Prime Focus Solutions, Inc

Prime Focus Solutions, Inc Using a photographers from all of the world, we aim to help others achieve sustainability.

Prime Focus Solutions is a service geared to assisting you with all things horticultural, with a focus on the medicinal properties of plants throughout the world.

Do you have this one in your landscape?
06/26/2024

Do you have this one in your landscape?

06/26/2024

Welcome to the new Prime Focus Solutions page! I am going to take this page a new direction. Not only can it be used as a forum for sound horticulture advice, but not we are offering ethnobotanical solutions as well. What is ethnobotany you ask? Ethnobotany is the study of ways that humans utilize plants. My doctoral thesis was in the medicinal properties of plants throughout the World. In my travels for my doctoral program, I documented plants all over the US. Many of these plants, that we use in our landscapes, have medicinal properties. Our US institutions may not have done the research but universities and doctors throughout the world have. I am in the process of compiling a book. In the mean time, I would like to utilize this forum for you to take pictures of a plant in your landscape, upload them, to this page, and I'll identify the plant as well as tell you its ethnobotanical properties. In order to correctly identify the plant you must share with me where the photo was taken. I do not need the physical address, but city and state would be ideal. Upon completion of the identification, for a small fee, I can provide you detail instructions on how to safely prepare the plant for its medicinal use. Some may want that...some may not. All of this is exceptional knowledge, especially in the event of a catastrophe. Please share this page with your friends. We hope to get very busy.

New Online Certificate at Florida Gateway CollegeFlorida Gateway College (FGC) in Lake City recently launched an all onl...
12/06/2016

New Online Certificate at Florida Gateway College

Florida Gateway College (FGC) in Lake City recently launched an all online 18 credit Certificate in Horticulture consisting of six 3-credit plant science courses: Principles of Plant Growth, Agricultural Chemistry, Soils & Fertilizers, Turf for Golf & Landscape, Irrigation for Golf & Landscape, and Landscape Plants. The target students are employees in the golf, landscape, sports turf, and similar industries who like what they are doing but who have no plant science background.
There is demand for this type of program as many employees cannot afford to leave their job and attend a college campus, so FGC decided to take the courses to the student through online delivery.
Students must apply before the start of each of three semesters, fall, spring, and summer. The college plans to offer all six courses every semester. A student also needs to complete a federal aid form when applying in order to be considered for any scholarships. The golf/landscape program area at the college does have scholarship money available for the certificate students, and it is planned to award the scholarships as reimbursement scholarships if a student earns a “C” or better in a class. In-state fees are about $104 per credit and out of state fees for online courses are around $231 per credit.
The golf and landscape industries have always been very supportive of the golf and landscape programs at FGC, and the success of this new online approach is also contingent on industry support through industry professionals providing on site hands-on training and encouraging employees to complete the FGC certificate.

For more information contact Joseph Petersen at 386-754-4218 or [email protected]. One can go to www.fgc.edu and click on academics, then horticulture to see the certificate page

Fairy Rings???? Are you out of your mind??? My yard is not Ferngully!! Sorry for the early '90's cartoon movie refere...
08/26/2016

Fairy Rings???? Are you out of your mind??? My yard is not Ferngully!! Sorry for the early '90's cartoon movie reference.

Fairy Rings...They can be serious. Are you prepeared? Fairy rings are caused by dozens of different fungi, including mushrooms and puffballs. These fungi grow
through the thatch and soil, consuming organic matter. They do not affect the turf directly, but they can alter the soil environment, making it unfavorable to turfgrass.

Fairy ring fungi start in the soil or thatch and grow outward, like a patch of mold growing as an expanding circle on a piece of rotten fruit or old bread. When two
or more fairy rings meet, they do not grow together. This leads to a wavy pattern. Large fairy rings can expand several feet per year. The fungi accumulate nutrients as they grow through the soil, then when it is time to reproduce, they send up the mushrooms or puffballs to produce spores. So, every mushroom or puffball you see in the ring is all part of the same fairy ring organism.

Your solution!!!

Fairy rings in taller-cut turf usually do not cause severe damage. If the mushrooms are a nuisance, they can be removed by mowing or raking. Some mushrooms are poisonous, so if children or pets are around removal is a
good idea. If the green rings are a concern, a light application of nitrogen or iron could help mask the symptoms. Do not go over fertilize. Always keep in mind the best fertility practices for the species of turf at the site. If the fairy ring
becomes severe (Type 1), core aerification and watering can help move water to the hydrophobic areas around the roots. Affected areas can be physically removed by trenching out the affected areas, but this is time-consuming.

And if all else fails, a good fungicide from Home Depot will do the trick.

Iron chlorosis is a yellowing of plant leaves caused by iron deficiency that affects many desirable landscape plants thr...
08/11/2016

Iron chlorosis is a yellowing of plant leaves caused by iron deficiency that affects many desirable landscape plants throughout the world. The primary symptom of iron deficiency is interveinal chlorosis, the development of a yellow leaf with a network of dark green veins. In severe cases, the entire leaf turns yellow or white and the outer edges may scorch and turn brown as the plant cells die. It is common for an individual branch or one half of a tree to be chlorotic while the remainder of the tree appears normal. In some areas vegetation from the entire landscape may be affected, while in others only the most susceptible plants show deficiency symptoms.

Treatment:

Several methods are available for treating iron deficiency. These are: 1) soil application of elemental sulfur combined with ferrous (iron) sulfate; 2) soil application of iron chelates; 3) foliar sprays containing ferrous sulfate or chelated iron; or 4) trunk injection of ferric ammonium citrate or iron sulfate (trees only). Foliar treatments produce a rapid but incomplete response, while a soil or trunk treatment will last longer. Soil treatments require considerable work, but generally do not injure trees and can be more economical. Table 2 lists some advantages and disadvantages of different iron chlorosis control methods. Often, one method will work well in one area but not in another due to variations in soil conditions and species susceptibility. Try different methods until you find the one that works in your situation.

Tent Caterpillars. Oh how we hate them. Found throughout the entire United States, these larval insects are difficult ...
08/01/2016

Tent Caterpillars. Oh how we hate them. Found throughout the entire United States, these larval insects are difficult to control. You can spray them with any commercial pesticide or organic pesticide, but they do little good unless you get past the "tent". These sprays require contact. The best way to remove them is to remove the branch when the "tent" is first found. They destroy the entire tent by whatever means necessary. I have found a burn barrel or pile to be most effective. There are some systemic controls options, but they can be pricey. Systemic control is where the plants takes up the pesticide and then when the caterpillar eats the leaves of the plant, the caterpillar dies.

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