Free Gardening Resource in Northern Virginia: Plant Clinics

One of the great, free resources available to gardeners in Northern Virginia are the plant clinics sponsored by the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE). If you have a gardening problem or question, you can visit the plant clinics at select farmers markets, public libraries, and special events to get answers to your questions and solutions to your dilemmas.  All are staffed by volunteer Master Gardeners who have received training from the VCE to answer general gardening questions; questions about pests, diseases, or weeds; and identify plants.

Fairfax County Master Gardeners providing free advice at the American Horticultural Society’s Plant Sale

In addition to the free plant clinics, there are two other places to go for your gardening challenges if you live in Fairfax or Arlington County or the City of Alexandria. There is an Arlington VCE office at the Fairlington Community Center, 3308 S. Stafford Street, and a Fairfax VCE office at the Fairfax County Government Center, 12011 Government Center Parkway, Suite 1050 of the Pennino Building. Call the Fairlington help desk at (703) 228-6414, between 9 a.m. and noon, Monday through Friday, year round, or visit in person, or e-mail mgarlalex@gmail.com. Or call the Fairfax help desk at (703) 324-8556, between 9:30 am and 12:30 pm, Monday through Friday, April through October, or visit in person, or e-mail at mgfairfax@vt.edu (hours are Tuesday and Thursday 9:30 am to 12:30 pm November through March). Other Virginia counties have similar resources, this link provides the contact information for each county’s VCE office http://www.ext.vt.edu/offices/index.html.

Additional resources, including recommended books, are on the “Plant Problems” page on my website at http://www.pegplant.com.

2016 Schedule of VCE Plant Clinics