KState OHREC

04/10/2026

We are conducting a quick survey to learn more about strawberry production and planting material needs in Kansas and the Midwest. Results of this survey will help us explore building a local strawberry nursery to supply plants to growers in the region. Please take a moment to complete the survey and share the link with others who grow or are considering growing strawberries. Thank you. We will share results too.
https://kstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7afiB1x2QjbzWPs
P.S. We have a limited number of $50 gift cards available as a way of saying thank you to folks who complete the survey - first come, first served so please help us out by filling out a survey. Thanks!

02/16/2026

It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Dr. Alan Stevens' passing today. Alan was the founding Director of the KState OHREC and will be missed dearly. If you have ever evaluated how "floriferous" a plant was, you likely learned something from Dr. Stevens. :-)

View Alan Brian Stevens's obituary, send flowers and sign the guestbook.

01/30/2026

Today was the first day of grafting! Those little maters have been growing in their toasty warm greenhouse and now a bunch have graduated to the healing chambers for their grafts to fuse.

01/16/2026

Before…during…and after! 🌱🌱🌱 Day 1 of tomato rootstock and scion transplanting is officially in the books. Grafting photos coming soon. 📸🍅

12/12/2025

This week at OHREC: It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…and spinach tunnel construction! Cookie consumption and temperature data collection are now underway. Thanks for everyone who joined us Monday for the Eastern Kansas Research & Extension Holiday Potluck!🎄🍪🌡️

11/26/2025

Recently at OHREC: Grad students have been pitching in to help build the structures for a spinach microclimate project this season! In the field, the cover crop in the solo tunnel project is really starting to make an appearance.

11/10/2025

As the growing season ends, maintenance season begins. Last week we turned maintenance into a teachable moment by filming repair work on high tunnels for an instructional video. Thanks to Danny Lindahl, KSU HNR video production specialist, and the OHREC Crew.

10/31/2025

Courtney’s PhD project is continuing into this season with more soil sampling (check out our new side wall). She also has several reps of organic annual rye planted in our solo high tunnel as a part of her research. More updates to come!

10/28/2025

Congrats to the Master Gardeners on their award from AAS!! 🏆

We’re Award Winners! 🎉

We’re thrilled to announce that the Johnson County K-State Extension Master Gardeners, in partnership with the KState OHREC K-State Olathe Horticulture Research and Extension Center (OHREC), have earned Second Place in the 2025 All-America Selections (AAS) Landscape Design Contest!

Our award-winning AAS Display Garden at OHREC was designed around a STEAM theme (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math)—bringing creativity and education together in full bloom. The garden features interactive elements like QR codes and a video presentation to create a self-guided learning experience for all ages. Highlights include colorful paintbrush sculptures, a central color wheel ‘quilt’, and vibrant AAS plantings that showcase how beauty and learning can thrive side by side.

Watch our award-winning video: 👉 https://youtu.be/D7slV3q51L8
Learn more about the Johnson County Extension Master Gardeners 👉https://tinyurl.com/28xze68d
Visit the Olathe Horticulture Research and Extension Center 👉http://www.kstateohrec.org/
Learn about AAS and find an AAS Garden near you 👉 https://all-americaselections.org/visit-an-aas-display-garden/

Congratulations to our dedicated volunteers and partners who helped make this garden a true celebration of education, creativity, and collaboration!

10/10/2025

Monday morning was a big sweet potato harvesting party out here at OHREC! In the strawberry fields, the crew has been busy pruning off all the runners. As for the tomato variety trials, the final harvest has officially passed! 🚫🍅

09/26/2025

While other areas of the farm are winding down this time of year, the strawberry field just finished getting planted! 🍓In the meantime, there are still cherry tomatoes and wildlife running around.