Florida-Friendly Edible Landscaping series

Amanda S. Marek, Mark T. Bailey, andGail Hansen

Well-designed edible ornamental landscapes, also called foodscapes, provide landowners with aesthetically pleasing, multipurpose gardens that provide food, color, and cover year-round. Not only can these landscapes provide a source of healthy, locally grown food in urbanized communities, they can also promote energy and water conservation, improve food security, and provide wildlife habitat. By converting conventional yards into sustainable, edible ornamental landscapes that utilize the principles of Florida-Friendly Landscaping™, we may quell some of the health and environmental impacts of rising population growth and urbanization. The purpose of this 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™.

Tiare Saracino, Lynn Barber, Claire Lewis, Tina McIntyre, Tom Wichman, Gail Hansen, Jennifer W. Marvin, Terra Freeman, Joseph Sewards, Wendy Wilber, Jacqlyn Rivas, andEsen A. Momol

Maintaining edible landscapes in a way that protects the environment is an important concern for protecting Florida’s water quality. The objective of this new 7-page publication of the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department is to introduce the framework of the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ principles and apply the principles to guide decisions about Best Management Practices (BMPs) for care of edible landscapes.

Tina McIntyre, Rachel Gutner, Hamutahl Cohen, Tiare Saracino, andEsen A. Momol

This new 8-page publication of the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department defines different types of pests that a home gardener might encounter and encourages diversifying landscapes as a solution to pest problems. It focuses on what is called “the triangle” of IPM, a guide to managing pests using multiple methods, and provides examples of Integrated Pest Management tools that can be applied in the home context to address these pests. Several links to resources relevant to edible Florida-Friendly landscapes are included.

Jacqlyn Rivas, Tiare Saracino, Luke B. Harlow, Lynn Barber, Jennifer W. Marvin, Esen A. Momol, Tina McIntyre, andTerra Freeman

This publication is written for Florida gardeners, homesteaders and other horticulturalists interested in planting and establishing edible landscapes and improving those landscapes by conserving water. This publication will provide guidance for choosing the ideal irrigation system for edible cropping systems as well as general tips for conserving water in edible landscapes.

Tina McIntyre, Rachel Gutner, Tiare Saracino, Jacqlyn Rivas, andEsen A. Momol

Mulching is the practice of spreading material around the base of a plant to protect the plant, conserving moisture or suppressing weeds. This is a guide for homeowners and professionals to reference best practices on mulching and discusses mulch sources, application techniques, and management practices. It will clarify the mulch needs of fruit trees, shrubs, herbs, and vegetables to promote plant health.

Rachel Gutner, Tina McIntyre, Tiare Saracino, Hamutahl Cohen, andEsen A. Momol
Other Contacts: Claire Lewis

Maintaining an edible landscape using the nine Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ (FFL) principles provides a practical approach to food production in the home environment. Integrating pest management strategies, addressing nutrient deficiencies, proper pruning techniques, timely harvesting, and mulching are all practices that contribute to having a healthy edible landscape. The audience for this publication is Floridian homeowners attempting to grow edibles, such as vegetables, fruits and herbs.

Terra Freeman, Tiare Saracino, Lynn Barber, Tom Wichman, Claire Lewis, Jacqlyn Rivas, Esen A. Momol, Tina McIntyre, andJennifer W. Marvin

This publication is intended to educate homeowners on environmentally friendly ways to enhance soil fertility for vegetables, herbs, and fruits in the home landscape. It discusses strategies for recycling nutrients in place or via composting systems to create productive edible landscapes with less waste. Adopting these methods into your landscape maintenance routine will build organic matter and add nutrients to the soil naturally.

Hamutahl Cohen, Tina McIntyre, Rachel Gutner, Tiare Saracino, andEsen A. Momol
Other Contacts: Claire Lewis

Considering wildlife in your edible landscape can be a complex challenge. Although wild animals can cause crop damage, this may not be a conflict that has to be addressed. This publication provides a useful decision tree that helps users make choices regarding the species in their managed area. Our goal is to help the gardener become more accepting of wildlife among edible crops and coexist in a shared environment.

Tina McIntyre, Rachel Gutner, Tiare Saracino, andEsen A. Momol
Other Contacts: Claire Lewis

Maintaining an edible landscape using the nine Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ principles provides a practical approach to food production for homeowners and landscaping consultants. Integrating practical pest management strategies, addressing nutrient deficiencies, proper pruning techniques, timely harvesting, and mulching are all practices that contribute to a healthy landscape. This publication provides homeowners with key Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ concepts and tips to enhance the health and fertility of soils while protecting the environment. Healthy soils result in improved production yields, beautiful landscapes, and a more resilient environment.