Now is the Time,
Kerby's is the Place

February 12, 2015   

This weekend, temperatures may dip into the mid-30s. Make sure you are prepared.

Even though there was a bit of confusion in the news over this year's groundhog prediction, the general consensus is was that six more weeks of winter were on the way. And it looks like Phil may just be right. This weekend's forecast includes temperatures lower than we've seen the last few winters. So make sure you are prepared for frost. Kerby's has plenty of frost blankets in stock if you need to protect your favorite plants or newly planted veggie gardens.

Cool plants keep gardening exciting. Check out this Fireball Mallow.

 Fortunately, our "cold" weather is nothing compared to what our northern neighbors are facing. For us, a cold morning always leads to sun-drenched afternoons that are perfect for getting outside and planting. Lots of cool plants are arriving each day at Kerby's in anticipation of a beautiful spring season. So enjoy the cooler weather while it lasts and have a little fun playing outside in your garden.

Happy Gardening, The Kerby's Nursery Family	Forward to a Friend Follow us on Facebook Landscape Design Services

In This Issue

Featured Plant

Low Chill Fruit Trees

Upcoming Events

Veggie Plants are in

Click for Spring
Veggie Gardening Info

 

Spring Bulbs
Are In
Caladiums, Amaryllis, Blood Lily & More

Click for Bulb Info

Click to See
More Beautiful Plants
at Kerby's   

Low Chill or Dormant Fruit Trees

So you live in Florida, where it's warm and tropical and you think there is no way that you can enjoy some of the fruit trees that our northern friends love? Think again! You can grow apples, peaches, nectarines and pears here in our area. Kerby's carries varieties that are cultivated especially for this area, so they are capable of fruiting. Keep reading for more information behind why these trees are called "Low-Chill" or skip ahead to a list of the trees available at Kerby's.

At Kerby's you'll hear the staff say "Low Chill Fruit Trees" and you'll probably wonder what in the world they are talking about. Apples, peaches, pears and nectarines belong to a group of fruits called "Low Chill" or "Dormant" fruit trees. These fruit trees require cold weather in order to flower and fruit properly. What they really need is a chance to go dormant. It's pretty obvious that up north, with lots of cold weather, trees have plenty of time to go dormant in the winter. This is when they store energy for a spring flush of flowers and fruit. In Florida, it doesn't always get that cold. In order to enjoy these types of trees, varieties that don't need a lot of cold weather are required.

That is where the term "Low Chill" comes from. To get fruit from these types of trees in our area, they must have a low-chill requirement. Chill requirement is the number of hours below 45 degrees F that a tree needs in order to go dormant properly. Our local area typically receives anywhere from 200 to 300 chill hours on average. So the fruit tree you select should be in this range. (You can push the bounds a little in either direction; 200 to 300 is a historical average for the entire bay area. Seffner, Brandon, Valrico and Plant City are typically a little colder.)

 
The bottom line is that you can grow these delicious fruit trees in our area, but you have to select the right varieties. Kerby's makes it easy, by only carrying varieties that are capable of fruiting in this area. So come on out, enjoy the cool weather and find something delicious to plant.

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