Plant Selection: Key to Success

Hot Springs, Ark. – If it’s fruit trees or vegetables for the garden, choosing cultivars that have been developed for local adaptation and pest resistance will save both time and money.  Spring time is always a busy time for planting whether it’s a vegetable garden or fruit trees, and one of the best practices we can utilize is to spend time selecting a plant that grows well in our zone and has good resistance to disease. 

For example, hundreds of cultivars of tomatoes are now available for the home gardener.  They range widely in size, shape, color, plant type, disease resistance and seasons of maturity.  The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension web site (www.uaex.uada.edu) FSA 6017 fact sheet lists many of these varieties, along with information on best planting practices. Many other crop fact sheets are available,  so go to the site and utilize the search engine for all other vegetable crops. 

Growing fruit trees can be a challenge. Some fruits require lots of time and effort to reap a reasonable harvest, especially stone fruits such as peaches, nectarines, and plums.  The best quality fruit is produced when diseases and insects are controlled.  Unless an efficient spray program is maintained, it is not advisable to plant stone fruit trees.  The most serious diseases are brown rot, scab and leaf curl; insect problems include scale, plum curculio and peach tree borer.  Apple and pear are popular fruits and can be grown successfully in most of Arkansas.  Fire blight is the most serious disease in Arkansas to pear and also can be a problem in apples, so select varieties that have high resistance to fire blight.  Other things to check when preparing to plant fruit trees are site selection, pollination requirements and fertilization.  These fact sheets are also available at our website.  Another fruit tree that does well in central Arkansas with very little disease and insect problems is fig.  Our winters can sometimes be hard on fig, but it recovers very well. 

Small fruits such as blueberries, blackberries, muscadines and table grapes can be a good choice for the homeowner to grow.  Muscadine grapes have been grown successfully in Arkansas gardens for many years.  This fruit is an excellent addition to home fruit gardens due to its low susceptibility to diseases and insects.  Muscadine grapes are native to Arkansas and grow in all parts of the state except the most northern counties.  Table grapes can be more of a challenge due to their higher susceptibility to disease than muscadines.  Blueberries are successfully grown in all parts of Arkansas.  There are three types of blueberries to consider, depending upon the part of the state that you live.  The northern highbush type is better adapted to the northern part of the state, requiring cooler nights during maturation to produce the flavorful fruit.  In southern Arkansas, southern highbush or rabbiteye varieties should be grown.  Blackberries are adapted to all regions of Arkansas.  They are a good addition to the home fruit garden and can be grown with fewer inputs than most other fruit crops.  Furthermore, the fruit is flavorful and nutritious.  Varieties developed by the University of Arkansas fruit breeding program are recommended for use in the state, and there are many to choose from, including thornless and primocane fruiting cultivars. 

So do your homework and select plants that are adapted for your area that have the best disease resistance, and resist the urge to purchase plants you haven’t checked on first.  Go to our website (www.uaex.uada.edu) and be prepared. 

Master Gardeners

If you’re interested in becoming a Master Gardener and would like more information, you’re welcome to attend their monthly meeting on the 3^rd Thursday of each month at 1pm at the Elks Lodge.  You may also call the Extension office on 623-6841 or 922-4703 or email abates@uada.edu.  

 EHC Information

Are you interested in joining an existing Extension Homemakers Club? EHC is the largest volunteer organization in the state. For information on EHC call 623-6841 or 922-4703 or email jvincent@uada.edu.

4-H Information

We have several 4-H clubs for our Garland county youth who are 5 to 19 years old.  For more information on all the fun 4-H activities there are, call the Extension Office at 623-6841 or 922-4703 or email Linda Bates at lbates@uada.edu.

By Allen Bates
County Extension Agent - Agriculture
The Cooperative Extension Service
U of A System Division of Agriculture

Media Contact: Allen Bates
County Extension Agent - Agriculture
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
236 Woodbine Hot Springs AR 71901
(501) 623-6841
abates@uada.edu

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