Gourmet potato varieties, mini-seedless watermelons, edamame (vegetable) soybeans, staked tomatoes, woody ornamentals,  blackberries and blueberries are just a few of the crops featured at the University of Kentucky’s Twilight Tour at South Farm July 27.

“The Horticulture Department has planned the tour so that if growers are interested in starting with a new crop, or already are producing it and want more information, there will be something for them at this event,” said Brent Rowell, Extension vegetable crop specialist in the UK Cooperative Extension Service.

The tour also highlights results of the All American vegetable trials, a study on South American peppers, results of grape training systems trials, recommendations for weed control in organic vegetables and information on controlling yellow vine disease in acorn squash.

“The other major part of the field day will be a tour of work being done on woody ornamental plants” Rowell said.  “This woody cut stem tour features the latest information on lilacs, willows, holly, peonies, calicarpa, nandina, roses, and hydrangea.”

The cut stem tour will address issues such as what plants flower best in Kentucky, how plants can be pruned for increased flower production, what shelf life can be expected and what storage requirements are necessary.

There will be two concurrent wagon tours that are repeated until dark.

Tours begin at 6 p.m. EDT on July 27 at the perennial flower plot just past the greenhouses at UK’s Horticultural Research (South) Farm.  The farm is on the south side of Lexington approximately one block west of the intersection of the Man O’ War Boulevard and Nicholasville Road (U.S. 27) intersection.  The entrance is off Man O’ War opposite the entrance to Lowe’s and Wal-Mart.

For additional information contact Pam Compton, 859-257-2909, or pscomp1@uky.edu.