5 Prime Ark Horizon Blackberry Starter Plug – Live Everbearing Berry Plant

Overview

Embark on a rewarding gardening journey with the Prime Ark Horizon blackberry starter plug. This exceptional variety, developed by the University of Arkansas, is renowned for its high yield and unique primocane-fruiting (everbearing) nature. Unlike traditional blackberries, the ‘Prime-Ark Horizon’ offers the incredible benefit of producing two distinct crops each year: a floricane crop in the summer and a primocane crop in the late season. This means a significantly extended harvest period, providing you with a continuous supply of fresh, homegrown blackberries. Each Rubus Horizon plant is a vigorous grower, promising a bountiful yield of large, flavorful berries that are perfect for fresh eating, baking, jams, and more. These starter plugs are an ideal way to establish a productive blackberry patch in your garden, especially if you are looking to grow blackberry plants that offer a long and generous fruiting season.

The ‘Prime-Ark Horizon’ is celebrated not only for its prolific production but also for the impressive quality of its fruit. Berries are consistently large, averaging around 7.8 grams, with many individual fruits reaching an impressive 10-15 grams. Their firmness makes them excellent for both fresh consumption and storage. This makes the everbearing blackberry plant a fantastic choice for home gardeners and small-scale growers who desire abundant, high-quality fruit. With proper care, these starter plugs will quickly establish themselves, transforming into robust plants ready to deliver a delicious harvest.

Key Benefits

Investing in the Prime Ark Horizon blackberry starter plug brings a multitude of advantages to your garden and culinary endeavors. These plants are designed for success and provide an unparalleled berry-growing experience.

• Extended Harvest Season: Enjoy fresh blackberries from both a summer floricane crop and a late-season primocane crop, significantly extending your berry-picking enjoyment. This dual-cropping nature is a hallmark of the primocane fruiting blackberry.
• High Yielding: The ‘Prime-Ark Horizon’ is known for its impressive productivity, providing an abundant supply of large, delicious berries from each plant. You’ll be amazed at how many berries you can harvest.
• Large, Firm Berries: These blackberries are not only plentiful but also substantial in size, often reaching 10-15g per fruit. Their firmness ensures they hold up well for various culinary applications and maintain quality.
• Versatile Use: Perfect for fresh eating, baking pies and tarts, making jams and jellies, or freezing for later enjoyment. The rich flavor of these berries enhances any dish.
• Adaptable to Zones 6-9: This robust blackberry variety thrives in a wide range of climates, making it a reliable choice for many gardeners across the mid to upper South and beyond.
• Ease of Growth: These starter plugs are an excellent way to easily establish your own blackberry patch, offering a head start on growing healthy, productive plants. Even if you’re new to growing berries, you can successfully grow blackberry plants with these plugs.
• Developed by Experts: Benefit from the research and development of the University of Arkansas, ensuring a high-quality, proven berry variety.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your Prime Ark Horizon blackberry starter plug is straightforward, leading to a productive and healthy berry patch. These plants thrive in full sun, meaning they require at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day to produce the best fruit. Choose a location in your garden that receives ample sun exposure throughout the day. Good air circulation is also beneficial to prevent fungal diseases. When planting, ensure the soil is well-draining and rich in organic matter. Blackberries prefer a slightly acidic to neutral soil pH, ideally between 6.0 and 7.0. Incorporating compost or well-rotted manure into your planting area will significantly improve soil structure and fertility, providing an excellent foundation for your everbearing blackberry plant.

Watering is crucial, especially during establishment and fruiting periods. Keep the soil consistently moist but never waterlogged. Deep watering once or twice a week is generally more effective than frequent shallow watering, encouraging the roots to grow deeper. During dry spells or hot weather, you may need to increase watering frequency. Fertilize your Rubus Horizon plant in early spring with a balanced slow-release fertilizer or one formulated for berries. Avoid excessive nitrogen, which can promote leafy growth at the expense of fruit production. Pruning is essential for primocane-fruiting varieties. For ‘Prime-Ark Horizon’, you can prune canes that have fruited after their summer crop, and then cut back the primocanes that have fruited after their late-season crop. Alternatively, many growers choose to mow down all canes to the ground in late winter for a single, larger primocane crop the following season, simplifying care for their primocane fruiting blackberry.

Protecting your plants from pests and diseases involves regular inspection and prompt action. Common blackberry pests include Japanese beetles and borers, while diseases like anthracnose and rust can occur. Good sanitation, proper spacing, and adequate air circulation are your first lines of defense. For USDA Hardiness Zones 6-9, ‘Prime-Ark Horizon’ is particularly successful in the mid to upper South, where it can reliably produce its dual crops. In colder parts of its range, some winter protection might be beneficial for primocanes to ensure a robust early crop. Mulching around the base of the plants helps retain soil moisture, suppress weeds, and regulate soil temperature, contributing to a healthy environment for your Prime Ark Horizon blackberry starter plug and allowing you to successfully grow blackberry plants.

Size & Details

Each order includes 5 Prime Ark Horizon blackberry starter plug plants, providing a strong foundation for your berry patch. These plugs are young, actively growing plants, ready to be transplanted into your garden or larger containers. At maturity, the ‘Prime-Ark Horizon’ typically grows to a height of 4-6 feet and can spread similarly, forming a dense and productive bush. The growth rate is vigorous, and you can expect to see significant development in the first growing season. These plants are shipped in a manner that ensures their health and vitality upon arrival, ready for immediate planting. You can anticipate your first harvest of delicious berries within the first year, with subsequent years bringing increasingly abundant yields from your everbearing blackberry plant.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this plant get? A: The Prime Ark Horizon blackberry starter plug typically grows to a mature height of 4-6 feet with a similar spread. Its vigorous growth habit makes it a substantial and productive bush.
• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: These are starter plugs, which are small, young plants grown in individual cells, ready for transplanting into a larger pot or directly into your garden. They are not shipped in a traditional nursery pot.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The ‘Prime-Ark Horizon’ is an outdoor plant, best suited for garden cultivation where it can receive full sun and ample space to grow and fruit. It is a robust primocane fruiting blackberry.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: This blackberry variety requires full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day, for optimal growth and fruit production.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, with proper planting and basic care regarding watering, sunlight, and occasional pruning, the ‘Prime-Ark Horizon’ is relatively easy to care for and highly rewarding for those who want to grow blackberry plants.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your Prime Ark Horizon blackberry starter plug plants will arrive healthy and actively growing, carefully packaged to ensure their safe journey and readiness for planting.
• Q: When is the best time to plant? A: The best time to plant these starter plugs is in spring after the last frost, allowing them ample time to establish before the heat of summer or the cold of winter.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: This variety is hardy in USDA Zones 6-9. In colder parts of this range, some winter protection for the primocanes may be beneficial to maximize the early crop.
• Q: Can I get more than one crop per year? A: Absolutely! As an everbearing blackberry plant, the ‘Prime-Ark Horizon’ produces both a summer floricane crop and a late-season primocane crop, giving you an extended harvest.
• Q: How long until it produces fruit? A: You can typically expect your first harvest of delicious berries from your Prime Ark Horizon blackberry starter plug within the first growing season after planting.