MISSISSIPPI STATE – Those with a desire to learn the latest in a variety of landscape maintenance topics will have a chance to do so in a two-day short course offered through  Mississippi State University and the University of Arkansas.

The 2010 Landscape Short Course will be held Feb. 18-19 at the Desoto County Board of Education Building in Hernando. It is jointly sponsored by the MSU Extension Service and the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

“This course is designed to teach basic principles of landscape establishment and management,” said Mengmeng Gu, MSU Extension ornamental horticulture specialist. “The course is designed for individuals who work in commercial landscape maintenance. We will follow an informal instruction format that encourages interaction between the instructors and the participants.”

Topics include planting, pruning and fertilizing trees and shrubs, disease and insect problems, landscape and pesticide calculations, weed control, pesticide handling and safety, tree and shrub identification, perennials and annuals. Speakers will be Gu from MSU and James Robbins from Arkansas.

Registration before Feb. 10 is $120 for both days and $80 for one day, and both include lunch, breaks and handouts. Late registration is $150 for the two-day event or $100 for just one day. Pesticide application recertification for Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee is available through the short course.

Details are available at MSUcares.com. Contact Gu at (662) 325-1682 or mgu@pss.msstate.edu for more information.