Posted: May 5, 2021
Garden Hotline updates during social distancing times and news on current status of Hotline resources.
Master Gardeners Teach!
The Penn State Extension office in Erie County is temporarily closed to the public, so the Garden Hotline which is staffed by Master Gardeners is currently is unable to accept telephone calls or plant samples. If you have a plant question or concern, please send a detailed description via email to eriemg@psu.edu You may attach two or three high quality photos to help the Master Gardeners identify the plant or issue. Master Gardeners will promptly retrieve your email and respond.
Garden Hotline LIVE
Our expert Master Gardeners and Extension Educators from across the state will be answering some of your questions during our new program, "Garden Hotline LIVE". Submit questions for the live show here: https://pennstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6fbKDzHz5bNgknj
For more information about how to watch Garden Hotline LIVE, please visit our statewide Penn State Extension Master Gardener group page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/696217890434068/
Soil Test Kits and Water Test Kits
Ordinarily, soil test kits and water test kits can be purchased at most Penn State Extension county offices. With offices closed, kits can be ordered online directly from the lab. While the lab remains open, it is operating under an emergency contingency plan with limited capacity. Turn-around time for test results may be longer than usual. The lab asks that only high priority samples be submitted at this time. These include drinking water and agricultural samples associated with food/crop production. https://agsci.psu.edu/aasl
Plant Pathology Services
If the Garden Hotline is unable to diagnose your plant disease, the Penn State Plant Disease Clinic remains open and is still accepting samples. However, they will be operating on limited lab hours and are prioritizing samples of life-sustaining crops/plants (e.g. field crops, vegetables, tree fruit, small fruit, etc...).
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, and UPS. See the Clinic website for more specific information on submitting digital and physical samples.
