Rate My Professor Joyce Latimer

Joyce Latimer is a Professor of Horticulture in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech, where she serves as Extension Specialist for Greenhouse Crops in the field of Agricultural and Veterinary Science. She earned her B.S. in Horticulture from Virginia Tech in 1978, followed by an M.S. in Horticulture in 1981 and a Ph.D. in Horticulture in 1986 from Purdue University. Joining the Virginia Tech faculty in 1999 and based in Moneta, Virginia, Latimer has provided state, regional, and national leadership in the greenhouse and herbaceous perennial production industries through her research and extension programs. Her academic interests center on plant growth regulators influencing branching and growth of herbaceous perennials, root zone management, substrate pH effects on plant growth regulator efficacy, overwintering survival of container-grown plants, best management practices for nursery and greenhouse growers, fertilizer impacts, and conditioning treatments for transplants. As Community, Local, and Regional Food Systems Program Team Convener, she contributes to sustainable food system networks.

Latimer has authored or co-authored over 90 publications, garnering 1,495 citations, including peer-reviewed papers such as Virginia Nursery and Greenhouse Grower Survey of Best Management Practices (2017), Overwintering Survival and Vigor of Container-grown Fountain Grass: Influence of Substrate Moisture Content, Protective Covers, and Fertilizer Rate (2015), and Substrate pH Impacts Efficacy of Ethephon Drenches on Growth of Herbaceous Perennials (2015). Her Virginia Cooperative Extension outputs encompass series on hydroponic production of edible crops (2023), including Planning for the Market, Management Basics, Nutrient Film Technique Systems, and Food Safety Considerations; The Basics of Fertilizer Calculations for Greenhouse Crops (2025); Using Plant Growth Regulators on Containerized Herbaceous Perennials (2023); and Dealing with the High Cost of Energy for Greenhouse Operations (2023). She has delivered more than 170 greenhouse grower programs and 230 talks, developing web-based resources, computer programs, and grid formulas for cost tracking to enhance crop quality, profitability, and sustainability. For her outreach excellence, Latimer received Virginia Tech's 2010 Alumni Award for Outreach Excellence, recognizing her re-establishment of Extension-grower connections and industry impact.