As spring planting season begins, those who have questions about growing plants are invited to contact the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Chester County, who have established a free hotline for gardeners.
Gardeners may also call the Penn State Extension office at 610-696-3500 and choose option 1 to leave a message with their name and contact information and details of their issue. A volunteer Master Gardener will provide a return call. Questions may also be emailed to chestermg@psu.edu along with photos that can help the Master Gardeners identify the plant or issue.
Master Gardener coordinator Meagan Hopkins-Doerr said that people call the hotline, which opened on April 16, about topics such as planting vegetables and fruits, growing ornamentals and native plants and how to prune flowers and trees.
"(Questions) tend to be typical things a gardener would ask - plant identification and insect identification," she said. "They ask about plant issues, including plant disease and treatment, and how to interpret the results of soil tests. They also ask for recommendations about soil type and what kinds of plants work well in different microclimates in our yard."
A microclimate, she explained, is a section of yard that is different from surrounding areas such as a garden located near a shelter or building that provides protection from the wind. "An example would be the crepe myrtle," Hopkins-Doerr said. "Crepe myrtle is not a native plant, but many of us love them. If you want to plant a crepe myrtle, it should get plenty of sun but be protected from the wind."
When asked when to plant vegetable plants and seedlings outdoors, Hopkins-Doerr recommends checking maps provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). "There are great maps available online for your (particular) gardening zone," she stated. "That helps you to plan for starting seeds indoors like veggies, and it tells you when you should put things out and your growing days." Information can be found at http://www.noaa.gov.
She added that seedlings grown indoors should not yet be planted outdoors because the plants are not used to wind and colder temperatures at night.
For more information about Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Chester County, visit http://www.extension.psu.edu/programs/master-gardener/counties/chester or http://www.facebook.com/ChesterCountyMasterGardeners.
Many gardening topics are addressed on the Master Gardeners website by choosing the blue "Home Gardening Information" tab.
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