Now is the Time,
Kerby's is the Place

November 21, 2013   

Red seed potatoes are in at Kerby's

So the farmer's almanac predicts a cold, wet winter. NOAA on the other hand predicts a mild, dry winter. Completely opposite predictions. Which I guess goes to show that mother nature probably has her own agenda. So far this fall, it sure has been mild. That should mean that your veggie gardens are going gangbusters. Our home garden is doing pretty well and we've been able to start harvesting.  One of our goals with the garden this season is to make all of a week's side dishes with only veggies and herbs from the garden. As the garden starts to mature, we're making an attempt. Last night we cooked mustard greens with a little salt, pepper and molasses, and tonight, the plan is kale chips. If you haven't tried kale chips you should. Cut kale leaves (or any green for that matter) into one inch pieces. Toss with olive oil and salt. Spread on a sheet pan and bake at 350 until crispy (times will vary, usually around ten minutes or so). They are a tasty, crispy treat that accompanies any main dish.

Hopefully your gardens are growing and harvesting well too. Now is the time of year to keep an eye out for weeds and bugs that might get into the garden. Although it is late to plant most veggie crops, it is the right time of year for planting seed potatoes. See below for more information on planting this versatile veggie and growing it in Florida.

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

In This Issue

Featured Plant

Growing Potatoes

Red Seed Potatoes
are In

A Great Time to Plant
Fortuniana Grafted Roses

All Roses
2 for $50
10" Pots, Reg. Price $29.99

Just In

Encore Azaleas
Three Seasons of Blooms
10" Pot - $29.99

Click to See
What's Just in
at Kerby's

Red, White or Pink Dipladenia 8" Pot - $12.99 Buy 1 Get 1 Free

Featured Plant
Dipladenia
Mandevilla x

The dipladenia is the well-behaved cousin of the mandevilla vine. It stays nice and compact growing to around three feet tall, and prefers sunny gardens or pots. It flowers throughout the warm months (which is almost all year here) and adds great color to a landscape. Plus right now at Kerby's, they are Buy 1 Get 1 Free, but only while supplies last.

Growing Potatoes in Florida

Potatoes are delicious and a great side dish for every meal. Follow these steps for growing great potatoes right in your backyard. In a few short months, you'll be harvesting yummy potatoes.

1. Cut Potatoes into Seed Pieces - Seed potatoes come as whole potatoes. To plant, they first need to be cut into seed pieces about the size of an egg, with at least two eyes per piece. Small potatoes can be planted whole. After cutting, leave in a warm dry place for a day or two to let the cuts dry. Before planting, you may want to dust the seed pieces with Captan fungicide to help prevent disease.

2. Plant Potatoes - Plant potatoes in a well drained soil mixture at a depth of about 4 inches, with the eyes pointing upwards. We like to add vermiculite or perlite to our soil mixture to make it nice and light. Space potatoes about 2 feet apart. Water potatoes every other day at first, making sure that they never sit wet. Adjust watering as plants grow. Fertilize monthly with Kerby's 8-4-8 to encourage good growth.

3. Hilling - This is an important step for maximizing harvests. As potato plants grow mound soil up around the base of the plants. This will encourage more roots to grow which leads to more potatoes. There are some cool methods for growing potatoes in old tires that really lets you pile up the dirt and get lots of potatoes from just one plant. Typically the average plant will have 6 - 10 potatoes. Be sure to cover any tubers that come to the surface.

4. Harvesting - Red potatoes will harvest in 80 to 100 days. To harvest potatoes that will store well, you'll want to let the tubers mature. Once plants have grown and flowered, they will die off. At this point, cover the potato plants with plastic to allow soil to dry. Leave them in the ground for two weeks. Harvest by carefully digging the tubers up, but avoid damaging them. Wash lightly and dry completely before storing. Any tubers which are small and green should be discarded. Potatoes store in a cool, dry place for months, so you can enjoy them well into the summer.

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