DOUG CALDWELL

• DOUG CALDWELL: Spiraling whitefly hungry, but not here — yet Published 07/07/2011 at 11:25 a.m.

  In some horticulture circles one hears that native plants have fewer pests than other ornamental plants. This may have been true 50 years ago, but with all of the international trade and commerce, we constantly have new foreign pests, and ...

• DOUG CALDWELL: Our plants are under attack Published 05/17/2012 at 2 p.m.

  Doug Caldwell, Ph.D., “helping you beautify your landscape and protect the environment,” is the commercial landscape horticulture extension agent and landscape entomologist with the University of Florida Collier County Extension Service.

• Spore disease on mirror-leaf a tough one to control Published 04/20/2012 at 4 a.m.

  A mold pathogen could be making short work of one of your favorite viburnum hedges. Here's how to deal with it.

• Greenscape Alliance: Many types of walkable groundcovers available Published 01/31/2012 at 4 a.m.

  :In part 1 of this column, turfgrass options were discussed. Now, part 2 gets back to Camp B, the broadleaf choices for a walkable groundcover.

• Greenscape Alliance: Quite a few options for walkable groundcovers Published 01/03/2012 at 4 a.m.

  I’m always looking for interesting groundcovers, with say, a maximum height of six inches or so. Ideally, this groundcover would cover the larger open areas in the landscape commonly referred to as the “lawn area.”

• Doug Caldwell's Extension Column: Go to the movies with master gardeners Published 11/25/2011 at 4 a.m.

  Video is the best media for teaching. It is much more exciting seeing the caterpillars move and how the proper pruning cuts should be made.

• DOUG CALDWELL: Has disease made citrus a short-term, high maintenance relationship? Published 10/07/2011 at 6 a.m.

  One reason I moved to Florida 10 years ago was to have the ability to leisurely stroll out the back door on a warm Florida winter day and pick a few tangelos and squeeze some fresh orange juice for breakfast. ...

• DOUG CALDWELL: Hurricane cuts may be death blows to your palm Published 09/02/2011 at 1:53 p.m.

  There are a lot of opportunist “landscapers” wanting to offer you a bargain “hurricane cut” to save your trees when the big winds blow. But buyer beware! Never “hurricane-cut” palms. This practice does not protect your palm. Instead it weakens ...

• Getting bonked by a caterpillar? Bungee jumpers are out there now Published 05/13/2011 at midnight

  A little caterpillar can defoliate “black olive” and its finer textured variety “ ‘Shady Lady’ black olive” (Bucida buceras). Nuisance calls — complaints about the caterpillars, not the calls — usually start in mid to late April.

• Yuck lawn: Crab grass or disease Published 01/13/2011 at 4:56 p.m.

  Cold temperatures came earlier this year, and so did the brown areas in our yards. Many homeowners are experiencing the typical late fall -early winter surprise of large brown areas in what they thought was a perfectly green and healthy ...

• Low-growing hedges define, but don't strangle, the view Published 12/02/2010 at 5:13 p.m.

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