What's Wrong With My Garden?

Today Suzanne and I went to visit a couple in Grayson County. They have a very large garden that is having some issues. On any given day in Extension you never know what problems might arise. Clients will call, send emails, or drop by the office and request different types of services. On this day, we were requested to visit their home, look at their garden, assess what was wrong, and then give recommendations on how to fix it.

This couple is trying to grow all of their plants organically, meaning using only chemicals that are organically approved. They are also noticing that their blueberry bushes are not producing any fruit. After arriving at their house, we noticed that the bushes were planted on a hill that does not receive enough sunlight. This is causing the plants to bolt. We found a better sunnier spot for the bushes and this fall they are going to move the plants.

Due to the fact that they are growing organically, they are noticing some fertilization problems. To improve the pH for blueberries we recommended that they add sulfur to the soil. They had questions about their apple and cherry trees. One of their cherry trees has Cherry Leaf Spot.

Cherry leaf spot lesions begin as small, circular, red to purple spots on the upper leaf surface. 

Solving client problems in Extension isn't always easy. Sometimes you will know the answer right off, and other times you won't. I have learned that it is not always that you as the agent know the answers, but more important that you know how to find them. It is then your job to relay that information to the client in a way that they can understand.