The Garden Hotline is a free service offered through the Penn State Extension office to help Warren County residents with gardening questions and concerns.
Penn State Extension Master Gardeners are trained to answer residents' questions about gardening topics such as soil testing, growing vegetables, plant selection, pruning fruit trees, common plant diseases, insect identification, lawn care, and more.
If you have a plant question or concern, please email a detailed description to warrenmg@psu.edu. For best results, please include two or three high quality photos.
Soil Tests
Penn State Extension's Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory provides a wide range of testing programs for soils, water, plants, bio-solids, and other agricultural materials.
A soil test can help you optimize your soil for healthy plant growth. We offer several soil test options to help keep your garden, lawn, field, or orchard performing at its best. Soil test forms can be picked up in our office or downloaded and printed from the comfort of your home or office. Choose one or more of the following links for details:
General information (Don't Guess, Soil Test)
Soil test forms can be picked up in our office during our normal business hours, 9am-4pm, Monday through Friday. We are closed on Federal holidays. For best service and additional information, please call the office prior to stopping by.
Water Tests
Penn State Extension's Agricultural Analytical Services Lab also offers tests for Drinking Water, Livestock Drinking Water, Irrigation Water for Nurseries and Greenhouses, Irrigation Water for Turfgrasses, and Ponds and Lake Water. Stop by our office to pick up a free water testing kit, complete with instructions, fee schedule, and large sampling container. For additional information, visit their Water Testing website.
Still have questions? Please feel free to reach out to us at 814-563-9388 or warrenmg@psu.edu.
Plant Pathology Services
Occasionally, diagnosing plant disease requires clinical assistance beyond the local resources available to our Master Gardeners. That's where the Penn State Plant Disease Clinic can help.
For fast and convenient evaluation, we recommend first sending digital photos to PlantClinic@psu.edu. If a more thorough examination is needed, you can also mail physical samples via USPS, FedEx, or UPS. For specific details on submitting physical plant samples, please visit our clinic website.
