Ornamental Horticulture

Ornamental horticulture research at the Coastal Research and Extension Center is based at the South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station in Poplarville. The proximity of the unit to Mississippi's center of ornamental plant production has led to the development of a multi-faceted research program.

Plant Evaluations

Trial Gardens for evaluation of annual and perennial ornamentals in the southern Mississippi climate.

Display Gardens featuring plants for southern Mississippi landscapes.

All-America Selections Trial Ground and All-America Selections Display Garden.

SERA-IEG-27 woody ornamental plant evaluations conducted jointly with other university trial gardens throughout the southeastern U.S.

Plant Propagation

Alternative methods of auxin application for cutting propagation.

Comparison of commercially available auxin formulations ("rooting hormones") for cutting propagation of nursery and floriculture crops.

Fertilization and Growing Media

Partitioning of nutrients in container-grown ornamentals using commercially available controlled-release fertilizers (in cooperation with researchers at the University of California, Riverside and the University of Florida).

Specialty Crop Production

Production of ornamental and related plant species for extraction and screening of essential oils as biopesticides (in cooperation with the University of Florida and the USDA/ARS)

Statistical Analysis

Use of traditional and nontraditional statistical methods in horticultural research.

For more information, contact: Dr. Eugene K. Blythe