Inside the Master Gardener Helpline - By Mary Giambalvo
(Contact Info at bottom of page)
Your blighted tomatoes bear absolutely no family resemblance to the catalog photo. A nasty-looking bug is lumbering along the stem to your prize rose; friend or foe? Your hydrangea doesn't tell you why it's changing from blue to pink. Who are you going to call? We hope you'll call on the Master Gardener Helpline.
The Helpline is comprised of a group of your neighbors who fulfilled a course of training with the University of California Cooperative Extension to earn a place in the Master Gardener program. They contribute their time as volunteers solely to home gardeners with questions, conundrums and botanical tribulations.
When you call or email or walk into the offices for help (see below for details), your problem becomes a committed Helpline project. After collecting as much pertinent information from you as possible, the Helpliners go to work. Out comes the microscope, heads peering over it. Books pile up, filing cabinets fly open, and computers whir. Flanked with scientific references, a vast body of UCCE research and input from experts, the volunteers delve into the latest and best information available. Callers, if they wish, will often be mailed a wealth of material related to their concerns.
Helpline volunteers are generally in the offices one or two days a week (see below for days and times). Telephone messages and emails will be answered on those days. Feel free to bring in sample problems any business day, and be sure to seal them in a plastic bag. Diseases and pests have a way of sharing themselves if allowed to spread. Refrigerators are available to keep them fresh and contained until a volunteer arrives to research the problem.
There are now three offices which offer Helpline assistance. A new Arroyo Grande office opened in January to better serve the South County, and is located to the left of the South County Library/Regional Center at 810 West Branch Street. This new office will work in conjunction with the North County and San Luis Obispo offices.
Helpliners love gardening, teaching, and, I suspect, detective work. They must love it - the only payments are immense satisfaction and a bit of new knowledge each day. Please call, write or stop in with your questions. You will find friendly people eager to help discover the true intent of that bug hiking up the rosebush.
Master Gardeners are ready to answer your home garden questions. We can be reached in three ways: by calling us, by visiting us and by e-mailing us.
CALL US
If you call us, you will be asked some questions to help clarify the problem. At times, you will get direct help from the Master Gardener you talk with. At other times, further research will be done by the Master Gardener to provide the exact information you require.
VISIT US
If you bring in a plant or bug sample this helps to help diagnose your garden problems. Bring plant samples in plastic bags to our San Luis Obispo or Paso Robles offices.
E-MAIL US
You can also e-mail questions and photos of the problem area(s) to mgsanluisobispo@ucdavis.edu. Please include e-mail address, first and last name, home address & phone number in all messages. Digital photos can be helpful.
WHERE WE ARE
Templeton: 434-4105 (Volunteers available Wednesday 9 AM to noon)
University of California Cooperative Extension - North County
350 N. Main St., Suite B
Templeton, CA 93465
University of California Cooperative Extension
2156 Sierra Way, Suite C
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401