4-H Plant Sale

Deadline to order is March 5, 2009

Plants will be available for pick up on March 12 (9am - 7pm) and March 13 (9am - 5pm) at the Mecklenburg County Cooperative Extension Office (1418 Armory Drive, Charlotte, NC  28204).  You will receive a reminder note prior to plants arriving.

Orders are now CLOSED.  Those that placed orders may pick up their plants March 12 and 13.

Or call 704-336-2082; weekdays; between 8am and 5pm.

Blueberry, Blackberry and Muscadine plants are sold in 1-gallon containers and are well adapted to the piedmont growing conditions.  Cost for plants is $8 each.  If you order 10 or more, cost is $7 each - mix and match.

BLUEBERRIES
At least two different varieties must be planted to ensure cross-pollination in order to produce fruit.
Tifblue: Ripens mid to late season. Fruit are medium size with good flavor and an average stem scar. Plants have a good upright growth habit. Tifblue is one of the oldest cultivars that is still being planted, released in 1955 by the University of Georgia . Tifblue is recommended for home use.
Premier: Ripen early to mid season but usually earlier than other mid season varieties. Fruit are larger in size with excellent color, great flavor and a dry stem scar. Plant growth is upright and vigorous. Great for hand picking.
Baldwin: It is a late variety ripening early July to early August. Plants are moderately vigorous with upright growing habits. Fruit are large, and very dark blue with a good stem scar.
Brightwell: Fruit ripens in early June through mid July. Plants have very vigorous and upright growing characteristics. Variety is very varieties for fruiting.  Harvest period is 35  Berries have a medium size, excellent flavor, and a dry stem scar.
 
BLACKBERRIES
Ouachita: Fruit are large in size, very good flavor, and an average sugar content.  Fruit ripen mid season over about five weeks with consistently high yields.  
Triple Crown:

Thornless variety.  Fruit are large in size, and have an excellent sweet flavor. Fruit ripen later than most varieties with very good yields. Triple Crown has fairly firm fruit.  This semi-erect variety may require some trellising.

MUSCADINES
Cowart: Black; fruit are medium size, ripen early to mid season, have very large clusters, excellent flavor, good quality and a wet stem scar.  Plants are very vigorous and disease resisitant. 
Triumph: Bronze; fruit are very large in size, ripen early, large clusters, and has good flavor. Plants are disease resistant and the growth habit is very vigorous. Uses: Wine, Home, Juice and Jelly.
 

Fig Trees
Bare root, 2-3 feet tall, $10

Celeste:   Fruit are small to medium in size, light brown to violet-brown skin, whitish pink color flesh, a closed eye, and very few seed. Plants produce in early summer , cold hardy through climate zone 6, and are self pollinating. Recommended for fresh eating, preserves, drying, and canning.
Brown Turkey: Fruit are medium to large in size, copper color skin, amber to pink color flesh, very good flavor, a closed eye, and very few seeds. Plants are very prolific, many times producing fruit twice a year. Brown Turkey is usually cold hardy as far north as climate zone 5 and they are self pollinating. Recommended for fresh eating, drying, canning, and preserves.
 

Apple Trees
Bare root, 5-6 feet tall, $12

Red Delicious: Fruit are large in size, dark red skin, crisp, juicy, and ripen mid season. Trees have very vigorous growth habits, produce high yields, and are blight resistant.
Yellow Delicious: Fruit are large in size, golden yellow skin, white flesh, crisp, good flavor, and ripens mid to late season. Tree growth is very vigorous and upright. Yellow Delicious has good disease resistance, is very prolific, and makes a good pollinator for other varieties.
Stayman: Fruits are large in size, red skin, crisp, with a tart, rich, wine like flavor.  This apple tree can not  pollinate other apple trees.
 

Pear Trees
Bare root, 5-6 feet tall, $12

Keiffer: Fruit are large in size, golden yellow in color, white flesh, crunchy, sweet, and ripen mid season. Trees have vigorous growth, are very hardy, blight resistant, and prolific.
Bartlett: Fruit are large in size, yellowish brown in color, white flesh, very sweet, juicy, and ripen mid season. Trees are medium in size with upright growth they are ideal for plantings in smaller areas.
Moonglow: Fruit are medium in size, yellow in color, white flesh, soft, excellent, and ripen early. Trees have upright growth and are blight resistant.

Peach Trees
Bare root, 3-4 feet tall, $10

Redhaven:

The Redhaven peach is the peach by which all others are measured. Its heavy-bearing, cold-hardy, and resists leaf spot, and the fruit is spectacular. You'll enjoy bushels of big, luscious peaches that have an almost fuzzless skin over firm, creamy yellow flesh. Fruit is medium to large size and is just right for fresh snacks, canning or freezing. The medium size fruit has smooth, yellow flesh with a brilliant red skin color.

Belle of Georgia:

Belle of Georgia is a reliable producer of large, aromatic fruit unsurpassed in sweetness. Pink-blushed freestones with deliciously pale and juicy flesh ripen in August. Resists disease.

Plum Trees
Bare root, 4-5 feet tall, $10

Methley:

The Methley Plum tree produces juicy, sweet, red flesh with a mild flavor. This early variety has reddish-purple skin and blood red flesh. The Methley plum tree is very attractive in appearance and vigorous. The Methley is self-fruitful so no pollinator is needed. This early variety has red-purple skin and soft, juicy, blood-red flesh. This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and birds, and the flowers are fragrant. It is drought-tolerant and is a regular bearer.

Santa Rosa:

The Santa Rosa Plum tree produces plums that have a delicious flavor. The fruit is large, attractive, dark reddish purple color with red flesh. The fruit is firm and of good quality. One of the most frequently planted Japanese plums. It is a self pollinating tree and thus can be planted in locations where pollination is not needed.

Blue Hydrangea
bare root, 12-18 inches tall, $12

Large blue blossoms and a rebloomer, too! Add big, bold, beautiful color to your summer garden with handsome Dooley Blue Hydrangea! Large, rich blue blossoms and lush foliage are delightful. Named for Georgia’s ex-football coach, Vince Dooley, who grew them in his yard. Blooms in the ancillary bud so even if a frost kills the terminal bud, the plant will still bloom. Grows quick and it's easy to care for, too! Thrives in light to partial shade as well as sun! Reaches 5' tall and wide.

Dogwood Trees
bare root, 2-3 feet tall, $15

Varieties Available:  Red, Pink and Kousa White English

The graceful shape of the Dogwood tree and its brilliant springtime blooms make this tree beautiful for all seasons.  Though found naturally throughout the Eastern United States, Dogwoods are one of the most popular ornamental specimen trees and never seems to be over planted.  Opposite, deciduous mid-green leaves, 3-6" long are ovate in shape.  The leaves turn a reddish-purple color in autumn.

 

 

Cherry Trees
Bare root, 4-5 feet tall, $18

Kwanza

The Kwanza cherry has double pink flowers and a vase-shaped form with a rounded crown that spreads with age, making the tree wider than it is tall at maturity .The new leaves are bronze colored, turning to dark green, then yellow, orange, or copper in fall. This is a fruitless cultivar. The tree prefers a site with full sun, loose, well drained soil with plenty of moisture. It is somewhat tolerant of alkaline soil and drought but is sensitive to pollution and stresses in general. Grows to 30' to 40'.    

Yoshina The tree that made the Macon Cherry Blossom Festival famous. Fragrant, white-pink flowers; oriental branching pattern; glossy bark; dark-green leaves. Likes full sun, well-drained soil. Grows to 40' to 50'.

Flowering Crabapple Tree
Bare root, 2-3 feet tall, $15

Varieties Available:  Red and Silver

There are few plants that create greater intrigue or visual impact during all four seasons than the flowering crabapple. In the spring all eyes are enticed with delicate colors offered by emerging leaves and buds. Unopened flower buds may hint of one color and as flowers open, other hues are revealed in a spectacular floral display. As flowers fade the rich foliage offers another subtle contribution to the landscape.  As autumn arrives crabapple foliage and fruit transform to match the vibrant colors of an artist's palette. Falling leaves reveal the glorious color of the fruit. The snow of winter accents fruit, branches, and tree shape. It is no wonder crabapples are called "jewels of the landscape."

Crape Myrtle
Bare root, 2-3 feet tall, $10

Varieties:  Red, White, Purple, Pink

Blossoms are continuous throughout the summer and early fall.  They grow best in full sun, are fast growing, and easy to maintain. 

Forsythia (Golden Bell)
Bare root, 2-3 feet tall, $8

 

The early spring flower is the most appealing feature of this plant. Flowers are usually profuse, and open before the leaves emerge on the plant. With an unusually mild winter, bloom may occur as early as late January, but usually occurs in March. Flowers will last for two or three weeks unless killed by cold. The yellow flowers are 1¼ to 1½ inches long and wide, bell-like and produced in clusters. They bloom on last year’s wood. Dark green leaves emerge shortly after bloom. In the fall they may turn slightly yellow or burgundy, but usually die off green.