Manalapan Environmental Commission Native Plant Sale

The Manalapan Environmental Commission is holding a Native Plant Sale on Saturday, September 13th, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The sale will take place at the Manalapan Recreation Center in the new pavilion near the expansion lot by the west entrance to the Center. Credit cards will be accepted.
Local native plant expert, Steven Kristoph of Steven Kristoph Nursery, will be at the sale to help answer questions and select plants. Kristoph is an adjunct instructor at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at Rutgers University.
The Commission is hosting the sale to encourage residents to incorporate more native plants into their landscape because of the many benefits natives provide to homeowners and the environment. Native plants are hardy and can withstand weather extremes. As such they require less fertilizer, pesticides, and watering which saves homeowners time and money. Native plants are less susceptible to pests and disease and help to prevent invasive plants from taking hold in the landscape.
Native plants are also important to conservation because they promote a healthy ecosystem with biological diversity. Native plants create habitat for local wildlife. They help to attract songbirds and butterflies as well as other beneficial insects.
The Environmental Commission chose to hold its plant sale in the fall because it is an excellent time for planting due to the fact that soil temperatures are high but air temperatures are cool. The Commission hopes to turn this into an annual township event.