Falling Fruit

Are fruits dropping off of your navel orange tree and you’re worried that you won’t have any fruit left to harvest in November? Trees normally self-prune some fruit, but the abundance of fruit drop seems to be more serious when hot rainy summer and fall weather conditions prevail. Navel oranges especially suffer when there is inadequate fruit set. Other factors that may be contributing to the losses may be poor drainage, root rot, low potassium, and inadequate sun.

For more information on this and other problems growing citrus, download the following fact sheet http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/HS/HS14100.pdf.

Sarasota County Master Gardeners’ 7th Annual Plant Sale

When: 8 am – 2 pm, Saturday, October 8, 2011

Where: Bee Ridge Park, 4430 S Lockwood Ridge Rd, Sarasota 34231
(Corner of Wilkinson Rd. and S. Lockwood Ridge Rd.)

For Whom: Public, free admission

Benefits Whom: Proceeds go to Sarasota County Master Gardeners, a volunteer organization, in their efforts to provide educational outreach programs and community gardening projects in Sarasota County.

Sarasota County Master Gardeners, a volunteer organization helping the Sarasota County Extension Service with educational outreach programs, will hold their seventh annual plant sale on Saturday, October 8, 2011 from 8 am – 2 pm at Bee Ridge Park in Sarasota.

Bee Ridge Park is located at the corner of Wilkinson and S. Lockwood Ridge Roads (south of Bee Ridge Road). Admission is free. Proceeds support the Master Gardener program and its educational outreach programs. Refreshments will be available from Sarasota County 4H-ers. The sale will be held rain or shine under a covered pavilion.

Master Gardeners will answer questions and offer free advice regarding proper plant choices, care tips, and suggestions on proper locations for the plants. This is an opportunity to learn about gardening principles that can significantly reduce the amount of water, pesticides and fertilizers needed in your landscapes. Information on how homeowners can receive recognition for having a “Florida-Friendly” yard will be available.

An outstanding variety of native and non-native plants from the Master Gardeners’ own gardens and donations from local nurseries will be for sale. Edibles, trees, shrubs, vines, succulents and many hard-to-find varieties will be available at reasonable prices. Cash or local checks only, no credit cards.

For more information about the sale, please contact the Master Gardener Help Desk at (941) 861-9807 or mghelpdesk@scgov.net.

Moles Under Foot?

Are you having a mole problem in your lawn?  Did you know the phrase “good, bad and ugly” might apply to them?  Learn more about moles from entomologist Dr. Fred Santana on August 10 at Twin Lakes Park.  The meeting starts at 1:00 p.m. and you can register on our website sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu/

23rd Annual Rare Fruit Tree Sale

Vendors from across the state will be selling thousands of fruit trees and edible plants at the 23rd Annual Rare Fruit Tree Sale, co-sponsored by the Sarasota Fruit & Nut Society and Sarasota County Parks and Recreation. This free and open to the public event will be held Sunday, September 25, 2011, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Phillippi Estate Park. The park is located at 5500 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, at the intersection of US 41 and Constitution Boulevard.

Expert advice on growing tropical fruits will be available from professional growers, County Extension Master Gardeners and local experts. Growers at the sale will range from commercial operations to families who love to grow a particular fruit.

“Fall is really an excellent time to buy fruit trees,” says Ted Curry, SFNS president. “You nurture them through the winter and can move them indoors to protect them from frost. And you have plenty of time to select and prepare a great spot to plant them in the spring.”

The Sarasota Fruit & Nut Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to introducing, propagating and distributing the many rare tropical and sub-tropical fruits grown throughout the world. It offers education in these areas and encouragement to cultivate food-producing trees.

The group, which has been meeting for over 25 years, is comprised of over 100 members who enjoy growing fruiting plants and sharing information with others interested in edible landscaping. Meetings on the second Wednesday of every month are held at 7 p.m. in the Phillippi Estate Park mansion and feature speakers who are experts in Florida horticulture. The gatherings, which include a raffle of member-donated plants, begin at 6:30 p.m. with a tasting table and socializing. SFNS also sponsors field trips to fruit farms, gardens, and other horticultural sites.

For more information, visit www.sfns.net or contact Ted Curry at 941.484.9229 or tedcurry@verizon.net.

Co-sponsored by Sarasota County Parks and Recreation – Phillippi Estate.

Sarasota County Master Gardener Plant Sale

Speaking of Master Gardeners

Did you know that the Master Gardeners of Sarasota County have a speakers program?  Master Gardeners will come to your garden club meeting and give a presentation with no fee required.  Do you want to know more about growing butterfly plants or container gardening?  The complete list of programs available is on our website http://sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu/Hort/SpeakerBureauBrochure.pdf.  You can mail in your request, fax, email or call.

Australian Flame Tree

A not-so-common tree, the Australian Flame tree, Brachychiton acerifolius, is now in bloom. Do you have plants in your garden that you can’t identify? If so, take leaves, flowers and/or seed pods to one of the Master Gardener Help Desks and they can help you. You can find a Help Desk near you at the Sarasota County Extension website: sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu. You can also email pictures to
mghelpdesk@scgov.net.