UNIVERSITY PARK — From identifying pests to improving plant health, Penn State Extension Master Gardeners will provide research-based gardening advice in the Yard and Garden Area during Ag Progress Days, Aug. 12 to 14.

The Yard and Garden Area, located at West 11th Street and Demonstration Alley at the Ag Progress Days site, will feature various educational presentations and tours of the demonstration gardens to help build horticulture knowledge and stimulate ideas that can be incorporated into the home garden.

Experts include Master Gardeners, extension educators and specialists in horticulture, entomology and plant pathology. At the “Ask a Master Gardener” tent, visitors can engage with Master Gardeners from across Pennsylvania to learn about soil health, garden planning and selection, plant care and pruning, and diseases and pests.

Attendees can stroll through the demonstration gardens and learn about pollinator-friendly plants, the Master Gardener Pollinator Friendly Habitat Certification program, and best practices for garden establishment. Centre County Master Gardeners will be on hand to guide attendees throughout the space and answer questions.

Visitors also can tour a butterfly house to learn about pollinators and the plants that attract them. The youth activities tent will offer children hands-on activities, including an insect scavenger hunt.

Next to the demonstration gardens, the Bee Tent will feature an observation hive, beekeeping tools and displays about Pennsylvania’s bee species. Extension specialists will be available to offer information and answer questions. A daily 10:30 a.m. presentation, “Wild Bees of Pennsylvania,” will occur in the College of Agricultural Sciences Exhibits Building theater.

A Yard and Garden Area display will feature research on bee ecology, evolution and biodiversity from the laboratory of Margarita López-Uribe, associate professor of entomology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. Visitors can discover how bees support crops in Pennsylvania and learn about Penn State’s Center for Pollinator Research.

Penn State Extension Master Gardeners continue to work with the Lopez-Uribe lab in a multiyear effort to increase understanding of Pennsylvania’s native bee populations. This community-science project leverages Master Gardeners’ interest in pollinators while providing advanced training on the protocols used to collect, pin, label and identify native bees.

Extension Master Gardeners and staff also will be on hand at the Invasive Species booth in the College Exhibits Building, where visitors can learn about the spotted lanternfly and other invasive species. Educational material about the spotted lanternfly and invasive species can be found on the extension website.

The following presentations are scheduled at the Yard and Garden Area:

Aug. 12

10 a.m.: Flower Arranging

11 a.m.: Post-Harvest Handling of Cut Flowers

1 p.m.: Apple Tree Pruning Demonstration

2 p.m.: Cultural Practices and Common Disorders of Apple Trees in Pennsylvania

3 p.m.: Native Plants for the Perennial Garden

4 p.m.: Home Composting

Aug. 13

10 a.m.: Five Native Trees for Your Landscape

11 a.m.: Native Plants for the Perennial Garden

1 p.m.: Apple Tree Pruning Demonstration

2 p.m.: Cultural Practices and Common Disorders of Apple Trees in Pennsylvania

3 p.m.: Flower Arranging

4 p.m.: Post-Harvest Handling of Cut Flowers

Aug. 14

10 a.m.: Interpreting Your Soil Test Report

11 a.m.: Home Composting

1 p.m.: Native Plants for the Perennial Garden

Sponsored by Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Ag Progress Days is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, 9 miles southwest of State College on Route 45. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 12; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 13; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 14. Admission and parking are free.

For more information, visit the Ag Progress Days website. Social media users can find and share information about the event by using the hashtag #agprogressdays, and the event can also be found on Facebook (@AgProgressDays).