendly Landscaping Guide to Plant Selection and Landscape Design to see which plants can tolerate a higher pH. ffl.ifas.ufl.edu/media/fflifasufledu/docs/FFL-Plant-Guide_v03222022_web.pdf
@@ocextension that helps a lot thank you!