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Green Thumb: Come to Thursday’s seminar; We’ll answer your questions

By Bettye Jo Preis, Master Gardener

Published: Tuesday, February 19, 2008 10:08 PM MST

Join us for a lively discussion at the Green Valley Gardeners’ Thursday seminar at the East Center.

A panel of Master Gardeners will take the floor in a question-and-answer type of format, with the audience calling out their questions (or handing in cards for the facilitator to read).

This has been a popular forum in the past with questions such as the following:

When should I fertilize my citrus trees?

What kind of lemon tree should I purchase?

What type of fertilizer should I use for my roses?

How can I provide color in my garden in the winter?

Should I prune my orange tree?

How can I protect my plants from frost?

Should I water the cactus?

Just what is a Master Gardener?

The question about a Master Gardener is one we can answer here. Master Gardeners are folks who were accepted into a 10-week educational program sponsored by Pima County and the University of Arizona.

All-day classes covered such topics as desert soils, plant nutrition and fertilization, plant diseases, propagation, cacti, citrus and vegetables, pruning, pests, flowers, lawns and so on.

Upon completion of the course, a final exam has to be passed and then the volunteer hours begin. Each Master Gardener works the phones once a week at the Cooperative Extension office on Whitehouse Canyon Road. They are also expected to attend educational classes and work in the demonstration garden behind the headquarters.

Plant identification is another aspect of their job. Many winter visitors do not recognize the shrubs and other plants in their gardens since many are native to Arizona. Photos and specimens are brought in for identification but often times a “home visit” is necessary to really view the plant and provide help.

The “Plant Clinic” on Whitehouse Canyon Road offers lots of reading material that can be taken home for educational purposes. There is also a volunteer to answer questions from 8 a.m. until noon each day. In addition, each spring a “Newcomers” gardening seminar is offered for half a day - Saturday this year - which will cover citrus, desert adapted plants, container gardening and practical irrigation. You can learn more about this by calling 648-0808.

We hope to see you at 9 a.m. Thursday for coffee and conversation. The program will begin at 9:30.

Green Thumb is written by Green Valley Gardeners with assistance from seminar speakers. It appears Wednesdays in the Green Valley News.


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