Hammond Research Station Turns Focus on Growing Green Industry

Yan Chen, assistant professor at the Hammond Research Station, explains some of the research findings on insect control for landscape plants at the first-ever Landscape Horticulture Field Day on June 29, 2006. (Photo by Johnny Morgan)

Elton Granger, farm assistant at the station, demonstrates the Allen Hover Mower, which can be used instead of weed trimmers along pond edges. (Photo by Johnny Morgan)

Dick Parish, professor, demonstrated spreaders and sprayers for landscape and gardening use. More than 80 people attended the station's first Landscape Horticulture Field Day on June 29, 2006. (Photo by Johnny Morgan)

Established as the Fruit and Truck Experiment Station in 1922, the LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station in Hammond has served the needs of the strawberry and vegetable industries in Southeast Louisiana for more than 80 years. While continuing to serve this industry, the station has now embarked on a new initiative to provide research and education for the green service industry.

Two 100-year-old oaks greet visitors as they drive through the entrance of the Hammond Research Station – one of the LSU AgCenter’s most beautifully landscaped stations. And there’s a reason for that. The station serves the needs of the nursery and landscape industry, or “green” industry, with the latest research-based information on improving the quality of urban and suburban life by focusing on human-affected environments. These oaks, in fact, are used in urban tree preservation workshops for demonstrating restoration and preservation of historic trees.

The 185-acre station was the fourth of 20 established as part of the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, which along with the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, make up the LSU AgCenter. Located about 6 miles east of Hammond on Louisiana Highway 1067 (Old Covington Highway) in Tangipahoa Parish, the station consists of about 100 acres of cleared land and the rest in timber. Other research and educational components at the station include:

Retention Pond, Constructed Wetland
As well as adding aesthetic drama to the entry of the botanical gardens, a retention pond and constructed wetland serves as a demonstration and research area focusing on how excess runoff from landscapes can be reduced and how landscape pollution can be mitigated. Various plants are grown in the wetland and evaluated for nutrient, chemical and erosion abatement as well as appearance.

Shade, Understory Garden
One of the best assets of the Hammond Research Station is an established pine forest. This mature pine stand provides an important natural environment duplicated across Louisiana. This area offers tremendous potential for research and demonstration in use of shade and understory plantings and preservation of wild land. Plant introduction, adaptability and sustainability will be study topics for this area.

Azalea Research, Demonstration Area
A major azalea collection helps consumers and professionals view plant type and form; flower color, size and type, and bloom season and length for different azalea species. Azaleas best adapted to Louisiana’s climate are identified.

Naturalistic Edge
An undulating border between the formal gardens and pine forest, this 6- to 15-foot-wide band will be used to identify aesthetic transition from lawn to wildland and include visual examples and study areas of naturalistic plantings for upland, lowland, shade and sun areas. Identification of native plants that have landscape potential and demonstration of native plant associations in the landscape-wildland interface will be an integral part of this edge. Other benefits will be evaluation of plantings for sound barrier, screening and wildlife habitat.

Urban Forest Grove
Three to five specimens of several tree species will be planted for an urban forest grove. The use of truly native trees and shrubs for different habitats or areas of the state will also be studied, as will cultivar evaluations and cultivation requirements of lesser known native trees and plants. The maintenance of these trees will provide training and demonstration opportunities. Over time these trees will provide research opportunities in suitability for urban uses, maintenance practices and new arboricultural materials and methods. Almost 100 trees comprising 32 species have been planted, and a trail has been marked.

Firewise Urban Forestry
Two small woodland areas on the station will be used to demonstrate firewise concepts, prescribed fire uses and fire-dependent ecosystems. The area will be divided into various plots that will receive different treatments such as winter burn, summer burn, mechanical fuel reduction, evasive species control and various methods of fire line construction and maintenance. This area will be used for training and research in firewise urban forestry and landscaping. It is managed in cooperation with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. Eco-areas are being identified and selective clearing and controlled burning are being done to prepare for establishing research areas.

Care, Maintenance Area
This area is designed as a teaching lab for developers, landscape architects, contractors, maintenance, growers, retailers and consumers. Research plots and facilities are being installed, and plant evaluations and maintenance research will be conducted.

Specialty Plant Area
Collections of popular and exceptional plants such as crape myrtles, hollies and ornamental magnolias will be showcased and evaluated in this section. This dynamic exhibit and evaluation area will represent new and expanded areas of ornamental horticulture diversity.

Southern Homestead Planting
A two-story Southern house built in the late 1800s is a significant architectural aspect of the station. This former residence, which has been remodeled and houses the Southeast Region Office, is surrounded by “homestead” plants, which duplicate 30- to 50-year-old landscapes found throughout the South. This site provides a special opportunity to introduce a wider assortment of classic, homestead and enduring plant species to the landscaper and also will be used to demonstrate how established plantings can be renewed and complemented with new and fresh additions. The homestead garden was established in 2004.

Hody Wilson Camellia, Shade Garden
A legacy of the Hammond Research Station is a collection of camellias from the early work of W.F. “Hody” Wilson Jr., which exists in a grove planting across the highway from the station entrance. Cuttings, grafts and stock plants will be moved to a new commemorative site in a pine grove shade area adjacent to the care and maintenance area on the station. This garden area will be used for preservation, collection, evaluation and cultivation of camellias and other shade-loving plants. The current Wilson Camellia Garden is showcased each February with a camellia stroll sponsored by the Tangipahoa Parish Master Gardeners.

For more information about the station, please contact the resident coordinator, Regina Bracy, at (985) 543-4125. The station conducted its first Landscape Horticulture Field Day on June 29, 2006, and these field days will be conducted annually from now on in addition to the other educational programs offered at the station. Visitors are welcome at any time at the station.

Impact:

• Researchers at the station are using IR-4 grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to do research on minor crops such as ornamentals shrubs, trees, flowers and vegetables.
• Studies are under way for weed and insect management in landscape beds.
• Research continues on truck crops and strawberries.
• Urban landscape horticulture is the major focus of researchers at the station.
• Studies on the use of various herbicides, pesticides and fungicides are being conducted.

The LSU AgCenter is one of 11 institutions of higher education in the Louisiana State University System. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, it provides educational services in every parish and conducts research that contributes to the economic development of the state. The LSU AgCenter does not grant degrees nor benefit from tuition increases. The LSU AgCenter plays an integral role in supporting agricultural industries, enhancing the environment, and improving the quality of life through its 4-H youth, family and community programs.