BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station will hold its annual landscape horticulture industry field day for nursery, landscape and garden center professionals on Oct. 8.

Providing service to the landscape horticulture industry is the major focus of the research and extension program at the Hammond Research Station, said Allen Owings, resident coordinator at the station.

The field day will begin with registration at 8 a.m. Walking tours of landscape research projects and demonstration plots are scheduled from 9 a.m.-noon and from 1-2 p.m.

Topics for the field day will include an overview of ornamental plant variety evaluations, including annual bedding plants, herbaceous perennials, roses, new crape myrtles and new shrubs; updates on current disease, insect and weed issues; and a field tour featuring plant growth regulators used to manage shrub growth.

A discussion and overview of AgCenter work with figs and the debut of the new olive variety research trial at the station will be included. A zoysia trial at the station also will be featured.

The annual Southeast Louisiana Nursery Association trade show will be held concurrently with the field day. Wholesale nursery exhibitors from the Northshore will display available products from 8 a.m. until 9 a.m. and from 12 noon until 3 p.m.

Louisiana licensed landscape architects attending the day’s events will receive Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry continuing education credits.

Refreshments will be available throughout the day, and a barbeque lunch will be served at noon. Attendees will receive a booklet summarizing current activities and research.

No registration fee or RVSP is required to attend the field day, which is intended exclusively for professional horticulture industry personnel.

The station is located approximately 6 miles east of Hammond at 21549 Old Covington Highway (La. Highway 1067).

For more information about the field day, contact Owings at 985-543-4125 or email aowings@agcenter.lsu.edu.

Johnny Morgan