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Beginning in early May, members of the Fairfax County Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners host Plant Clinics. These Plant Clinics are held at various Libraries and Farmers Markets. The Master Gardeners at these Plant Clinics are happy to help you with plant and insect identification (both common and scientific names). They can also help by answering gardening questions, diagnose pest or disease problems and provide recommendations to prevent or control further damage. The information, provided free of cost, by Master Gardeners is unbiased, research-based and environmentally sound.
In addition, Fairfax County Master Gardeners provide you with handouts on various plants and shrubs; pruning and lawn care calendars; and soil test kits that you mail to Virginia Tech. for in-depth analysis and recommendations. For the $7.00 fee, the soil test is an invaluable and money-saving gardening tool. |
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The Fairfax County Master Gardeners' diagnostic laboratory operates year-round. The lab is staffed by senior Master Gardeners who have many years of experience in solving plant, pest, and disease problems. Bring a sample of whatever is troubling you to any Fairfax County Library and ask the staff to send it to the County Extension office.
Please note this service is not available from city libraries which are not run by the Fairfax County government.
Your sample will be analyzed at the lab and a detailed diagnosis with recommendations will be mailed back to you. This generally takes 2 to 4 weeks, depending on the time of year and the backlog of requests. For instructions to send samples read more.. |
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The Writers’ Group, formed in 2007, will support the Master Gardeners’ educational mission by making available to the residents of Fairfax County short, informative articles on gardening that are tailored to growing conditions in the County. These articles will be organized by season and published on the FCMGA web site (watch the “Published Gardening Articles” section grow!). They will also be available on request for republication in the newsletters of homeowners associations, garden clubs, and other groups. |
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Volunteers from FCMGA and Green Spring master gardeners staff a year-round horticulture help desk to answer home gardeners' questions and help solve gardening problems. During the growing season (April through October) we are on duty five mornings a week, Monday through Friday, from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. In November through March, the desk is staffed 9:30-12:30 on Tuesday and Thursday mornings only.
Contact us anytime by voice mail at (703) 324-8556 or by e-mail at mgfairfax@vt.edu. Please clearly explain your question or problem, and we will conduct any needed research before getting back to you. During our duty hours (see the previous paragraph), you can also stop by our desk in the VCE Office on the 10th floor of the Pennino Building in the Fairfax County Government Center. |
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In the spring of 2007, a Pilot Program was established for the purpose of exploring the potential of utilizing the skills of Fairfax County Master Gardeners at County Senior Centers. The program consisted of Master Gardeners teaching basic gardening classes at four Regional Senior Centers. Four classes were provided to seniors at each of the Senior Centers during the months of March and May. The Pilot Program was a success and a recommendation was made to continue the program. More than 45 current Master Gardeners have expressed interest in participating in the program.
In 2008, Master Gardeners will continue this program by offering seasonal gardening classes to nine of the thirteen Fairfax County Senior Centers during the months of March, April, May, June, September and October. Class sign-ups will be available on January 16, 2008, the first day of Master Gardener classes.
If you would like more information on this program you can check out the “Results of the Pilot Program” on our website or contact Susan Renna, Coordinator of the program, at susan.renna@fairfaxcounty.gov. |
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Are you looking for a speaker for your club or organization?
Fairfax County Master Gardeners, in keeping with our mission to educate, inspire and motivate Fairfax County gardeners, offer speakers on a wide range of gardening topics. Our presentations are based on environmentally sound horticultural practices and principles, and are informative, entertaining, and fun!
Our experienced and knowledgeable speakers have a wide range of topics including (but not limited to): For complete list of topics read more.. |
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Through the 4-H Ready, Set, Grow project, Master Gardeners teach 4th grade students about the importance of plants to people and the environment, and how to plant seeds. Teams of 2 trained Master Gardeners present 2 hours of instruction and hands-on activities to 4th grade science classes of 20 to 28 students in approximately 90 classrooms throughout Fairfax County. Each class taught will equal 3 volunteer hours. This program is open to 2nd year interns and above.
Master Gardeners from the Green Spring and Fairfax Programs are contacted in December to attend informational meetings in early January, during which they choose a partner and are provided with sample lesson plans and other teaching aides. Sign-up for classes is conducted on line, or for those without Internet access, through the program chair. A choice of 3 training sessions are offerred in February where teaching materials are also distributed. The classes are presented by the teams of Master Gardeners during March and early April. For additional information or questions, please contact the Program Chair at readysetgrow@fairfaxmastergardeners.org. |
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