2016 Plant and Pest Clinic opens April 4

By David Sprague

OSU Extension master gardener volunteer

The opening day of the 2016 Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic is April 4.

The clinic is a service of the OSU Extension in Mahoning County, located in Canfield.

The clinic is where everyone can get answers to questions they have about their lawns, gardens, trees, shrubs and pest problems at their home.

Some of the services we provide through the clinic include: plant identification, plant disease diagnosis, pest identification and cultural practices recommendations for the home gardener.

All these services are free to Mahoning County residents, thanks to the office’s cooperation with the Mahoning County commissioners.

The clinic is staffed by trained and certified OSU Extension master gardener volunteers, many with backgrounds in science and nature.

We also offer laboratory soil tests. Lawn and garden soil should be tested every two to three years before adding fertilizer or other amendments. The charge to have your soil tested is $20 per sample and includes details such as pH and nutrient levels.

The clinic is open on Mondays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon, with volunteers ready to assist you. If these days and times are not convenient for you, you can visit or call the OSU Extension Office during normal business hours (8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.) with your question, and if possible, a sample of the plant or pest you have questions about.

Use these guidelines when collecting samples:

For plant disease: Provide sample showing both diseased and healthy tissue on the same plant. An ideal sample would be a fresh stem or branch about a foot long, with leaves and any available flowers and fruit still attached. Individual leaves are not a good sample and make diagnosis difficult.

For plant identification: Provide as many parts of the plant as possible, including stems, leaves, flowers and fruit/berries if available. Fresh samples are the best.

For turf: Submit a sample, 4 to 6 inches square, from the edge of the affected area that contains both healthy and unhealthy grass. Include roots and soil to a depth of 2 inches.

For pests: Collect one or more complete insect or pest specimen and place in a sturdy plastic or glass container and seal the container so they cannot escape. For possible bed bug samples, please leave items outside the building for identification.

For soil samples, read complete details at go.osu.edu/soiltesting.

All answers provided are unbiased results of university tests and evaluations. As part of the Ohio State University Extension system, the clinic has full access to OSU’s resources to find answers to your questions. The Clinic will be open this year until Oct. 31. It is located in the Mahoning County Extension Office at 490 South Broad Street in Canfield; 330-533-5538.