SAN BENITO – Just in time for spring planting, the Cameron County Master Gardeners, in association with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, will hold their Annual Plant Sale from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.April 5.
Buyers browse plants at last year’s Annual Plant Sale in San Benito. This year’s event will be held April 5. (AgriLife Extension photo by Jennifer Herrera)
The sales will be held at the Cameron County San Benito Annex Building’s arboretum at 1390 W. Expressway 83 in San Benito.
AgriLife Extension experts and Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer plant questions and offer advice, according to Jennifer Herrera, AgriLife Extension horticulture agent in San Benito and coordinator of the Cameron County Master Gardeners Association.
“Master Gardeners will also be offering a variety of horticulture educational gardening demonstrations and exhibits,” she said. “Hands-on demonstrations will be conducted on soil testing, rainwater harvesting, composting and vermicomposting, which is the use of earthworms in composting.”
On sale will be a wide variety of butterfly plants, herbs, succulents, annuals, perennials, vegetable plants and ornamental trees.
“Most of the plants on sale have been donated by the Master Gardeners membership from their very own gardens,” Herrera said. “Our annual plant sale has gained a lot of popularity over the years, so we’ve learned that the plants go fast. For a greater selection, we urge the public to come early.”
Other events include composting and soil testing demonstrations and butterfly garden tours.
“Gardeners are encouraged to bring in their sick plants or problematic insects in double-zipped plastic bags for an evaluation by the many experts we’ll have on hand,” she said. “They’ll lend their expertise on a variety of topics that will help us all develop our green thumbs.”
Conducting the free diagnostic clinic for troubled plants and insect pests will be two experts from the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Weslaco: Dr. Olufemi “Femi” Alabi, a plant pathologist, and Dr. Raul Villanueva, an entomologist.
“Because of the various quarantine zones in the Valley due to citrus greening, we’d like to remind everybody that moving citrus plants or plant materials, including twigs and leaves, outside those quarantine areas is prohibited. Moving citrus plant material risks spreading the disease and is against the law,” Herrera said.
All proceeds from the plant sale will go to the arboretum and Master Gardeners’ educational programs.
For more information, contact Herrera at 956-361-8236.
