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Department of Horticultural Science

Two men looking at plants inside a large container garden with purple lights.

Oct 26, 2020

Vertical Farming Makes the Most of Limited Space

Vertical farming, a space-saving approach to growing crops, is taking shape in a shipping container near campus under the watchful eye of horticultural scientist Ricardo Hernandez and his students. 

Todd Wehner

Oct 21, 2020

A Special Specialty Crops Breeder

Todd Wehner’s decades-long work as a plant breeder have earned him recognition as a valued teacher and mentor, researcher and contributor to agriculture and agribusiness. 

A blonde woman kneeling down next to large pots of bedding flowers.

Oct 15, 2020

Alicain Carlson Finds Purpose, Joy in Improving Floriculture

NC State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences alumna Alicain Carlson is exactly where she’s meant to be — working at Syngenta Flower, improving the vibrancy of bedding plants. 

Pile of green and Orange pumpkins with warts

Oct 9, 2020

Raising Pumpkins in Hues from Orange to Blue

Whether you’re a traditionalist when it comes to pumpkins or looking for something offbeat, you can find a range of colors, thanks to NC State research. 

Man and boy pose with a giant jack-o'-lantern.

Oct 5, 2020

Growing Giants

Listen in as three North Carolinians describe the art, the science and the fun of growing giants. 

sweet potatoes in crate

Sep 23, 2020

NC State Team Finds Solution for Sweetpotato Problem

An NC State team led by Jonathan Schultheis has determined a new curing process that greatly reduces internal necrosis in Covington sweetpotatoes. This will save N.C. sweetpotato producers millions of dollars in crop loss. 

Two children building a stick structure in the woods

Sep 4, 2020

Outdoor Play: At Your Doorstep

The answers to some of the most vexing social, educational and health challenges that today’s children face lie right at our doorsteps. That’s the message NC State University extension specialists share… 

Man behind a row of turmeric plants on a community farm

Aug 25, 2020

Community Gardens: To Plant Is To Believe

Community gardens can give people who don’t have land the chance to grow healthy food while connecting with others. At a garden on a former North Carolina plantation, refugees from Myanmar are reconnecting with their agrarian roots. 

Julieta Sherk on one of her plant identification walks.

Jul 15, 2020

Horticulture’s Sherk Shows Resilience, Adaptability

Julieta Sherk, a professor in the Department of Horticultural Science, has found being adaptable and innovative is key to evolving as an educator. 

Three different varieties of sweetpotatoes with different skin colors.

Jul 10, 2020

‘Map’ of Sweetpotato Genome to Improve Breeding Efforts

NC State scientists recently published a scientific paper that mapped the genetic locations of economically important traits in sweetpotatoes such as higher yield and disease resistance. Their genetic map may lead to breeding better sweetpotatoes.