Life Lived Outside The Kerby's Nursery E-Newsletter September 10, 2020 |
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Planting Seeds | Weekly Special | New Arrivals | ||||||
The Chickens Took Our Chairs
by Joey Bokor
When I wasn't looking, the chickens took our chairs and they have made themselves quite at home in them. It's our fault really. A week or two ago, we felt like they needed to get out and stretch their legs around the entire yard. The chicken yard is a good size, but there isn't any grass left and at some point, we feel like it does them good to get out in the grass and peck. With the veggie garden in its summer state, there isn't really anything left for them to damage, and we figured if the worst thing we have to do is rake some mulch back into landscape beds, it is worth it to see the chickens happy. When we opened the gate that first morning, we had to back out of the way they stormed out so quickly. They explored the grass and flapped their wings a bit, enjoying their new-found freedom. It is fun watching them walk around and explore the yard. It sort of transports us from a house in a city to a pastoral farm, where feeding the chickens and tending our crops is our biggest concern in the world. And then they took our chairs. We looked out one morning and they were very interested in our morning coffee spot. After they scoped it out a little bit, they jumped up and perched themselves right up on our chairs like queens of the yard. We've had to shoo them, not just out of our chairs, but out of landscape beds and from getting too close to the neighbor's yard. We know it won't last because the first veggies of the fall season have arrived and pretty soon, we'll be planting up our garden. For now, we'll let them have their freedom and I guess, we'll even let them have our chairs. |
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The Kerby's Pumpkin Patch
This year, we all need a beautiful fall. The Kerby's Pumpkin Patch is going to be bigger and better than ever, featuring gorgeous pumpkins like Crystal Stars, Prizewinners, Cronus Big Stems and Warty Goblins. Perfect for fall decorating and finding this season's jack-o-lantern. And to create fall memories, there will be a Pumpkin Wall for fun family pictures. Let's get ready to make fall happen. The Pumpkin Patch opens on October 1st. |
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The Weekly Special
Seeds - 10% Off
As September rolls along, it is time to get fall veggie gardens planted. Seeds are a great way to start favorites like carrots, lettuce and spinach. There are lots of varieties to choose from and organic and heirloom options for growing healthy gardens. This week only, all seeds are 10% off. Valid Through 9/16/2020 | ||||||
Plant at the correct depth - This is the most important part of planting seeds. A general rule of thumb is that small seeds should be planted shallow (a quarter of an inch under the soil) and large seeds should be planted deep (around an inch under the soil). Each seed packet will tell you the depth that particular seed variety should be planted at. Follow it. Seeds that want to be shallow won't have the energy to reach sunlight if they are planted too deep. Seeds that want to be deeper will emerge too quickly and won't be strong enough to stay upright if they are planted too shallow. Start Seeds in Pots or Trays - Some seeds, like lettuce, spinach, radishes and carrots are easier to start right in garden beds. But some veggies like collards, broccoli, tomatoes and peppers are easier to start in individual pots or trays. We like to use old egg cartons with holes poked in them as our seed-starting trays. This allows you to start a number of seeds and then select the strongest plants for your garden. When starting seeds in pots or trays, use a very light soil, such as Ferti-Lome's Seed and Cutting Mix. A dense, heavy soil can be tough for a little seedling to push through. Water seeds properly - Seeds don't need a whole lot to get started. A little sunlight and moderate moisture is all that they require. Avoid over-saturating the soil that you are starting seeds in, as this can lead to disease issues and poor growth of seedlings. As seedlings grow larger, increase the amount of water they receive. Transplant - The first set of leaves that emerge are called seed-leaves. The second set will be the true leaves. Once the true leaves have emerged, your new seedlings should be ready for transplant. Don't let them stay in little trays too long or they will get rootbound. Have Fun - Seeds are a great way to start heirloom varieties that are hard to find as starter plants and it is the best way to start large beds of lettuce, spinach and other greens. So experiment a little, find a variety and challenge yourself to have your best harvests ever. |
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Kerby's Nursery 2311 S. Parsons Ave. Seffner, FL 33584 (813) 685-3265 www.kerbysnursery.com |
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