UF experimental gardens flourish into family affair

November 20, 2007

The sign hanging in their office reads “Garden More, Work Less,” but twin sisters and environmental horticulture graduate students Jennifer and Jessica Boldt have found a way to combine the two at the University of Florida.

As coordinator of the experimental trial gardens, Jennifer is responsible for testing different breeds of seeds from plant suppliers across the country and publishing the findings online. And while Jessica also tests plants for private trials, she helps her sister with the daily responsibilities of maintaining the 18,000 square feet of experimental garden beds behind Fifield Hall.

“We tried to do separate things, but that didn’t really work out. It’s our passion,” explained Jessica, who grew up working with her sister in their family-owned nursery in Brevard County.

The experimental gardens originally began with the purpose of planting a variety of vegetable crops to determine which would perform well in Florida. Over the years, the trials have grown to accommodate both seed and vegetable entries and are prepared for both cool- and warm-season trials each year.

The December to May winter trial is used for testing plant resistance to lower temperatures and how well they flower with less daylight. The warm-season trial runs from April to August and is used for evaluating plants for garden performance during the cooler spring months, as well as heat and humidity tolerance during the warmer summer months.

The spring trials are especially helpful to agricultural companies that want to figure out how well a certain plant will perform during summer seasons in various areas of the country. Everyone from home gardeners to professional landscapers can benefit from the published results at http://trialgarden.ifas.edu.

“You can have success in Florida. You just have to find the plant, the right season, and put it in the right place,” Jennifer said.
This spring, the UF spring trial garden tested more than 650 plants, including 234 new introductions for 2008.
“We help companies determine the strengths and weaknesses of their variety in this climate,” Jessica said. “

Undergraduate students help with tasks like weeding and labeling where seeds are planted, while Jennifer carefully records information every two weeks to rate the plants at the end of the trials. Foliage color, plant growth, number of flowers, and the presence or absence of insects or diseases help the researchers determine how well a breed performs.

The UF experimental gardens test more than 700 different entries, while retail spaces like the Home Depot may only have 30 available for purchase, she said.

“A fair amount of gardeners are looking at the Web site,” Jessica said. “There’s new stuff you can use, but people are afraid to try it. The gardens expose them to what’s out there.”