Meet the Dirty Thirty

You may have wondered, "Just who are these Master Gardeners anyway? And what exactly do they do?"

The Master Gardeners are a volunteer group who provide research-based information from the University of California to the home gardener. We each have received at least 50 hours of training, and each of us must contribute volunteer hours and accumulate continuing education hours annually to stay certified. We reach out to the home gardener through our booths at farmers markets, our television show, Web site, workshops and other activities. One of our most important programs, however, is staffing a help desk.

Some volunteers attend special training sessions specifically geared toward working at the help desk. This core group of active help desk volunteers calls itself the Dirty Thirty. The group meets monthly for hands-on training in topics like weed identification, plant pathology, tree pruning and common problems of the season. I am a member of the Dirty Thirty because it's such a great learning experience. Every time I attend the training sessions or work the help desk, I see a plant problem I've never seen before. Our clients bring in such interesting garden problems for us to diagnose.

Napa County Master Gardeners have many good resources for assisting the public with gardening problems. Our library includes books on plant diseases, plant identification, and the cultural requirements of various plants. We have many free handouts on plants and plant pests. We may not know the answer to your problem immediately, but we can research it and, if necessary, forward your question or sick plant to an expert for diagnosis.

Are we always standing by to take your call? Well, not really. But you will find a Master Gardener at the help desk on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon, and you can leave a message for us at all other times.

You can walk in, phone us or e-mail us (information below). But if you have a sick plant, it's always best to come in with a sample. Bring a largish sample -- a small branch, not just a leaf -- of what you need diagnosed. Be sure to seal it in a plastic bag to avoid spreading any pests or diseases. If it's not convenient for you to bring it in during help desk hours, bring your specimen to the office anytime Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., and leave it at the front desk. We will get back to you.

If you e-mail, be sure to tell us what type of plant it is, how old it is, how much sun and water it gets, if the problem just started or has been going on for some time, and whether you use any chemicals (including fertilizer) on the plant.

We also have some excellent books for sale in the office. The "Napa County Master Gardener Month-To-Month Calendar" ($10) lists garden tasks for each month. It includes a diary for your records and a planting chart that shows what month to plant vegetable seeds in the garden or greenhouse. "Trees of Napa Valley" ($10) is an illustrated book written by retired professional arborist and Napa County Master Gardener John Hoffman. It makes a lovely host or hostess gift for those who live in the valley and a valuable reference work, especially if you are considering planting a certain species of tree. The book tells you where in Napa County you can view mature specimens of each tree, much easier than trying to picture what that young tree in a pot at the nursery will look like in your yard in 20 years.

Next month, Napa County Master Gardeners will conduct two free Saturday workshops on beginning gardeningon March 10 in Napa and again on March 17 in St Helena. Call the Napa County Master Gardener office to reserve a space.

The Master Gardeners also hope you'll set aside June 3, for "Down the Garden Path," the Napa County Master Gardeners' spring garden tour. This year the tour features noteworthy Upvalley gardens, all of them owned by Master Gardeners. Docents will be on hand to guide your visit and share gardening tips, and plants will be available for purchase.

Contact Master Gardeners at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Ave., Suite 4, Napa, 253-4221, or toll-free at 877-279-3065. E-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on their Web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions?