WSU Extension of Benton & Franklin Counties is the best source for gardening information in the Mid-Columbia region. Learn what plants grow well in our region’s challenging climate and soils, find help solving plant and pest problems, and discover new gardening techniques. We’re here to help you every step of the way!
News & Events
2023 Garden Classes & Events
These free events are hosted by local WSU Master Gardener volunteers to educate and inspire our community. Whether you are a seasoned gardener or brand new to the idea of growing, there’s always something to learn or experiences to share to help each other along. We hope you’ll join us!
Celebrate With Us
In the coming year we'll be celebrating 50 years of the Master Gardener Program! Stay tuned for many exciting events!
Your donation will make a difference in our community
Consider supporting our important Master Gardener programs. Our Master Gardener Foundation is a Washington State 501(c)(3) charity organization that has earned the Candid Guidestar Platinum Seal of Transparency. Learn more about the important programs your donation will support.
Garden Education
Our WSU Benton Franklin Master Gardeners have put together a How To Garden Series of fact sheets to walk you through each step of starting your own garden this year. Spanish versions are available here.
- #1 – How To Decide Where To Put My Garden (pdf)
- #2 – How To Build My Food Garden (pdf)
- #3 – How To Choose What To Grow (pdf)
- #4 – How To Plant In My Garden (pdf)
- #5 – How To Water My Garden (pdf)
- #6 – How To Improve My Soil (pdf)
- #7 – How To Know If My Plants Are Healthy (pdf)
- #8 – How To Give My Plants Space To Grow (pdf)
- #9 – How To Know When My Crop Is Ready (pdf)
- #10 – How To Make My Garden Better Next Year (pdf)
BONUS –
- Transplanting A Seedling Into A Container – English (pdf)
- Transplanting A Seedling Into A Container – Spanish (pdf)
View/print the full How To Series in English and Spanish
Flowers
Fruits
What you need to know about growing backyard tree fruit in Benton & Franklin counties
- Growing and Using Asian Pears (pdf)
- Growing Izu Melons in the Tri Cities (pdf)
- Splitting in Peaches (pdf)
- Hot Weather Tomato Problems (pdf)
- Harvesting Apples and Pears (pdf)
- Growing Kiwi in The Home Garden (pdf)
- Grape Berry Problems (pdf)
- Garbage Gardening (pdf)
- Discover Figs (pdf)
- 2015 Backyard Apple Pear Pest Management Chart (pdf)
- 2015 Backyard Stone Fruit Pest Management Chart (pdf)
Insects
Landscaping
Lawns
- Armyworms and Their Management (pdf)
- Excessive Thatch (pdf)
- Home Lawns (pdf)
- How to Water Your Lawn (pdf)
- Kentucky Bluegrass for Home Lawns in WA State (pdf)
- Lawn Care Calendar (pdf)
- Moss in Lawns and Gardens (pdf)
- Organic Fungicides (pdf)
- Organic Soil Amendments in Yards and Gardens (pdf)
- Pesticides – Learning About Labels (pdf)
- Pesticides – Safe Handling (pdf)
- Phosphorus and Home Lawns (pdf)
- Vole Management in Home Backyards and Gardens (pdf)
Miscellaneous
Soil
Vegetables
Planting
- Garbage Gardening (pdf)
- Grow Food on Parking Strips and Front Yard (pdf)
- Home Vegetable Gardening in Washington (pdf)
- Install a Floating Row Cover (pdf)
- Organic Soil Amendments in Yards and Gardens (pdf)
- Portable Field Hoop House (pdf)
- Raised Beds (pdf)
- Straw Bale Gardening (pdf)
- When to Plant (pdf)
Grafting
- Grafting Eggplants and Tomatoes (English pdf) (Spanish pdf)
- Grafting Watermelon (English pdf) (Spanish pdf)
- Grafting – The Healing Chamber (pdf)
Growing
- Carrots (pdf)
- Cucumbers (pdf)
- Green Beans (pdf)
- Green Peas (pdf)
- Onions (pdf)
- Radishes (pdf)
- Squash (pdf)
- Sweet Corn (pdf)
- Tomatoes – Answers to Problems (pdf)
- Tomatoes – Hot Weather Problems (pdf)
- Wasabi (pdf)
Pest & Disease
- Garden Plant Pests and Diseases (pdf)
- Beneficial Insects, Spiders, Creatures in the Garden (pdf)
- Pest Control in Vegetable Gardens (pdf)
- Pesticides – Learn About Labels (pdf)
- Pesticides – Safe Handling (pdf)
- Vole Management in Backyard Gardens (pdf)
Harvest & Storage
Trees and Shrubs
- Chlorosis in Trees and Shrubs (pdf)
- Common Planting Problems (pdf)
- Wood Decay (pdf)
- Winter Injury to Landscape Plants (pdf)
- Sunburn Injury to Trees (pdf)
- Tree Decline (pdf)
- Purple Needles on Spruce Trees (pdf)
- Growing Pecans in the Home Garden (pdf)
- Killing Tree Stumps (pdf)
- Horse Chestnut Family (pdf)
- Discover Figs (pdf)
- Disease Problems in Walnuts (pdf)
- Filbert Cultivars for the Home Garden (pdf)
- Leaf Scorch of Dogwood (pdf)
- Environmental Plant Problems (pdf)
- Recommended Trees for the Tri-Cities (pdf)
- Backyard Tree Fruit (pdf)
- 2017 Backyard Apple Pear Pest Management Chart (pdf)
- 2017 Backyard Stone Fruit Pest Management Chart (pdf)
Water
Weeds
Ask a Master Gardener
WSU Gardening Publications
Master Gardener Program
Help our Master Gardeners provide crucial programs in our community
Please support the programs of the Master Gardener Foundation of Benton-Franklin County. The Foundation is a Washington State 501(c)(3) charity organization. Did you know that WSU Benton Franklin Master Gardener Program Volunteers: Help teach people how to grow their own food. Built and maintain a 2.5 acre Demonstration Garden in Kennewick that has 26 individual theme gardens. Provide community education and outreach to adults and youth through classes at our Demonstration Garden and at local schools and non-profits such as the Boys and Girls clubs and Head Start. Staff a plant clinic at our office to answer your plant problems and gardening questions. Work with youth at the Juvenile Justice Center, helping them to learn to give back to their community and gain skills they can use in the future. Distribute seeds to the community through our Plant A Row program to encourage people to grow food to donate to our local food banks...
Learn more about how you can become a Master Gardener
The WSU Extension Master Gardener Program is open to adults with an interest in gardening and a willingness to use their knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm to make a positive impact on our local community. You do not need to be an expert gardener to apply, you just need to have a desire to learn and serve your community.
Master Gardener Foundation is making an impact
The Master Gardener Foundation of Benton-Franklin County (MGFBFC) created, funds, and maintains a 2.5 acre Demonstration Garden with 25 individual gardens, including a vegetable garden. Besides showcasing vegetables that can be grown in the Mid-Columbia region and testing different vegetable varieties, MGs donate all produce grown to Tri-City Food Banks.
