BISMARCK, N.D (KXNET) — After Winter comes Spring, and with Spring comes a new series of gardening forums at North Dakota State University.

Gardening is tough, and many people are looking for advice on how to maintain their crops, gardens, and fields — not just through the winter, but year-round as well. To help concerned growers, NDSU will be delivering a series of live presentations from University educators over the coming months. The contents of these sessions vary from biotechnology to flowers and trees.

If you’re interested in attending these forums, take a look at the agendas for each of the four planned events and see if any of them catch your eye!

March 20- Vegetables and Soil

• How to Grow Mouthwatering Melons – Nothing says summer like watermelon. During this section, Horticulture Educator Don Kinzler discusses the key tips to growing a successful melon garden.
• Nitrogen in Your Garden – Horticulture Educator Carrie Knutson explains how nitrogen cycles in soil can help you sustainably manage your garden.
• The Dirt on Soil – Horticulture Educator Emily How explains the differences between potting mix, potting soil, and garden soil.

March 27- Flowers and Fruits

• Making a Monarch Conservation Garden – Extension Pollinator Technician April Johnson teaches you how to design a garden that will attract and support monarch butterflies.
• Hardy Pears at CREC – The Carrington Research Extension Center is working to make pear trees more durable. Fruit Project Manager Kathy Wiederholt shares the center’s research on pear trees.
• Growing Apples in North Dakota – Horticulture Educator Tom Kalb discusses how to grow, plant, and prune apple trees in order to create your own apple tree or orchard.

April 3- Biology and Technology

• Monarchs in my Gardens- Extension Entomologist Jan Knodel is aiding with a project focused on monitoring monarch butterflies — and you can help. Knodel will explain how to participate in this experiment in your own garden.
• Technological Advances in Plant ID- Did you know there are apps that can help you identify plants? Extension Horticulturist Esther McGinnis teaches you how to use these apps to get an accurate reading on plants you may encounter.
• Sprayable Biodegradable Mulches- Many people use plastic mulches to suppress weeds, but it’s very expensive to get rid of them. Associate Professor Greta Gramig will discuss this new environmentally-friendly solution.

April 10- Small Spaces and Trees

• Container Gardening- This small-scale form of gardening is one that can be performed by anyone, regardless of age or experience. Horticulture Educator Kelsey Deckert shares tips on how to be successful in the craft.
• A Tight Fit: Adding Edible and other Space-Saving Landscape Plants- Home landscaping can take up a lot of space, but there are still ways to do it in smaller areas. Professor Todd West discussed trees and shrubs that can provide food or beauty in small spaces of home landscapes.
• Environmental Stresses on Trees- In Forestry research, a number of stressors in trees have been appearing more often as of late. Extension Forester Joe Zelenzik discusses some of these recent symptoms, as well as how to manage them.

Gardeners or interested individuals can watch and participate in all of the forums either by watching at home or at a participating NDSU Extension County Office. All forums run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. CDT, and will be free and recorded for future viewing.

Registration is requested for all those seeking to attend a forum. n order to register for or learn more about these events, visit this page on NDSU’s website.