NDSU Garden Trials

As soon as I heard about the NDSU Home Garden Variety Trials at a conference this winter, I knew I wanted to get our family involved. The annual trials depend on "regular" people like us across the state (and a little into Minnesota) to test out different varieties of vegetables, fruits and flowers.

For a nominal fee, Extension Services mails you two varieties of each plant you'd like to test (up to five trials total) and you do the rest: plant, water, weed, tend, eat, etc.

At the end of the summer, you fill out a short survey comparing the varieties against each other. Extension Services compiles all of that data to create lists of varieties that grow best and are preferred in this area of the country. In other words, you help assemble the North Dakota recommended plants!

How cool is that?

Even better, I signed up the kids to do the work. They know they're part of a real science experiment and that their work with the plants is important. And they're excited to actually grow some carrots and melon.

When the seeds arrived this week, Jason and I looked around our yard for a spot to plant them. Because of the scale of the test (a 10-foot row for each plant variety, with four total), we couldn't come up with a good location. Before we started digging, we decided to give his parents a call - and they just happened to have a big stretch of garden that was so-far unused. Perfect!

Now the project has expanded to include Grandma and Grandpa.

We headed over today to measure out our plots and plant the seeds. The kids watered the plants carefully and placed the markers.

Let the plant trials begin!