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Ask a Master Gardener

Free access to unbiased research-based horticulture advice
WSU Extension > San Juan County WSU Extension > Master Gardeners > Ask a Master Gardener
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We’re trained to help you!

San Juan County Master Gardener volunteer helping people at a plant clinic

For more than a half century, home gardeners have been bringing us their questions and issues. Master Gardeners are University trained volunteers who can help you tackle those intractable problems! Our diagnostic team specializes in pinpointing issues with plants and pests, offering free research-based advice on effective management strategies for both the pests and the overall health of gardens and landscapes.

Ask a Master Gardener

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Have a plant or insect question?

If you have a plant problem and want a plant or insect identified, our volunteers can help.

  1. Put your plant in a sealed plastic bag, or your insect in a container. Keep it cool.
  2. Fill out and attach a plant problem or plant/insect identification form. These forms can be found at Ask A Master Gardener events, the WSU Extension office, or below.
  3. Bring your sample to the next Ask A Master Gardener event or drop it off at the WSU Extension office in Friday Harbor. If the office is closed, leave sample and form outside the door in the labeled cooler.
Plant Problem Diagnosis Form
Plant Identification Form
Insect Identification Form
Master Gardeners sitting at an informational table.

Ask a Master Gardener locations

If you want to have some back-and-forth question and answer time with a Master Gardener volunteer to hone in on a difficult to describe issue, click here for an in-person Ask A Master Gardener location near you. This is a great opportunity to ask general gardening questions, find out about gardening resources and to bring you plant problem samples or plants/insects for identification.

2026 Ask A Master Gardener events:

Lopez Island: Saturdays, May 16-June 20, at Sunset Builders, 1pm-3pm

Orcas Island: 1 Saturday and 1 Wednesday per month: May 9, 20 June 6, 14 July 11, 22   Aug. 8, 19   Sep 12 at Island Market Garden Nursery, 1-3pm

San Juan Island: Saturdays, at San Juan Island Farmers Market, Brickworks, 9:30am-11am. Dates coming soon!

Find an Ask a Master Gardener event
General question submission form
Aphids on a plant.

Hortsense

Hortsense contains home gardener fact sheets for managing plant problems.

Hortsense
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Gardening in Washington State

WSU resources for gardeners in Washington State

Gardening in WA

PNW Pest Management Handbooks

Insect management, plant and disease management, and weed management database.

PNW Handbooks

Other gardening resources

Find publications and links to a vast library of gardening resources.

Gardening resources
WSU Master Gardener Advanced Education logo.

Come learn with us!

The WSU Extension Master Gardener Advanced Education Conference (AEC) is open to all garden enthusiasts!

To further the training of volunteers and keep them abreast of cutting-edge horticultural science, the Master Gardener Foundation of Washington State partners with the WSU Extension Master Gardener Program to produce the AEC. This educational event is just one way we strive to ensure that when you reach out to your local Extension Master Gardeners, you are assured of getting innovative, unbiased, scientifically supported advice.

Learn about some common weeds in our area

Bittercress, also known as Shotweed

Bittercress (a.k.a. Shotweed)

Little bittercress is commonly found west of the Cascades in yards, gardens, roadsides, waste areas, and perennial plantings. It is native to Europe and has become a serious problem in the nursery industry.

Shooting 'Shotweed'
Dandelion going to seed

Dandelions

The common dandelion is a persistent taprooted plant reproducing by seeds and by short shoots from the crown. It also grows back from roots broken during hand removal. 
Dandelions
Field of horsetail

Horsetail

Horsetails are found primarily in moist to wet areas. Scouringrush is common along roadsides and ditch banks. Field horsetail is found primarily in moist to wet areas, but can survive in drier areas once established. Field horsetail is a common weed of gardens, pastures, and home landscapes.
Horsetail
Bittercress, also known as Shotweed

Buttercup

Creeping buttercup is often found in moist areas such as meadows and along ditch banks, but can also become problems in lawns. It can become aggressive in pastures.
Buttercup
Dandelion going to seed

Field Bindweed (a.k.a Wild Morningglory)

Field bindweed grows in waste areas and cultivated areas including fields and gardens. It most abundant in the western states, but is distributed throughout much of the U. S.

Field Bindweed
Field of horsetail

Herb Robert (a.k.a Robert geranium)

Herb Robert is very adaptable, growing in a wide range of soils and light conditions. Moist forests, grasslands, and dry rocky outcrops can be colonized by this plant, and it can be a significant garden pest as well. It prefers partly shady to shady and moist sites such as gardens and woodlands, but it can easily tolerate sunny, drier areas as well. It is found from sea level to about 4,000-foot elevations throughout many areas in western Washington. Herb Robert is capable of spreading into undisturbed areas and displacing native plants.

Herb Robert

Frequently asked questions:

A: Our community Ask a Master Gardener events are typically open April – September each year. Please check above for details on dates & times at specific locations. Email questions are accepted year-round.

A: Yes, you can bring your samples for diagnostics to our community locations. Or drop it off at the WSU Extension office in Friday Harbor. If the office is closed, leave sample and form outside the door in the labeled cooler.

A: Yes, please submit your request at least 6 weeks prior to your event. This can be a one-time or reoccurring event. We will do our best to accommodate your event.