Master Gardener Volunteers Lend Helping Hands

November is always a busy month in academia, and both on- and off-campus educators stay on their toes. I am very grateful to the Master Gardener volunteers who share Florida-Friendly Landscaping tips with community members preparing their homes for the holidays. They help identify plants and insects, and they offer management advice and planting suggestions that make seasonal touches easier. In case you don’t have time to visit, call, or email the Master Gardeners, here are two of our most frequent November inquiries:

The first is, “What is this vine that has taken over my backyard?” The distinctive heart-shaped leaves with their quilted texture are a dead giveaway for the invasive air potato. Many snowbirds are surprised to return and see it draping over shrubs and trees, since they aren’t here when the plant emerges from dormancy in May. By mid-November, the vines typically begin to die back as cooler weather sets in. That makes this the best time to track them to their source and dig up the bulbils while removing the vines. Be thorough, as any bulbils that fall to the ground will sprout again, and mowing only makes them multiply.

The second common concern is turfgrass. Cooler weather can bring a range of causes for unsightly browning, most often large patch fungal disease or sod webworm damage. Unless we’ve had an unusually early cold snap, dormancy is unlikely. We often encourage residents to send photos or bring a sample of affected turf so we can give a more accurate diagnosis.   Here’s what to look for:

• Large patch: Circular, uniform patches with well-defined borders, often ringed in orange or yellow. The disease spreads gradually, especially in shaded, damp, or low-lying areas.
• Sod webworms: Irregular, uneven patches where grass looks chewed or clipped at varying heights. The damage can appear overnight, as larvae feed after dark. They tend to start in sunny, exposed areas and spread in a scattered pattern.

Regardless of the cause, repairing damaged turf will involve adjusting water management. An accurate diagnosis first saves both time and resources and prevents damage from spreading.

If you do contact the Master Gardeners this month, they’ll be delighted to help brighten your holiday season. Let them guide you in the yard so you can focus on your holiday menu—whether that means Cornish hens, mature chicken, duck, turkey, or no bird at all. Here’s a foodie tip: a good sauce covers all sins. My favorite is chimichurri, perfect as a marinade, a condiment, or as the finishing touch on a post-holiday sandwich.

Serendipitously, November is the ideal month for fresh parsley and oregano in the kitchen garden, too. As for me, I’ll be catching football with a plate in hand, thankful for our Master Gardeners, who help keep our holidays and our landscapes Florida-Friendly.

Nickie Munroe is an environmental horticulture agent with the University of Florida’s IFAS Indian River County Extension.