Garden Hotline

We're here to help! The Garden Hotline is a free service offered by the Master Gardeners to provide you individualized solutions to your plant or garden problems.

Master Gardeners use a variety of sources to answer a client's question. Photo by Audree Khalishah.

NOTE: OFFICE IS CLOSED FROM DECEMBER 24, 2024 THROUGH JANUARY 2, 2025. PLEASE EXPECT A DELAY IN OUR RESPONSE.

You may reach us via phone at 717-921-8803 or send a detailed description via email to dauphinmg@psu.edu. If you would like to bring in a plant or insect sample, or want to speak to someone in person, please call ahead. For email inquiries, please attach two or three high quality photos to help the Master Gardeners identify the issue. Please be sure to include the "transition zone," showing both healthy and unhealthy parts of the plant. For bringing in a sample, we recommend reviewing the "What Makes a Good Plant or Insect Sample?" article ahead of time.

You can help us with the diagnosis by carefully examining your plant and the surrounding area.

What is the name of your plant?
How long has this plant been on your property?
What part of the plant is affected? The stem? Leaf underside or top? Close-up, high-quality photos of the problem area will help our diagnosis.
What is the condition of your soil?
How many hours of light does the area receive?
How is drainage in the area? Does the area flood?
What physical stressors--animal waste, road salts, over-fertilization, planting depth, construction or machine damage--do you notice?

Soil Test Kits and Water Test Kits

Soil test kits and water test kits can be purchased at the Penn State Extension county office. Kits can also be ordered online directly from the lab.

Plant Pathology Services

If the Garden Hotline is unable to diagnose your plant disease, the Penn State Plant Disease Clinic remains open and is accepting samples.

The Clinic is accepting digital sample submission and encourage submission of photos before mailing samples. Digital samples can be sent to their new email address PlantClinic@psu.edu. If necessary, physical samples can be mailed to the clinic via US Mail, FedEx, or UPS. See the Clinic website for more specific information on submitting digital and physical sample.