Environmental Horticulture/Environmental Science, including Master Gardener
John Karlik
The goal of environmental horticulture is to preserve and enhance the environment through planting and proper cultural practices for green plants, including shade trees, shrubs, and turfgrass. Kern County is the leader in the U.S. in production of rose plants for landscapes and home grounds. The environmental science component includes preservation and enhancement of environmental quality of soil, water and air, with emphasis on plant-atmosphere interactions and formation of photochemical smog. Master Gardener classes are also offered as an educational outreach.
Examples of Research and Teaching Projects:
Cooperative Extension provides information on turfgrass, plant selection, cultural practices, arboriculture, landscape maintenance, and pest management. Many of our publications are provided upon request without charge and cover subjects pertaining to ornamental horticulture. We also prepare publications concerning specific local problems.
Improved pest management practices for rose plant production and roses in landscapes have been developed.
A number of investigations have been conducted pertaining to development of databases for biogenic emission inventory development, including measurement of plant VOC emission rates, leaf mass quantification, and evaluation of databases for plant species description. These also inform shade tree selection to enhance air quality.
Master Gardener classes are offered to transfer of knowledge of effective practices to maintain and enhance landscapes, including portions of landscapes used for home food production. These classes also emphasize reduced pesticide use through accurate pest ID and utilization of integrated pest management methods, and water conservation through irrigation system improvements and management.