Rowan County Cooperative Extension
Cooperative Extension 4-H program is sponsoring its annual small fruit plant sale this spring. Proceeds from this sale supports the local 4-H program through workshops, curriculum, training and various 4-H activities.
This year’s spring sale features a variety of plants compatible with our Piedmont growing environment. The plants for sale this spring include blueberries, blackberries, muscadine grapes and strawberries.
All blueberry plants are two years old, 16-24 inches tall, in one-gallon containers and are well adapted to Piedmont growing conditions. Planting more than one variety is recommended to ensure cross-pollination and increase yields. Planting various cultivars also lengthens the harvest season.
The three varieties being offered are Brightwell, Tifblue and Premier. All are productive with large fruit, suitable for home gardens. Brightwell and Tifblue are mid-season producers while Premier produces an earlier crop.
Blackberry plants available this year are Ouachita and Triple Crown. Both cultivars are one-gallon varieties and thornless. Triple Crown is a later producing variety with heavy yields.
Cowart and Triumph are the two muscadine varieties available for sale this year. Both cultivars produce rather early, are self pollinating and productive. Cowart is a large, black fruited variety borne in clusters, while the Triumph grape is bronze and thin- skinned. Both cultivars are heavily rooted in one gallon containers.
Many home gardeners have requested strawberry plants as part of the spring sale. Atlas, a matted row, home garden variety, is available this spring, but in limited quantities. It is a proven cultivar, ripening mid-season with large fruit.
The cost for blueberry, blackberry and muscadine plants is $9 each or $8 each if five or more are ordered. Strawberry plants are $10 for 25 plants, $15 for 50 plants and $20 for 100 plants.
Order your plants by calling the Cooperative Extension office weekdays from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at 704-216-8970.
The deadline to order small fruit plants is March 4. Visit this link for more detailed information about small fruits: http://www.ces. ncsu.edu/depts/hort/ consumer/hortinfo.html
If you have any questions or would like additional information please contact the 4-H office at 704-216-8970.