Small fruits in spotlight at next Digging Deeper series event

By Sequim Gazette Staff • August 3, 2022 1:30 am
Submitted photo / Cyndi Ross will join Marty Kaler will teach local gardeners about growing currants, aronia and honeyberries at a Digging Deeper series event on Saturday, Aug. 6.

With so many small fruits available to home gardeners in the Pacific Northwest, why not grow something different — something you cannot buy at the local grocery store?

Local gardeners Cyndi Ross and Marty Kaler will talk about a few of the more unusual small fruits that can be grown on the North Olympic Peninsula when present “Novel Small Fruits for the Home Garden” from 10:30 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Aug. 6, at the Clallam County Master Gardener Demonstration Garden, 2711 Woodcock Road.

As part of the Master Gardener Digger Deeper educational series, Ross and Kaler will talk about growing currants, aronia and honeyberries in the home garden. They will cover everything to know to grow these small fruits including recommended varieties, site selection and preparation, irrigation, fertilization and pruning.

Submitted photo Marty Kaler joins Cyndi Ross to teach local gardeners about growing currants, aronia and honeyberries at a Digging Deeper series event on Saturday, Aug. 6.

Submitted photo Marty Kaler joins Cyndi Ross to teach local gardeners about growing currants, aronia and honeyberries at a Digging Deeper series event on Saturday, Aug. 6.

Ross began growing currants in the early 2000s. She now sells her currants to Finnriver Farm & Cidery in Chimacum, which uses her black currants to make an award-winning cider and her red currants to make a dessert wine. Kaler began growing small fruits in 2013 and now sells aronia and honeyberry plants wholesale to selected commercial nurseries in Clallam County.

For more information about “Novel Fruits for the Home Garden” or the Digging Deeper series, call 360-477-0116.

Free and open to the public, the Digging Deeper series occurs the first and third Saturdays of most months. Community members should stay home if they are sick. Attendees will be asked to mask regardless of COVID vaccination status.

In addition to the scheduled educational presentation on Aug. 6, a team of Clallam County Master Gardeners will be available at the Woodcock Demonstration Garden from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. to answer all gardening questions. Attendees are encouraged to bring samples of garden problems or pests for diagnosis by Master Gardeners who can recommend control measures.