UF IFAS Clay County Master Gardeners

08/10/2026

Interested in beekeeping? You could contribute to Florida’s agriculture by fostering these essential insects that pollinate food crops and other plants. You must register your bee colony with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Doing so will ensure a safer and healthier hive and prevent the spread of disease.

For information about beekeeping laws and regulations, take a look at this UF/IFAS video https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/polkco/2026/06/19/beekeeping-in-florida-beekeeping-laws-and-regulations-informative-video/.

08/06/2026

One of the best ways to support local pollinators is to use integrated pest management (IPM). This method employs preventative measures first and foremost. This means always selecting the right plant for the right place, choosing pest-resistant varieties, and maintaining healthy plants with appropriate watering and fertilizing strategies.

This UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions article provides more information about IPM: https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/care/pests-and-diseases/pests/integrated-pest-management/

08/03/2026

This month we are celebrating pollinators on social media with a pollinator palooza! Enjoy various posts centered on these spectacular creatures. Then you can participate in the Great Southeast Pollinator Census from August 21-22 and contribute to important conservation research. For more information about the census, check out this UF/IFAS blog post: https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/hillsboroughco/2026/06/16/every-count-counts-why-local-pollinator-observations-matter/

Each Monday this month we will feature a different pollinator species. This week’s is the gulf fritillary butterfly, a brightly colored insect that can be found throughout the year in Florida. They lay their eggs on different species of passionflower and sip nectar from many types of wildflowers. For more information, check out this UF/IFAS publication https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN804.

07/31/2026

Great technique for composting and mulching in your yard!

07/31/2026

Both of the native sunflowers described below can be a great addition to your landscape in Clay County. The beach sunflower (Helianthus debilis) has been an amazing performer when you need a perennial to quickly fill in a large space with some of our plants getting around 4-5' wide as they spread out.

07/30/2026

What do UF/IFAS Extension Clay County Master Gardener Volunteers do? We are an educational organization that is part of the University of Florida/IFAS Extension's mission to provide research-based solutions to problems within the state. Said more simply, we educate.

Through the over 5,400 hours we donate each year, the over 24,000 educational consultations we provide, and the over 3,600 attendees at our adult and youth educational workshops and events; we educate.

We are at local churches, garden clubs, and community organizations teaching about Florida-Friendly Landscaping and how you can conserve water, protect water quality, and help wildlife and pollinators in your homes.

We are at the Clay County Fair teaching kids in the Old Florida Garden and answering gardening questions in the horticulture building.

We are at Bannerman Learning Center and Oakleaf High School working with kids throughout the year to learn how to garden and increase their access to healthy food, all while building life skills.

We are in our educational demonstration garden at the UF/IFAS Extension Clay County office, providing tangible examples of how you can have a successful and sustainable landscape.

We are working with 4-H to educate youth, so that they can tell their parents how to be better gardeners and inspire a lifelong love of plants and the environment.

We are creating innovative workshops on how to improve your health through gardening and how to remain active through accessible gardening when life throws obstacles in your way.

We are spending our Saturdays at the Orange Park Farmer's Market, speaking to you about your yard.

We are working with Extension staff and Faculty to conserve over 945,000 gallons of water each year through adoption of Florida-Friendly Practices by our clients.
We are building a community of passionate volunteers, who work to serve their community and protect the future of Florida, while learning from each-other and our students.

We are talking with our neighbors, families, friends, and communities to spread research-based practices as the local experts on gardening in Clay County Florida.

Together; we educate.

07/30/2026

Good news! We are extending the deadline for the 2026 Master Gardener Volunteer training in Clay County to Monday, August 3rd!

Join us for this in-depth workshop series as our faculty, staff, and volunteers prepare you to both be a better gardener and to serve your community as a Master Gardener Volunteer. Our goal is to be the most trusted source of horticultural information in Clay County and Florida, all while building a strong community, conserving natural resources, engaging with our neighbors, and having fun. The classes start on September 29th and run through October 23rd, meeting every Tuesday and Friday from 9:00am until 3:30. We focus on hands-on, applied learning that we know will benefit you as a gardener and volunteer.

To apply, visit https://bttr.im/9zxxi and if you have questions please email [email protected] or call (904)284-6355.

Also, if you can't commit to the program yet, follow us on Facebook or reach out to learn about the other workshops and events we have coming up in the community. We also love answering plant and garden questions! See you in the garden!

07/30/2026

07/29/2026

We are only a little over three weeks away from the 2026 Great Southeast Pollinator Census on August 21st and 22nd! This project was started by the University of Georgia but is now held across six states as a large-scale citizen science project; all with the goal of better understanding our native pollinators! In 2025, 59 Florida counties participated and provided over 5,100 counts.

You can get involved in a variety of ways:
1. Join us at UF/IFAS Extension Clay County for our next Beat the Heat Summer Webinar series covering Pollinator Gardening with information on the pollinator census as well. The webinar will start at noon and until 1pm. To register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1993353271294?aff=oddtdtcreator .

2. Join us on Friday, August 21st at the Clay County Extension office to conduct a pollinator census count in our educational demonstration garden at 9am. We will start with a short workshop to cover how to count and gardening for native pollinators before going into our gardens to do the 15 minute counts. For more information and to register, visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1995856102329?aff=oddtdtcreator

3. Conduct a pollinator census at your home, community, or school! The Great Southeast Pollinator Census has open access lesson plans, instructional videos, directions, and all of the information you need to conduct your own counts. Visit https://gsepc.org/ for more information.

If you have any questions, feel free to email us at [email protected] or call (904)284-6355.

07/27/2026

Did we get ya with the ick factor? These Formosan subterranean termites are an invasive termite that can infest structures and live trees. They will feed on the center of the tree and hollow it out, leading to structural weakening and potential collapse. Their swarms can contain upwards of tens of thousands of individuals.

For information on management of these pests, take a look at this UF/IFAS publication https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN278