Fruits, vegetables and trees well-adapted to North Dakota’s growing conditions will be featured during a field day at NDSU’s Horticulture Research Farm near Absaraka. The field day is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 9 from 4 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.

The 80-acre farm includes the 35-acre Dale E. Herman Research Arboretum, the largest collection of trees in the northern Great Plains. The arboretum contains more than 5,000 species, cultivars and selections of trees and shrubs.

At 4 p.m., NDSU faculty and personnel will lead a riding tour to showcase fruit research, including hardy grape breeding and evaluation of raspberry, haskap and Juneberry cultivars. Vegetable gardeners will learn about organic production methods and the potential for a longer growing season in high tunnels. Cut-flower enthusiasts will see high-tunnel trials of snapdragons, lisianthus, delphiniums and dahlias. The riding tour also will provide an overview of the extensive tree collection in the arboretum.

Visitors will interact with NDSU faculty giving short demonstrations at 5:15 p.m. on tree planting and pruning, common tree problems, grapevine maintenance and tomato diseases.

The field day will end with a one-hour arboretum tree walk led by Todd West, professor of plant sciences, and Greg Morgenson, research specialist, at 6:15 p.m. They will discuss which trees thrive in North Dakota and current NDSU tree introductions.

A light dinner will be available after 5 p.m. while supplies last.

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