Home & Garden Tips
Home Grown Small Fruit
By Roosevelt McWilliams County Extension Agent

A variety of small fruits are well adapted to East Central Georgia, including strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, figs and muscadine grapes. As a group these home garden fruits offer an enjoyable six months of continuous fresh eating from early April through September. The excess harvests from each type may also be well preserved by freezing for the six month off season.

Small fruits well grown at home are most often superior in quality to the 'shipped in, store bought' versions. To demon- strate this point, all of these fruits have been grown on trial for some 6-10 years at the Boggs garden in Western Burke County. Only organic and sustainable methods are used on a small scale application. Fruit size, quality and yields have all been high, despite constant pressures from insects, diseases and weeds. Some examples of average yearly yields include two pints of strawberries per plant, 16 pints on blackberries per trellised plant, 110 pounds of figs per bush and 120 pounds of muscadines per vine.

The increasing, high retail price for small fruits is another good reason to consider growing them at home. More and more research on the darker colored small fruits, especially blueberries, dark grapes, and blackberries, is finding that these fruits are especially rich in antioxidants and other nutrients.

With the exception of strawberries, the Burke County Extension Office is currently offering good quality plants of all these small fruits at affordable prices. We also offer a number of varieties of fruit trees adapted to our area. Peaches, plums, pears, and apples are available. Our 2007 Home Fruit Promotion began in mid December and runs through Feb. 7.

Please contact the Burke County Extension Office in Waynesboro, at 706-554-2119 for an order form and more information. Additional order forms may be found at various convenience stores throughout the county. Other cooperating counties with similar, but separate, promotions include Emanuel and Candler.

We ask that your prepaid order be returned by Wednesday, noon, Feb. 7. Also, your plants should be picked up on Thursday, Feb. 15 at the Burke County Office Park Complex. Educational information on how to plant and care for these fruits is also supplied. Proceeds go to the local county 4-H, Ag and Family & Consumer Science Programs.