Write to her at aghu@ifas.ufl.edu.
First, it is important to understand the difference between organic and inorganic mulch. Organic mulch refers to organic matter such as bark, wood chips, leaves, straw, etc. Inorganic mulch is made of stones, glass, ground tires and other materials.
The black mold is sooty mold, which is not a plant disease. It does however indicate that the plant has a sap-sucking insect infestation such as scales, mealybugs or aphids. Once the insects are under control, the sooty mold disappears. A fungicide treatment would not be effective.
Saving water is easier than you think! Most people overestimate the amount plants require. Keeping soil constantly moist or wet reduces oxygen in the soil, which is needed for roots to function. It also leaches plant nutrients from the soil, causing nutritional deficiencies (for palms, some deficiencies are lethal). It causes stress, which makes plants more vulnerable to disease and insect infestations. It increases weed problems. And most importantly, it wastes water. Remember, fresh water is a limited resource.
To send insect samples, place as many undamaged insects as possible in a hard plastic container such as a pill bottle. You can put the container in the freezer for one to two days to kill the insects before sending the sample. Mail the container in a box (preferably) or padded envelope. Never submit any samples, whether insects or plants, in plastic baggies.
Your photo shows the tiny male flowers that are on a fruit-like structure that has rotted. After the pollen has been shed, this structure rots away. So what you are seeing is perfectly normal.
Your great images helped me diagnose the problem. Your lawn is most likely infected with brown patch disease. Read this fact sheet to make sure that the symptoms of this disease match up to the symptoms in your lawn: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/lh044.
Based on the photo you sent, your plants are infested with the rugose spiraling whitefly. It used be known as the gumbo limbo spiraling whitefly.
With very few exceptions, the pH of Miami-Dade County soils is between 7.4 and 8.2 (very alkaline). Because of the nature of our soils, the pH can’t be lowered.
Amaryllis grow well outdoors in South Florida and a whole bed in bloom can be stunning.
If the spots are translucent (light can be seen through them), it is not a disease but potassium deficiency. This deficiency is very common on palms in South Florida. Potassium is rapidly leached for our soils and if the proper fertilizer is not being applied or at the correct rate, this deficiency shows up.
You can plant your poinsettia outdoors in a container or in the ground. Choose a sunny spot that will not receive artificial light at night. Plant your potted poinsettia(s) as soon as danger of frost is past. Place the plant in the soil at the same depth it was growing in the container. Keep the plant mulched and soil moist until established. Once established, watering is usually not needed.
Almost all trees in South Florida are evergreen or are briefly deciduous. You can choose a tree species that naturally stays small or you can prune it to keep it small. And tall-growing shrubs can be pruned to form a single trunk so that it looks more like a tree.
What you found are indeed a species of millipedes, locally known as the yellow-banded millipede.
Q: I have a live oak in South Dade that only grows half the leaves. The leaves at the end of the branches are disappearing rapidly, have small brown spots and are eaten around the edges.
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