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Horticulturae
Special Issues
Consumer Horticulture Advancement
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Consumer Horticulture Advancement

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Horticultural Economics, Policy, Business Management and Marketing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2021) | Viewed by 11147

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ellen Bauske

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
UGA Cooperative Extension, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
Interests: urban agriculture programs that focus on consumer horticulture; urban water issues; urban agriculture professional development; local food; arboriculture
Dr. Sheri Dorn

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Horticulture, University of Georgia, Griffin, GA 30602, USA
Interests: human dimension of horticulture; engagement with plants; underlying motivations and benefits of gardening
Dr. Lauren Garcia Chance

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
American Public Gardens Association, Kennett Square, PA 19348, USA
Interests: sustainable landscaping; water quality; consumer marketing; consumer education; public horticulture

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Consumer horticulture is practiced worldwide in cities, towns, villages, and farms in gardens, landscapes, and homes; it is everywhere plants and related horticultural items are used and enjoyed for the benefit of individuals, communities, and the environment.

Consumer horticulture plays an obvious role in the protection and conservation of natural resources. Yet there is much research to be done. We must develop and promote sustainable practices specific to consumer horticulture and define the appropriate use of production and management inputs. We must identify and utilize plant products and technology appropriate to the diversity of landscape and gardening practices that can enhance ecosystem services.

Consumer horticulture also plays a critical role in cultivating healthy, connected, and engaged communities. We have just begun the scientific exploration of the nutritional, physical, psychological, and social impacts of consumer horticulture. Cumulatively, the results of these studies suggested we should strengthen the adoption of consumer horticulture and that it is an effective tool for improving human health and community well-being across diverse populations. Additional research in this area will define methods and strengthen the adoption of consumer horticulture.

Consumer horticulture is a driver of the agricultural economy. Plants, seeds, fertilizers, and other typical agricultural inputs are routinely purchased. However, the commercial sector of consumer horticulture also includes service and retail operations not typically considered part of the agricultural economy, but which have significant economic contributions. These include garden retail; landscape design, installation and maintenance; and many others. These sectors are continually seeking to increase their profitability and are eager for the development of better economic management tools and technologies.

We look forward to sharing your research that explores the environmental; nutritional, physical, psychological, and social; and economic impacts of consumer horticulture.

Dr. Ellen Bauske
Dr. Sheri Dorn
Dr. Lauren Garcia Chance
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • landscaping
  • sustainable
  • urban
  • marketing
  • ecosystem services
  • well-being
  • environmental impact
  • economic impact
  • garden
  • community

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 2953 KiB  
Article
The Urban Double-Crop: Can Fall Vegetables and a Warm-Season Lawn Co-Exist?
by Ellen M. Bauske, Sheri Dorn, Freddie Clinton Waltz, Jr. and Lauren Garcia Chance
Horticulturae 2021, 7(11), 505; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7110505 - 18 Nov 2021
Viewed by 1677
Abstract
A gardening methodology using double-cropped cool-season vegetables and warm-season turfgrass, thereby capitalizing on the ideal growing season for each, was developed in field trials and tested in volunteers’ landscapes. Broccoli (Brassica oleracea), lettuce (Lactuca sativa), and Swiss chard ( [...] Read more.
A gardening methodology using double-cropped cool-season vegetables and warm-season turfgrass, thereby capitalizing on the ideal growing season for each, was developed in field trials and tested in volunteers’ landscapes. Broccoli (Brassica oleracea), lettuce (Lactuca sativa), and Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris subsp. Cicla) were planted into an established hybrid bermudagrass lawn (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. × C. transvaalensis Burtt-Davy ‘Tifsport’) in September. The vegetables were planted into tilled strips, 5 cm × 10 cm holes and 10 cm × 10 cm holes in the turf. All treatments produced harvestable yield, though the yield of vegetables planted in the tilled treatments and larger holes was greater than in smaller holes. Efforts to reduce turfgrass competition with vegetables by the application of glyphosate or the use of the Veggie Lawn Pod (an easily installed plastic cover on the lawn) did not increase yield. Tilled treatments left depressions that discouraged spring turfgrass recovery. The double-crop was tested by seven volunteers on their lawns. Though lawn-planted vegetables did not produce as much yield as those planted in the volunteers’ gardens, the volunteers were enthusiastic about this methodology. The volunteers reported that lawn vegetables were more difficult to plant but not more difficult to maintain, and they were easier to harvest than vegetables in their gardens. All volunteers reported satisfactory recovery of their lawns in the spring. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Consumer Horticulture Advancement)
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16 pages, 561 KiB  
Article
Citizen Science in Vegetable Garden Cultivar Evaluation in Tennessee
by Virginia R. Sykes, Natalie R. Bumgarner, Stefanie Brooke Keadle, Aleksandra Wilson and Francisco Palacios
Horticulturae 2021, 7(11), 422; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7110422 - 21 Oct 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2367
Abstract
Edible food production is a growing area of horticultural interest that can engage multiple generations of rural to urban residents with varying levels of experience. Residential or community garden food production can provide many benefits, including the production of healthy produce, establishment of [...] Read more.
Edible food production is a growing area of horticultural interest that can engage multiple generations of rural to urban residents with varying levels of experience. Residential or community garden food production can provide many benefits, including the production of healthy produce, establishment of community or social connections, and increased physical activity. Regardless of experience, food gardeners are interested in growing crops and cultivars well-suited to their region and which provide both productivity and crop quality. This means that cultivar selection is a common question for gardeners. However, formal cultivar evaluation is relatively rare in the non-commercial food production sector due to the number of cultivars, the challenges of replicated trial management, and the scarcity of public researchers focused on consumer horticulture. This limits the information available to support new gardeners, which lowers the chances of overall success including high-quality harvests. Such crop and variety selection questions are common for Extension personnel in the United States as well as many others who work with gardeners. Even with this high level of interest, funding for consumer garden trials is limited and the cost of replicated trials across various geographical sites is high. To fill this gap in research and address the need for high-quality data to support education, University of Tennessee Extension and research faculty have developed a citizen science approach called the Home Garden Variety Trial (HGVT) program. The HGVT is a collaborative effort between Extension and research faculty and educators, who select trials, provide seeds, and compile data, and citizen scientists around the state, who conduct the trials using their usual gardening practices in their own home or community gardens. Beginning in 2017, the collaborators have conducted five years of research involving over 450 individual gardeners in more than half of the counties in Tennessee. The HGVT is a novel and effective tool to introduce gardeners to new crops and cultivars while providing previously unavailable data to researchers. Together, researchers and home gardeners collect and compile data that supports residential and community food production success while engaging new and experienced gardeners in participatory science research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Consumer Horticulture Advancement)
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16 pages, 1091 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Ingredient Choices and Maximum Budget for Fresh Food Boxes in Taiwan
by Minh-Trang Vo Nguyen, Man-Keun Kim and Shang-Ho Yang
Horticulturae 2021, 7(10), 408; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7100408 - 16 Oct 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2645
Abstract
Fresh food boxes have been popular in many countries for providing convenience and supporting local production, while the convenient access of various market channels in Taiwan makes it difficult to develop. The COVID-19 events shed light on the opportunity to promote fresh food [...] Read more.
Fresh food boxes have been popular in many countries for providing convenience and supporting local production, while the convenient access of various market channels in Taiwan makes it difficult to develop. The COVID-19 events shed light on the opportunity to promote fresh food boxes. Due to the complexity of consumer preferences, it is important to investigate the market opportunity of fresh food boxes. A total of 748 valid survey data were collected throughout Taiwan from July to September in 2019. The analysis of variance and interval regression model with random utility theory was adopted to explore food product preferences and to elicit the maximum budget for the fresh food box. Results show that marrow vegetables, fruits, and meats are the major categories that must be included in the list of the fresh food box. The average maximum budget for a fresh food box is about NTD 702 (about USD 25), while the highest maximum budget can reach up to NTD 1202 (about USD 43) for some potential consumers. Although fresh food boxes have a market opportunity in Taiwan, the market potential may be more focused on those who have online market shopping experiences. Marketers would need more marketing strategies to enhance more potential shoppers to adopt the online purchase for fresh food boxes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Consumer Horticulture Advancement)
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6 pages, 573 KiB  
Article
Weekly Question-and-Answer Extension Radio Show Helps Listeners Adopt Environmentally Sound Horticulture Practices
by Julie Weisenhorn, Mary H. Meyer, Regina McGoff and Theresa Rooney
Horticulturae 2021, 7(4), 72; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7040072 - 06 Apr 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2409
Abstract
Cooperative Extension has a long history of using radio broadcasts in educational programming. The Minneapolis, MN-based CBS affiliate WCCO Radio 830AM contacted the University of Minnesota Extension (UMNExt) in 2013 to reinstate an 8:00 AM Saturday live gardening show titled “Smart Garden”. After [...] Read more.
Cooperative Extension has a long history of using radio broadcasts in educational programming. The Minneapolis, MN-based CBS affiliate WCCO Radio 830AM contacted the University of Minnesota Extension (UMNExt) in 2013 to reinstate an 8:00 AM Saturday live gardening show titled “Smart Garden”. After several years of doing the radio show, we wanted to determine the effectiveness of getting information to listeners, what people were doing differently because of what they heard on the show, and how much they used the Extension’s resources after listening to the program. After analyzing 410 responses to an online survey, we found 78% of respondents reported they frequently or always learned something new when listening, and 56% reported adopting environmentally important practices, such as pollinator gardens, less chemical use, better lawn care, water conservation, and removing invasive plants. We concluded that this educational programming was making a positive impact on consumer horticulture practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Consumer Horticulture Advancement)
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