Nurseryman and author Eric Bergeson is touring South Dakota in July to promote good gardening, tree planting and fruit growing practices in the harsh conditions and alkaline soils of the northern prairie.
“There is great enthusiasm for gardening and planting in South Dakota,” he said, “I look forward to looking around each town and learning, as well as sharing some tips.”
Photo: Author Eric Bergeson
Bergeson’s seventh book, Successful Gardening on the Northern Prairie, is in its third printing and has sold over 13,000 copies since it was published in 2017.
Bergeson will speak in Garretson at Split Rock Park at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16.
“My goal is to encourage people to keep it simple,” he said, adding that the long days of summer sunshine in the north mean we can grow bigger vegetables and more vigorous annuals than points south.
“We have to get the soil right first,” he said. “Once that is taken care of, we can have a lot of fun.”
Bergeson wrote his book, he says, because the information given by the national gardening media does not address the unique conditions on the northern prairie.
“Our cold is an obvious issue,” he said, “but our often heavy and alkaline soils make us truly unique.”
Addressing the issue of soil is not difficult, he said, but even experienced gardeners too often neglect the task.
Bergeson advocates tree planting on the prairie, but says one must choose varieties carefully.
“With trees, there is little room to experiment,” he said, adding that one doesn’t want to waste years on varieties which perish in the next hard winter.
“But with veggies, annuals and even perennials, people can try new varieties without losing their shirt.”
For seventeen years, Bergeson owned Bergeson Nursery in Fertile, MN, a business started by his grandfather Melvin Bergeson in 1936, before recently selling to his brother Joe and sister-in-law Kae.
“I have been in the business since I was five,” he said, adding that helping people beautify their yards and raise their own food has been “fun and rewarding.”
