UConn IPM Seminar For the Home Gardener 2026

Join Us for the 5th Annual UConn IPM Seminar for the Home Gardener!

Thursday, August 20th, 2026
10:30 AM - 2:00 PM

UConn Research Farm
59 Agronomy Road, Storrs, CT 06268
*Free Parking*

$5.00 Per Person

Learn basic principles of Integrated Pest Management and techniques to implement in your gardens with a day designed for the home gardener.  Speakers from the UConn IPM team will present on various topics to help you improve the plant and soil health of your gardens, lawns, and landscapes.

Learn About the UConn IPM Program

Promotional flyer for the 5th Annual UConn Integrated Pest Management Seminar. The flyer advertises a free gardening and pest management event on Thursday, August 20, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the UConn Plant Science Research and Education Farm in Storrs, Connecticut, featuring talks by UConn IPM faculty and staff, light refreshments, and registration information at s.uconn.edu/ipm26.

Registration Coming Soon!

Questions about the event? Please email: natasha.raymond@uconn.edu

Schedule of Events - More Details Coming Soon!

Time Presentation/Activity
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM  Event sign-in, light refreshments
11:00 AM - 12:15 PM Presentations begin, varied topics
12:15 PM - 12:45 PM Break
12:45 PM - 1:45 PM Seminar wrap up, final questions

Presentation order/Schedule is subject to change

Event Speakers

Natasha Raymond

Bio Coming Soon

Emily Leahy

Emily Leahy in a UConn Shirt in front of a brick wall

Emily is a research technician at the UConn Plant Diagnostic Lab. She has been working in the lab since last summer when she began as an Extension intern. Emily recently graduated from UConn in May with a degree in Biological Sciences.

Dr. Srikanth Kodati

Dr. Srikanth Kodati is an Assistant Extension Educator for pesticide safety education and IPM in the Department of Extension at the University of Connecticut. He is responsible for developing educational materials focused on pesticide safety and regulatory compliance. Dr. Kodati coordinates the Ornamental and Turf Short Course, which prepares professionals for the supervisory pesticide applicator licensing exam administered by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). Trained as a plant pathologist, his research focuses on the development of nonchemical management strategies for boxwood blight, with the goal of supporting sustainable practices in ornamental plant production.

Evan Lentz

Bio Coming Soon

Dr. Nick Goltz

Nick GoltzDr. Nick Goltz is a plant pathologist and Assistant Extension Educator at the University of Connecticut. He directs the UConn Plant Diagnostic Laboratory, where he diagnoses plant health issues and provides management recommendations for various clients including home gardeners and commercial growers. Nick holds a Doctor of Plant Medicine degree from the University of Florida. Before UConn, he worked at the UF Plant Diagnostic Center and at state and federal regulatory laboratories since 2016, performing research to develop biological control options for the management of invasive insects. Nick has a passion for plant health and integrated pest management and has been published in Fine Gardening Magazine several times in addition to the academic journals Insects and Biodiversity Data Journal. He is always excited to work with growers and home gardeners alike to find comprehensive solutions for any plant problem they may be dealing with.

Tables & Demonstrations

All America Selections Display Garden

Explore outstanding new and recently introduced annual flowers and see how they perform under Connecticut growing conditions. Whether you’re a home gardener, grower, or plant enthusiast, this is a great opportunity to discover top-performing varieties and tour one of UConn’s premier research facilities.

UConn Home Garden Education Office

The UConn Home Garden Education Office provides trusted, research‑based answers to your gardening and pest questions. Serving residents across Connecticut and beyond, the office offers support by phone, email, in-office consultations, social media, and through educational publications. Our team also participates in outreach events and hosts educational gardening programs. We’re here to help you grow healthier plants, solve problems with confidence, and enjoy your home garden all year long. 

UConn Extension IPM Program

The UConn Extension IPM Program helps Connecticut growers, land managers, and residents protect crops, landscapes, and the environment through safe and sustainable pest management.

We provide:

  • Guidance on safe use of organic and synthetic pesticides

  • Alternatives like cultural and biological controls

  • Education on pollinator protection and least-toxic options

  • Training to support the economic and environmental health of farms and green industries

Directions & Parking

Parking is free at the UConn Research Farm. No Passes or Permits are required.

Off of RT195, take Agronomy road and follow all the way to the end. The UConn Plant Science Research Farm is at the end of the road. Follow the driveway into the farm. We will have staff out on the morning of the event to direct you to the parking location. Please do not park in unassigned areas, as there are active research plots throughout the farm. 

 

Diagram of the UConn Research Farm with Parking and classroom highlighted
Sign on the side of the road that says UConn Plant Science Research and Education Facilities

The UConn Plant Science Research Farm is visible from 195.
Follow this driveway all the way down the road, the research farm is at the end of the road.

Parking along the side of the driveway at the research farm

Follow the driveway into the research farm.
Our staff will be out in the morning to direct you for parking.

White door to a red barn

The Seminar will be held in the farm's classroom space. We will ensure signs are out to help you find your way!
Look for a white canopy tent for registration outside of this classroom.

This event is supported by the Crop Protection and Pest Management Program [grant no. 2021-70006-35582] from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.