Are you ready to get outside and start gardening at the first sign of spring, but not sure where to start? Whether you’re an experienced gardener or an enthusiastic newbie, bring your questions to The Times’ Home and Garden Show on March 24, where the Master Gardeners of Penn State Extension will be on hand to help throughout the day at their booth.
In addition, Master Gardener Frank Saus will give two presentations at the show. Each will be 30-35 minutes, with an additional 10-15 minutes of question and answer time.
Saus holds a PhD in cell and molecular biology with an emphasis in plant physiology from West Virginia University. He became a West Virginia Master Gardener in 1999, serving as education coordinator, organizing workshops, and teaching botany and plant propagation. After retirement from WVU, he moved to Moon Township and is currently a Pennsylvania Master Gardener.
His first presentation, at 9:30 a.m. is called “Picking Plants and Strange Terminology.”
“I’ll highlight how to select landscape and/or vegetable plants,” Saus said. “That is, how to identify healthy plants and spot possible growth problems.” If you choose better plants in the first place, he adds, you’re more likely to get a productive yield, whether you’re growing vegetables or flowers.
The talk will include tips on how to look at color and structure in plants, and how to check for insects and root development. Saus will also talk about decoding some of the complicated scientific wording on seed packets.
His second presentation focuses on familiar garden pests. “Identifying Mole and Vole Activity” is at 11:30 a.m.
“I have been at the Master Gardener booth at the Home and Garden Show for several years, and this is a major non-plant question that comes up continuously,” Saus said.
The presentation will highlight how to identify mole and vole activity in the yard and garden in various seasons. “I’ll provide some general information on the lifestyles and food they are seeking, which draws them to the yard,” Saus said. He will offer up some effective methods of control – as well as explain which home remedies do not work, such as razor blades, crushed glass and thorny rose bushes.
Master Gardeners are volunteers trained by the Penn State Cooperative Extension. Once they complete their training, Master Gardeners help the Extension better serve the home gardening public by answering questions, speaking to groups, working with 4-H horticultural projects, participating in civic beautification, maintaining demonstration gardens and teaching plant sciences and horticulture.
Master Gardeners help individuals and groups in gardening topics such as plant selection, composting, soil improvement, pest control, vegetable and flower gardening, pruning and more.