Solve your gardening and plant problems! Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners provide year round assistance to home gardeners.
During the growing season, Master Gardeners host weekly Diagnostic Plant Clinics in Anacortes and Burlington. During winter months, we still help with problems submitted by email, phone or online.
Burlington Plant Clinic
Wednesdays (Apr-Oct) from 10am-2pm
WSU Extension Skagit County Office
11768 Westar Ln A, Burlington, WA 98233
Anacortes Plant Clinic
Saturdays (3rd Saturday in May through 2nd Saturday in Oct) from 10am-2pm
Held at the Farmers Market in the Depot; 7th St & R Ave
Submit your problem online, email us, or leave a phone message at 360-395-2368. Alternatively, you can drop samples off at the Extension Office between 8:30-4:30 Monday through Friday. Please provide your garden location and a detailed description of the problem, plant, or insect. Send digital photos if possible. Also, provide a phone number and email in case we have more questions. The clinic staff meets every other week during the winter to work the problems so there may be a short delay in receiving your answer.
Collecting and Packaging Samples
Drop off or mail samples (do not mail live insects) to:
Burlington Plant Clinic
WSU Skagit County Extension Office
11768 Westar Ln A, Burlington, WA 98233
The Extension Office is open Mon-Fri 8:30-4:30
Sample analysis will be performed during the next clinic
- Submit as much of the plant as possible including roots.
- Include both affected and healthy tissues so a comparison is possible.
- Do not submit specimens that are completely dead, dried or rotted.
- Digital photos of the whole plant are also helpful
Vegetables, Bulbs and Annuals: Submit the entire affected plant including roots if possible.
Shrubs, Trees: Submit both healthy and affected tissues. Include at least one specimen showing margin between healthy and diseased tissues.
Turfgrass: Submit 4″ squares including roots and soil. Take samples at the edge of affected areas and include both healthy and affected grass. For best results, send samples representing healthy, slightly affected, and severely affected areas of lawn.
Plant/Weed ID Samples: Samples for plant and weed identification must be alive, fresh, and undamaged. They should include leaves, buds, stems, flowers, roots, and fruits/seeds, as many of the plant features as possible. A single leaf is not enough for the best analysis!
Insect Samples: Insects should be stored in a clean glass or plastic container. If they are alive, a portion of the plant on which they were found should be added.
DO NOT MAIL LIVE INSECTS or supply badly damaged specimens.
WSU Gardening Resources
WSU Interactive Garden
Visit our Comprehensive Gardening Publication Library
Other Links
- WSU Horticultural Sense (Hortsense)
Compilation of fact sheets for managing plant problems - WSU Pest Sense (Pestsense)
Compilation of fact sheets for managing pest problems - WSU Publications
- Pacific Northwest Plant Disease Management Handbook
- Pacific Northwest Insect Management Handbook
- Pacific Northwest Weed Management Handbook
- Home and Garden Pest Management
- Pesticide Information Center OnLine (PICOL) Database
- WSU Tree Fruit Research & Extension Center
- PNW Vegetable Extension Group Photo Gallery of Vegetable Problems
Washington State University Puyallup Research and Extension Center
- WSU Gardening in Washington State Articles
- WSU Puyallup Plant & Insect Diagnostic Laboratory
- WSU PNW Vegetable Pathology Team
- Plant Disease and Insect Identification Pests Leaflet Series
- WSU “The Informed Gardener” Podcasts
- WSU Horticultural Myths
Other
