ASK A MASTER GARDENER!
Master Gardener volunteers are trained para-professionals who will provide you with information that is research-based and focused on environmentally friendly gardening practices.
Whether it’s an insect pest infestation or an unknown pathogen destroying your beloved plants, certified Master Gardeners are available to answer your questions or provide advice.
Gardeners may bring plant or insect samples to the clinic.
In-person for 2023!
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Port Townsend Library on the 1st Tuesday of the Month from 12:00 – 2:00PM in the Charles Pink House, adjacent to the main library!
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Jefferson County Library on the 2nd Saturday of the month from 1:00 – 3:00PM in the Humphrey Room
For plant problem diagnosis bring a sample that clearly shows the demarcation between un-healthy and healthy tissue. Pick a fresh plant specimen, put the cut end of the stem in a moist paper towel, and then come to the clinic.
For plant identification For plant identification we need a sample or picture that includes leaves, branches, stems, a portion of the fruiting or flowering structure (if available), and a picture of the stem or bark.
For insect identification we need the insect intact and brought into us in a small container soon after capture.
Note: Master Gardeners need a fresh specimen to make an accurate identification or assessment of the issue.
*Submit a Question* to the Master Gardeners
Please supply the following information and a Master Gardener will get back to you via email. State your question concisely and include as much information as possible and include the following when applicable: plant name, age, growing conditions, and symptoms. Some questions are more complex than others and are better addressed in a discussion. In those cases we recommend you sign-up for a Plant Clinic consultation via Zoom. If live zoom sessions are not possible for you, please put a request with several available days/times in the Question section of the form below and we'll do our best to schedule a time to meet.*LIVE* Video Sessions by Request
If you’d like to speak with a Master Gardener, please reach out to bridget.gregg@wsu.edu to schedule a Zoom appointment.
Zoom is a great opportunity to have a one-on-one discussion of your gardening questions. This is an especially useful tool if you’d like to show your landscape or houseplant!
Jefferson County Master Gardener Programs!
To protect the rights of groups that suffered discrimination in the past, we want to recognize any deficiencies in delivering our gardening programs to disadvantaged audiences and make realistic plans to correct those deficiencies.
WSU Extension programs and policies are consistent with federal and state laws and regulations and nondiscrimination regarding race, sex, religion, age, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, physical, mental or sensory disability, martial status, sexual orientation or status as a Vietnam-era or disabled veteran. Evidence of non-compliance may be reported.
Need to drop off a sample?
To help Master Gardeners make an accurate assessment, you can drop off a fresh specimen at the WSU Extension office M-Th from 9:00 – 2:00 PM, 121 Oak Bay Road, Port Hadlock, WA. Please include a sample that clearly shows the demarcation between un-healthy and healthy tissue. Pick a fresh plant specimen, put the cut end of the stem in a moist paper towel, and then place it in a plastic bag.
If cut plants are left in sunny or hot location they will wilt excessively thus making diagnosis very difficult.
For plant identification we need a representative sample that includes the vegetative portion of the plant (leaves, branches, stems), a portion of the fruiting or flowering structure, and a representative portion of the stem or bark. For insect identification we need an intact specimen brought into us in a small container soon after capture.
It is a rare occurrence when samples can not be identified at the WSU Jefferson County Extension Plant Clinic in Port Townsend. If there are instances where a specimen needs to go the WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center Plant & Insect Diagnostic Laboratory there will be a modest charge for identification and further recommendations.
Soil Testing
If you are having trouble in your garden and pest, disease or cultural causes don’t seem to be the reason, you may wish to get a soil test. Please visit the Jefferson County Conservation District for information on how to take samples and interpret the results at https://www.jeffersoncd.org/what/soil-sampling/. Testing costs vary depending on which analyses you choose.
Concerned about lead in your soil? Lead may be a concern if your garden is near an older painted structure. Lead in residential building paint was common up until the mid-1970’s, when it was phased out. To learn more about lead in soil, take a look at OSU Extension’s Evaluating and Reducing Lead Hazard in Gardens and Landscapes publication.
Photo Tips
- Show the damaged or problem plant in the landscape along with other plants to provide additional clues to the probable cause of the problem.
- Show the base of the plant at the soil line to determine root issues.
- Show live branches/limbs and leaves, dead or dying branches/limbs and leaves to help us determine the spread.
- Show buds and flowers to help with plant identification.
- Show the insect if that is the suspected culprit in the damage, along with the kinds of damage you are seeing.
Noxious Weed Board
For noxious weed identification please submit samples to the Jefferson County Noxious Weed Board.
Website: http://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/WeedBoard/ or Phone: (360) 316-9332
The following In-person Clinics are *Suspended* for 2022
Port Townsend Clinic: Mondays, 1:00 – 4:00 PM April – September
Port Townsend’s Plant Clinic is located in the Community Development Office, 621 Sheridan Street in the same complex as the QFC and JC Health Dept.
*Suspended* In-person Port Hadlock Clinic: Tuesdays, 11:00 – 2:00 PM, April – September
Port Hadlock’s Plant Clinic is located at the WSU Extension Office at 121 Oak Bay Road, in the Kively Center Complex.
Please check the WSU Extension calendar for holiday closures.
*Suspended* Chimacum Farmer’s Market Plant Clinic on the 3rd Sunday of the month, June – September