Discover the Fun of Gardening

October 13, 2011   

 
Get out in the garden this Fall.

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.

This Saturday October 15, at 10am, Kerby's is having a Growing Fruit Trees workshop. You'll get the information you need to plant and care for fruit trees, as well as some tips on how to protect tender trees in the winter time. Afterwards sample some of the yummy fruits that will grow in your backyard. Plus this month we're having our Fall Fruit Clearance with all fruit trees 25% off. And read below if you're interested in growing strawberries, as you can tell when you drive through Plant City, it's time for planting.


Happy Gardening,
Kim, Joey and Mark
 

In This Issue

Growing Strawberries

Upcoming Events
 

Onion Sets and Strawberries are In

Fall Fruit Clearance
All Fruit Trees
25% Off

The Pumpkin Patch is Open!

 

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.
 
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.

 

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.

 

Workshop: Fall Fruits
Saturday, October 15th at 10am
This workshop will teach you all the basics about planting and caring for fruits, and focus on some of the hardy fruit trees that you can plant for our area. We'll also discuss techniques for protecting your favorite fruit trees from frost and freezes. Afterwards sample some of the delicious fruits and tantalize your taste buds.
 

 

 


Kerby's Pumpkin Patch
Now Open

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.

 



 


Fall Festival
Saturday, October 29th at 10am - 2pm
Do you (or your kids) have a cool Halloween costume? Abby has hers picked out and she'll be wearing it at Kerby's Fall Festival. Bring out the whole family for fun kid's activities and trick-or-treating. Plus you'll get to see the Kerby's staff in costume! Let's have some fun this Fall!

 



 


Workshop: Herb Gardening
Saturday, November 19th at 10am

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


Store Hours
Open Seven Days a Week
 Monday - Friday,  9:00am - 5:00pm
Sunday,  11:00am - 4:00pm