Plant Clinics

During the spring and summer Master Gardeners set up plant clinics at various locations in Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties. The purpose of the plant clinics is to provide information to the general public and to assist in finding solutions to individual gardening problems. These are put on for the benefit of the public, who are encouraged to bring in specimens of their plant problems, ask questions, or to just stop by to say hello.

More About Plant Clinics

The following is an extract from "Master Gardeners Can Answer Your Gardening Questions", an article by Mary Robson, WSU Area Extension Agent (Ret.).

Master Gardeners are working now at a free garden problem clinic near you. These are knowledgeable folks, who have taken over 60 hours of special training covering many aspects of horticulture. Best of all, they have experience gardening in the same climate you do; they started with the same lousy soil and they battle the same pests. In other words, they've "been there, done that " and are now prepared to help you.

You may be thinking, "If they are Master Gardeners, they probably have immaculately landscaped homes and won't be able to relate to the problems I have in my weed patch." Not so. I have talked to many Master Gardeners over the years, who bemoan a downside to taking the training. As they get trained to be more observant, they start to recognize all the problems in their own gardens. They realize that for years they've been blissfully unaware of the problems in their own backyards. But the fact that their gardens survived, brings up other lessons Master Gardeners are taught.

Not all bugs or apparent symptoms are really problems. Many insects like black ground beetles and syrphid fly maggots are very beneficial. If left alone they will prove excellent allies in your battle with pest species. Other bugs could be considered neutral. They don't do us much good, but they don't do any harm either. At the very least, most insects provide food for the birds that I enjoy in my garden. Some plants just naturally have a furry coating or spots on the leaves or stems. They are perfectly normal and healthy.

Not all problems need treatment. Gardeners should "monitor" or watch the progress of pests, but intervention is seldom necessary. Plants that get a specific disease annually may require a protective fungicide. However, insect pest management is only needed when the plant health is in danger or when food crop loss is at an unacceptable level. (You may also want to intervene on aesthetic grounds, when you just can't stand the looks of that bug-eaten plant any longer.)

Often all that is required is giving the plant some special care. Spittlebugs, so abundant right now, can be knocked off with a cleansing spray of water as you irrigate. Even if you do nothing, they will be gone in a few weeks. You can afford to be patient when you observe that, although disgusting looking, they do little harm to your plants. Other examples are red thread and crane fly damage in lawns. Both can be suppressed by extra fertilizer applications.

Another thing I have learned from talking to Master Gardeners is that they like to keep busy. When they volunteer several hours of their day to staff a plant problem clinic, they want to feel that the time was well spent and that they helped lots of gardeners. They want to teach you, to offer you advice, to help you diagnose plant maladies, so put them to work! Their help is perfectly free and, unlike the employee of your favorite garden center, they have no interest in selling you anything. What have you got to lose?

Preparing Your Specimens For The Plant Clinics

The WSU Spokane County Extension provides the following guidelines on how to prepare samples for identification/diagnosis:

You should bring the freshest samples possible, and store all specimens in your refrigerator until you are ready to bring them to the plant clinic.

Preparing Insect Specimens for Identification.

1. Carefully collect insect specimens and/or plant material associated with insect damage.
2. Bring as much of the affected plant material associated with the insect pest as possible.
3. Place insect in alcohol contained in either small vials or bottles with secured caps. 35mm film canisters leak, so tape lid and place in a plastic bag. If you do not have a supply of regular methyl or ethyl alcohol, rubbing alcohol may be used. This is easily obtained from any drugstore. DO NOT bring plant material in alcohol!!
4. Place large adult moths and butterflies cushioned in a box or jar with cotton to minimize damage.

Preparing Plant Specimens for Disease Diagnosis.

1. Select a plant specimen showing distinct disease symptoms. If it is not practical to bring the entire plant, try to bring several plants or plant parts that show the various stages of the problem: a plant showing the early stages of the disease, a plant that is severely affected, and a healthy plant, if available.
2. Dig up the entire plant where practical, including its root structure. Try not to pull the plant as any diseased roots will be left behind.
3. Tree diseases can best be diagnosed by evaluating the junction of diseased and healthy tissue. Include twigs or limbs just beginning to show symptoms, but still alive. Old, dead limbs are useless.
4. Wrap the roots in a plastic bag separate from the rest of the plant to prevent dirt from contaminating leaves and stems.
5. Place the entire sample in another plastic bag without additional moisture, as it also may cause contamination.

Preparing Turf Samples for Disease Diagnosis.

1. Cut the turf in squares approximately 4 inches across and as deep as the roots will hold soil. Leave the soil intact. DO NOT bring plugs from 1" diameter soil probes. Store samples in a refrigerator until ready to bring into Plant Clinic.
2. Bring three or four specimens each representing a different stage (healthy, slightly affected, and heavily damaged).

Preparing Plant and Weed Identification Requests.

Plants/weeds are identified in many ways. The most useful plant parts are flowers, fruits, leaves, buds, and young stems. Because some ornamental plants have many varieties, it may not be possible to determine the exact variety without the flower.

1. Collect as many plant parts as possible. Flowers, fruits/seeds, leaves, stems, buds and roots may aid in identification.
2. Place the plant specimen in a plastic bag along with a dry paper towel (don't add water) and seal.