Franta Majs is a common fixture at Florida plant shows and sales. He doesn’t attend to shop, however. He’s on hand to offer advice.
“Frequently I’ll see people pulling a wagon with hundreds of dollars worth of plants or trees,” Majs said. “And I’ll ask them, ‘Do you have a spot for this plant? How is the soil? Is it well drained? What’s the pH?’ They don’t even think about it.”
Majs considers it part of his job to provoke such contemplation. As a soil scientist, he encourages Florida farmers and gardeners to identify and understand their growing conditions before planting. As the new director of the UF/IFAS Analytical Services (ANSERV) Labs, he hopes they turn to his facility for guidance…