Overview

Bring the joy of fresh, homegrown fruit to your garden with these 10 Prime Ark Horizon blackberry starter plugs. The ‘Prime-Ark Horizon’ (Rubus ‘Horizon’) is a remarkable primocane-fruiting (everbearing) blackberry variety, meticulously developed by the University of Arkansas. These live plant starter plugs offer an excellent foundation for establishing a productive blackberry patch in your backyard. Experience the satisfaction of harvesting your own berries, renowned for their exceptional size, firmness, and delicious flavor. This variety is truly special, providing a prolonged harvest season that extends well beyond traditional blackberry types, making it a favorite among fruit enthusiasts.

The ‘Prime-Ark Horizon’ is celebrated for its dual-cropping nature, offering both a floricane crop in the summer and a significant primocane crop in the late season. This means you get two opportunities to enjoy its bountiful harvest, ensuring a continuous supply of fresh fruit for snacking, baking, or preserving. Each Prime Ark Horizon blackberry plant promises vigor and high yields, transforming your garden into a berry-producing haven. These starter plugs are carefully nurtured to provide a strong beginning for your fruit-growing endeavors.

Key Benefits

Investing in everbearing blackberry plants like the ‘Prime-Ark Horizon’ brings numerous advantages to your garden and your table. These plants are designed for success, offering a host of benefits that make them a top choice for home growers:

• Extended Harvest Season: Enjoy fresh blackberries from summer through late season, thanks to its unique primocane-fruiting characteristic. This dual-cropping means more berries for a longer period.
• High Yielding: These plants are bred for productivity, ensuring a generous supply of berries from each plant. You’ll be amazed by the abundance.
• Large, Firm Berries: The ‘Prime-Ark Horizon’ produces exceptionally large berries, averaging 7.8g, with some individual fruits reaching up to 10-15g. Their firmness makes them excellent for fresh eating, freezing, and cooking.
• Versatile Use: Perfect for fresh consumption, jams, pies, desserts, or freezing for year-round enjoyment. The quality of the large blackberry fruit holds up well to various culinary applications.
• Adaptable to Zones 6-9: This variety thrives in a wide range of climates, particularly successful in the mid to upper South, making it a reliable choice for many gardeners.
• Developed by Experts: Originating from the renowned University of Arkansas breeding program, you can trust in the quality and performance of these plants.
• Easy to Grow: With proper care, these Rubus ‘Horizon’ starter plugs establish quickly and produce fruit reliably, making them suitable for both experienced and novice gardeners.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your Prime Ark Horizon blackberry plants ensures a bountiful harvest. These primocane-fruiting varieties are relatively easy to maintain but benefit greatly from consistent care. Plant your starter plugs in a location that receives full sun, ideally 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Adequate sunlight is crucial for fruit development and overall plant health. Prepare your soil by enriching it with organic matter, aiming for a well-draining, slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.0-7.0). Good drainage is vital to prevent root rot, and a soil test can help you adjust pH if necessary.

Water young plants regularly to establish a strong root system, typically 1-2 inches of water per week, either from rainfall or irrigation. Once established, blackberry plants are somewhat drought-tolerant but will produce better fruit with consistent moisture, especially during flowering and fruiting periods. Avoid overhead watering to minimize fungal diseases. Fertilize in early spring with a balanced fertilizer, and again after the first harvest for the primocane crop. Pruning is essential for maximizing yield; for everbearing blackberry plants like ‘Prime-Ark Horizon’, remove spent floricanes after their summer crop and prune primocanes after their late-season harvest. Thin crowded canes to improve air circulation and sunlight penetration, which helps reduce disease and encourages larger fruit. Protect plants in colder zones with mulch during winter.

Size & Details

You will receive 10 Prime Ark Horizon blackberry starter plugs, ready for planting and growth. These robust young plants are carefully packaged to ensure they arrive healthy and vibrant, poised to establish quickly in your garden. Each plug provides a strong foundational root system, accelerating their growth compared to planting from seed. While initial growth may focus on establishing roots and foliage, you can anticipate fruit production in the coming seasons, with the characteristic summer floricane crop and a late-season primocane crop. The mature plants typically grow to a manageable size, making them suitable for various garden layouts, from dedicated berry patches to trellised rows. The average berry size for this variety is an impressive 7.8g, with individual large blackberry fruit often reaching 10-15g, ensuring a satisfying harvest.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big do these ‘Prime Ark Horizon’ blackberry plants get? A: Mature Prime Ark Horizon blackberry plants typically reach 5-8 feet in height and can spread several feet wide if not trellised. Proper pruning can help manage their size and encourage more fruit production.
• Q: What size pot does a blackberry plant come in? A: These are starter plugs, which are small, well-rooted plants, typically measuring a few inches in height. They are ready to be transplanted into larger pots or directly into your garden.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The Prime Ark Horizon blackberry is an outdoor plant, best suited for garden cultivation where it can receive ample sunlight and space to grow. It is not suitable for long-term indoor growing.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: For optimal fruit production, these everbearing blackberry plants require full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. Less sun may result in fewer and smaller berries.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, with proper planting and consistent care regarding watering, sunlight, and pruning, the ‘Prime Ark Horizon’ is considered relatively easy to care for and is a good choice for both beginner and experienced gardeners.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your Rubus ‘Horizon’ starter plugs will arrive healthy and carefully packaged to ensure their integrity during transit, ready for immediate planting.
• Q: How long until it blooms and fruits? A: Depending on when they are planted, these primocane-fruiting varieties can produce a floricane crop in the summer and a primocane crop in the late season, often within the first year or two after planting.
• Q: When is the best time to plant ‘Prime Ark Horizon’ blackberry starter plugs? A: The best time to plant these starter plugs is in early 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: The ‘Prime Ark Horizon’ is cold hardy in USDA Zones 6-9. In colder parts of this range, mulching around the base of the plants can provide extra winter protection.
• Q: What’s the minimum temperature these blackberry plants can tolerate? A: While adaptable, these plants are generally hardy down to temperatures around 0°F to -10°F (-18°C to -23°C) when dormant, especially with some winter protection.