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Discover the Fun of Gardening |
October 13, 2011 |
It looks like cooler weather should be
arriving this weekend. A welcome relief after the heavy rains and wind last
weekend and just in time to open the Kerby's Pumpkin Patch. You'll find lots
of fall inspiration and a perfect place to take a family picture! Plus you
can pick out this year's Halloween pumpkin. Happy Gardening, Kim, Joey and Mark |
In This Issue
Onion Sets and Strawberries are In
Fall Fruit Clearance
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Growing Strawberries in Florida Florida has the perfect weather for growing strawberries. They require temperatures between 50 and 80 degrees, not too hot, not too cold . And day lengths of 14 hours or fewer. In our area of Florida, we get these conditions for much of the year. Below are some easy steps for growing plump, juicy strawberries. They're delicious! Now all you need is to make some shortcake!
Choose a location that receives at least 8 hours of direct sunlight.
Strawberries flower best in lots of sun. Make sure the location you've chosen has well-drained soil.
Strawberries (like most plants) don't grow well in soil that stays
soggy. A raised bed works well, and strawberries can easily be
worked into an existing vegetable garden. Containers are great for
growing strawberries too. Any size and shape will do.
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Plant strawberries level with the existing soil, and fertilize
lightly after planting with Garden-Tone fertilizer (an organic
option that's wonderful for veggies too.) Water well after planting
and continue watering each day for the first few weeks, and then
slowly reduce watering to two to three times per week (depending on
the size of the plants and the temperatures).
Protect strawberries from frost and freeze. Though the plants will survive without any problems, flowers and fruits can be damaged by freezing temperatures. Cover with a frost blanket to protect plants during our cold spells. Many strawberry varieties are ever-bearing, which means that they are capable of producing several harvests. After the first strawberry harvest, cut the plants down to the crown, so that they can re-grow and produce another harvest. Most plants will continue producing in cycles until the weather becomes too hot in the summertime. A few diseases
and pests can cause problems on strawberry plants. Regular treatment with
Neem oil can keep most problems under control. A few types of worms and
caterpillars attack strawberry plants in early fall, and can be controlled
with Thuricide. Both products are safe for use on edibles. Now just sit
back, and get your best recipes out, pretty soon you'll be harvesting
delicious strawberries.
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Upcoming Events
What a
wonderful year to discover the fun of gardening! Below is the
schedule for our Fall series of events and workshops. We look
forward to seeing you there.
Bring the family out
to select this year's jack-o-lantern while enjoying the beauty of fall at
the Kerby's Pumpkin Patch. You'll find cool pumpkins and great ideas for
decorating your garden for fall.
Just in time for Thanksgiving, come out and learn about herb gardening and all the cool herbs that grow well in our area. Plus we'll sample some delicious treats made with fresh herbs and share recipes for Thanksgiving.
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Kerby's Nursery 2311 S. Parsons Ave. Seffner, FL 33584 (813) 685-3265 www.kerbysnursery.com |
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