Now is the Time,
Kerby's is the Place
August 14, 2014
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Now is the Time, |
August 14, 2014 |
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Kerby's summer sales are still going
on, but only through the end of August.
And before you know it, fall will be arriving and all the fun in the garden
that it brings with it. Check out Kerby's fall event and workshop schedule
to get a taste of what we'll have going on.
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In This Issue
Watering Properly
August Sales
All Pottery and Statuary
Click to See
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Featured Plant Popcorn Senna (Cassia) Senna didymobotrya Spoiler alert . . . I'm going to tell you why this plant is so cool. But you have to smell it for yourself to really be amazed. If you run your hand across the leaves of this senna and then smell your hand, it smells like popcorn. Hard to believe, but it really does. And if that's not cool enough, the popcorn senna is also a host plant for sulphur butterflies. It blooms with lovely buttery-yellow flowers in the summertime and grows pretty tall (up to 10 or 15 feet) making it a lovely centerpiece for a butterfly garden. |
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Watering Plants Properly
Water Plants at the Roots - It's basic biology, but a reminder is always
a good thing. Plants take up water from their roots. Leaves absorb CO2 and
sunlight. So, make sure to thoroughly soak the roots of the plant when you
water. Spraying the leaves with water does very little good for the plant
and can actually encourage disease issues.
Sprinklers are Great, But - be sure the sprinklers are set to deliver
the proper amount of water to new plants. Especially if you've planted a new
tree, palm or larger shrub, the larger rootball needs more water than
sprinkler systems may deliver. The general rule of thumb is that an inch of
water penetrates one foot of Florida soil. So an inch of water will leave a
root ball that is two feet deep half dry. The larger the new plant, the
more water it needs and the more deeply it needs to be watered. When it
comes to trees, deep watering encourages a deep root system and helps to
avoid surface roots which eventually break up sidewalks and driveways.
The best advice we can give is don't plant new plants without a plan for keeping them watered.
If you make watering your new
plants a part of your daily routine everything you plant will grow and
thrive.
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Kerby's Nursery 2311 S. Parsons Ave. Seffner, FL 33584 (813) 685-3265 www.kerbysnursery.com |
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Consistent Watering - Kerby's general rule of thumb for
watering new plants is: Daily for the first month, every other day for the
second month and twice per week for the third month. Thereafter, most plants
need water once per week, although some may need more especially during the
summer. This watering
schedule gives a plant the regular water it is used to, and then slowly
reduces that watering as the plant develops a root system. The closer you
come to sticking to this schedule, the stronger the plants will be in the
long run. Even drought tolerant plants (think lantana or oleander) need this
kind of regular watering to get established. And don't let the label 'Rainy
Season' make you think that mother nature will water plants sufficiently.
Although we get alot of rain at this time of year, it isn't consistent, and
for a plant that has a small root system, yesterday's rain is already out of
reach. 
Always, Always, Water in the Morning
- Water in the morning. Always. Watering plants after they've wilted in
the evening is not good for them. Plants use water when the sun is out to transport nutrients and to moderate leaf
temperature (kind of like us sweating). At night, plants don't use water and
it just moves through the soil past the roots. Water consistently in the
morning, and you'll rarely see your new plants wilting and in the long run,
you'll have much stronger, healthier plants.
