Being a Master Gardener is much like being a detective while playing a special version of Clue.
Was it lace bugs on the hawthorn bush in the front bed? Or perhaps mealybugs that caused a plant’s untimely end?
The Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners are on a quest to get to the bottom of any horticultural mystery, and they are not afraid to get their hands dirty in the process.
The team of trained and practiced volunteers is holding a diagnostic clinic twice a week this month, inviting the public to bring a sample of plant problems to be assessed for free. This is the fourth year for the clinic, which is staffed by Master Gardeners and those studying to earn their stripes.
They turn over leaves to see what – or who – might be responsible for a strange spotting, a mold-like fuzz or holes nibbled out of a leaf.
The investigation is a collective one, with gardeners proposing possible maladies and hashing out ideas: It could not be mealybugs, because those would be visible to the naked eye. And it’s not from a Dogwood tree, as one gardener used to have one in her yard and the leaves were not the same.
In some instances, identifying the criminal critter is not the problem. Figuring out what type of bush from just a small, flower-less sample can be the greatest challenge.
For Janet Griffin, the research element sparked her interest to get involved.
“I have a botany background so I’m interested in how plants grow … so this was a great place to use microscopes and actually see what is involved,” she said.
Griffin and other gardeners also use stacks of books — many from their own collections — plus iPad apps and the reliable Internet sources to discern what is ailing residents’ flora. If they cannot crack the case, they can send specimens to Virginia Tech for further study and a verdict.
The clinic can become quite busy with walk-ins, Griffin said. Other times Master Gardeners who have visited homeowners for free landscaping consultations will seek the help of the clinic to identify hazards to a healthy yard.
While there is another clinic held in the fall, springtime yields more curious planters, some of whom might find themselves in too deep. Griffin said many visitors face similar issues relating to native plants common in the area.
She remembers one couple who happened upon wild blueberries growing in their yard, and were befuddled.
“They said, ‘What do we do?’ I said, ‘Make a pie,’” Griffin recounted.
The diagnostic clinics, held at the VCE office at 3127 Forge Road in Toano, are open from 8:30 a.m. to noon Mondays and Wednesdays through the end of the month, with no clinic May 26 in honor of Memorial Day.
The Master Gardeners also have a booth twice a month at the Williamsburg Farmers Market on Saturday mornings, where they offer information, can answer questions and also bring back samples to the clinic to identify.
For more information, call 564-2170 or visit the Virginia Cooperative Extension in James City County’s website.
