Interested in reducing stormwater runoff, mitigating water pollution, conserving water, and supporting wildlife and pollinators?
To help nurture more watershed-friendly properties, Penn State Extension will offer Master Watershed Steward Watershed-Friendly Native Plant Kits for sale until July 13.
These kits are designed to help individuals incorporate more native plants into their property. Plants are available for pick up in September from locations in the following counties: Adams, Allegheny, Berks, Chester, Cumberland, Delaware, Erie, Lancaster, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Northampton, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, Tioga, Wayne, Westmoreland, Wyoming and York.
This sale is aimed at native plant lovers; anyone interested in straight-species, open-pollinated native plants from their region; sustainable landscaping advocates; and supporters of watershed-friendly practices.
The kits contain plant plugs carefully selected from species grown by Kind Earth Grower using locally collected, open-source pollinated seeds and 50% peat-free growing media. Plant plugs are smaller than what is typically found in nurseries, allowing for easier transportation and planting within existing vegetation. The plugs have healthy root systems that will establish this fall so plants can flourish next growing season.
Kit options are the Sunny Dry Bottoms Kit and the Shady Dry Bottoms Kit for drier-soil areas, the Deer-Resistant Kit, and the Groundcover Kit, which contains low-growing plants that will spread, helping to retain soil moisture and block unwanted seeds from soil contact. Based on feedback, single species kits also are available this year, including native sedges for patches of lawn replacement.
All kit options are available in two kit sizes.
“Bountiful Kits” are $85 and include five species with five individual plants of each species, for a total of 25 plants. The smaller “Container Kits” cost $20 and include five species with one plant of each species, for a total of five plants.
Individuals can choose their kit and select the most convenient pickup location from among the 19 counties across the state. Proceeds will support the Master Watershed Steward program in providing volunteer-driven education and restoration work in that region.
Penn State Extension also offers the opportunity to earn the Master Watershed Steward watershed-friendly certification in collaboration with Nurture Nature Center. Native plants are woven throughout the certification criteria because of the abundant benefits they can provide.
More information about the Watershed-Friendly Native Plant Kit sale is available here.
Information submitted via press release
Image: Canva
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