UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Home gardeners and professional growers can get answers to any kind of question related to home landscaping and the cut-flower business at Ag Progress Days, sponsored by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, Aug. 14-16.

Penn State specialists in horticulture, plant pathology, entomology and turfgrass will be on hand at the Landscape, Lawn and Garden "Ask the Experts" tent on East 7th St. at the Ag Progress Days site.

The demonstration gardens will showcase more than 100 flower varieties, including zinnias, asters, celosia, sunflowers, strawflowers and other annuals, as well as perennial plants and several varieties of woody plants popular in the cut-flower market. "We'll also display some unique flower varieties not widely known," says Robert Berghage, associate professor of horticulture.

"Cut flowers really have piqued the interest of farmers and others as a cash crop that can be sold at farmer's markets and other outlets," Berghage says. "The cash return on a small, well-managed plot of flowers is a lot more than you would get from an acre of corn."

Flower arranging demonstrations will be held daily in the tent at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., with an additional demonstration at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 15.

Penn State faculty and cooperative extension agents also can help diagnose your plant, insect and mite problems. "Bring samples of turf, plants or insects for an on-the-spot evaluation," Berghage says. "If we can't solve the problem immediately, we'll examine it further at a lab on campus and get back to you with a diagnosis and suggestions."

Examples of infested plant material and other problems that affect the health of woody plants will be a part of this educational display. Additional advice will be available on indoor plants, tillage, mulching, flowers, tree fruit, woody ornamentals and vegetables.

Because of concerns over the possible transmission of foot-and-mouth disease and other foreign animal diseases, visitors who have been overseas within two weeks of attending Ag Progress Days are asked not to visit the event's live-animal exhibit areas.

Penn State's Ag Progress Days is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, nine miles southwest of State College on Route 45. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday. Admission and parking are free.

For more information, call (800) PSU-1010 toll-free through August 16 or visit the Ag Progress Days Web site at http://apd.cas.psu.edu.

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EDITORS: Robert Berghage can be reached at 814-863-2196. For more information on Penn State's Ag Progress Days, contact Chuck Gill at 814-863-2713.

Contacts:

Kim Dionis kdionis@psu.edu 814-863-2703 814-865-1068 fax