Desert Blooms

Marisa Thompson is the NMSU Extension Urban Horticulture Specialist, a state-wide position based in Los Lunas. She is responsible for active Extension and Research programs in sustainable horticultural practices for New Mexicans.

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Marisa worked pairing plants and people at nurseries in Albuquerque before becoming an Extension Master Gardener for Bernalillo County in 2008 and a Las Cruces Tree Steward in 2014.

Her MS in Horticulture involved a study of pecan orchard floor management and how weeds affect water status, soil nutrient availability, and nut yield of mature pecan trees. Marisa received a PhD in Plant and Environmental Sciences in August 2017 for her research on pecan flowering mechanisms with a focus on plant hormones and genes that control floral initiation. She currently writes the gardening column, Southwest Yard & Garden, which is published weekly in newspapers and magazines across the state. Access the column archives below.

September 2020 -
December 2023
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Ready, Set, GROW!
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Marisa Thompson, Ph.D.
1036 Miller Rd
Los Lunas, NM 87031
Phone: 505-865-7340 ext. 113
Email: risi@nmsu.edu


Resources

Plant Advisor
Southwest Plant Selector App
Find the perfect plant for your landscape.
Download the iPhone app here
How-to Videos
Southwest Yard & Garden
Videos on gardening in the Southwest.
Southwest Yard & Garden
Q&A Column

25+ years of Southwest Yard & Garden columns address gardening and landscaping questions from the public.


Melon Patch

The Melon Patch archive contains six years of a wealth of information on gardening issues.


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Extension How-To Publications

Cooperative Extension Service how-to guides on such topics as gardening, health, clothing and sewing, family resource management, and livestock and range management.