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Master Gardener Class
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Date Posted: Sat, Feb 24 - 12:31 pm
- Hi, when is the next master gardener class registration? I’m a Richmond resident and would love to become a master gardener.
- Hello! We would love to have you join our group! Unfortunately the city has been without an extension agent for the last several years and this makes it so we are unable to offer the class. The extension agent serves as the class facilitator and organizer. We have had some conversations with various levels of state organization about being able to partner with another locality that offers virtual classes, but have not made any finalized plans with that avenue yet. In the mean time, there is the option of connecting with one of our neighboring counties (Chesterfield, Hanover or Henrico) to complete the classwork and then transferring your membership to the City of Richmond afterwards. I wish this was an easier process, we would love to add more master gardeners to our group!
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Adult Gardening Classes
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Date Posted: Mon, Feb 19 - 11:36 pm
- Do you have adult classes on any subjects about gardening. We are just retired but have been doing a little gardening both flowers and vegetables. Thanks Millie and Boris
- Hello Millie and Boris! Happy Retirement! What a great time to learn more about gardening. Unfortunately the Richmond Master Gardeners are not currently offering any classes but there are other options in the area. Chesterfield Master Gardeners offers classes and opportunities in their demonstration garden: https://www.chesterfield.gov/447/Events-Programs-and-Workshops And the Goochland Master Gardeners have their Annual Spring Garden Fest coming up on Saturday April 27th that will include multiple class/workshop options. You can find more info and sign up for that here: https://www.gpmga.org/sgf In addition, many of our local nurseries (Cross Creek, Strange's, Great Big Greenhouse, Sneeds, etc) are offering many different class options now through April/May. Happy Gardening!
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Building Healthy Soil
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Date Posted: Fri, Feb 16 - 12:58 pm
- Hi, I seem to have very low yield and success with my gardens that we planted the past few years. I was wondering if it might have to do with soil quality etc. Is there anyone I can turn to for a consultation? Free or paid? I'd love to just get some expert opinions on the best way to improve my yield and overall success.
- This is frustrating for a gardener for sure! Now is a great time of year to do a soil test to see how your soil needs to be amended before planting season. We are in the process of getting more soil test kits from the extension office and will have them out in the libraries again soon. Once these are back, I'd recommending picking one up to test the soil in your garden. The information you will get from this will guide you on what your soil is lacking so that you can focus on adding that back in. The plants will take nutrients from the soil each year and it is important that we are building the soil back up. Chesterfield County Master Gardeners has an upcoming workshop on March 9th about feeding the soil: https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/chesterfieldparksrec/activity/search/detail/20270?onlineSiteId=7&locale=en-US This is a great opportunity to get information that will set you up for success and will also allow you the chance to ask questions that are pertinent to your garden. We also have many wonderful garden shops (Cross Creek, Sneeds, Stranges, Colesville, Great Big Green House) in the area with very knowledgable people on their teams. They are always willing to help guide you in store and some offer services to come out and consult on your property. Happy gardening! Hoping this year will be an abundant year for you!
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Interviewing a Master Gardener
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Date Posted: Wed, Jan 31 - 3:09 am
- Hello! My name is David Lefkowitz, I'm a reporter with RICtoday. I'd like to conduct an interview with a Master Gardener in Richmond on planting in the region, to run at some point in late February. Would somebody be available for such an interview in the next couple of weeks? Thanks!
- Hi David! Thank you for your inquiry. I will e-mail you directly to pass along contact information for one of our Master Gardeners.
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Master gardener classes and certification
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Date Posted: Wed, Dec 13 - 1:28 am
- Does Richmond offer Master Gardener classes and certification?
- Thank you for your interest in becoming a Master Gardener. I wish we were able to bring you on through the City of Richmond, but unfortunately the city does not have an extension agent in place and we are not sure when or if the position will be filled in the future. Without an extension agent in place, the current Richmond Master Gardeners are all volunteer lead, but unable to offer the training course. We are hoping to be able to offer the classes in an online version in connection with other counties in the future, but do not have any solid plans for that currently. You can reach out to the other counties to see when they will be offering classes if you would be interested in going through them to complete the program. Once a master gardener has completed the training process, you are able to transfer to a different locality if you wish.
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Composting - continued!
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Date Posted: Sun, Nov 12 - 5:36 pm
- I am very appreciative of the options you recommended for me to compost. I think I was not very clear in my question. I already know where to bring food scraps, and I already do bring food scraps for composting. My dilemma is where to bring dead plants. I have a tiny yard, and, therefore no space for a compost bin. Now that summer potted plants are dead, I need to know where to bring the large dead plants. Thanks
- I'm sorry my first answer did not give you the information you were looking for. I've reached out to a few others in our Master Gardener group but none of us have used a composting service specifically for large plants. I believe some of the suggestions I gave you may be able to take them, but the next steps would be to reach out them to ask. I did try to reach out to Richmond Grows Gardens, but have not yet heard back from them. I have previously spoken with some of the ladies that work at the Bird House Farmers Market and she shared that the compost company that picks up their bins can compost anything and everything organic. At the time, I didnt ask specifically about large plants, but here is the email address for the company if you would like to reach out and ask: info@nopeva.com I admire your determination for finding a good place to take these plants! I currently have a small pile in my back yard where they are breaking down, but it would be great to have other options available. Hope this information helps you get to what you are looking for!
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Class Registration- indefinitely unavailable
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Date Posted: Sun, Aug 27 - 12:23 pm
- When does class registration start and how do I sign up?
- Hello! We would love to be able to welcome new master gardeners to the Richmond team. Unfortunately, the city of Richmond has not had an extension agent in place for the past few years and we do not know if any expected time the position will be filled again. Without an agent in place, the city is unable to offer the master gardener classes. You could consider reaching out to any of our neighboring counties (Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico) to see if you can get connected with them.
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Volunteering
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Date Posted: Tue, Aug 22 - 1:12 am
- I’d love to help volunteer. What is your schedule?
- We love volunteers! And would love to help you get plugged in. Unfortunately, the City of Richmond does not currently have an extension agent in place which means we are unable to offer programming to bring on new Master Gardeners to our team. If you are interested in becoming a Master Gardener, you could consider reaching out to some of the surrounding counties to ask about their programs and see if and when they are starting new classes. If you are interested in garden volunteer work in and around the city, there are numerous opportunities available without being a master gardener. To name just a few, you could consider reaching out to Maymont, Lewis Ginter, or Shalom Farms. If you have a connection to any of the public schools, many of them have garden programs going as well and may be able to use more volunteer support. Good luck, I hope you find a great place to plug in and serve!
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Stunted vegetable garden
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Date Posted: Sat, Aug 12 - 6:55 pm
- My vegetable garden has been stunted in its growth this summer and I’ve been trying to figure out what I can do differently. I think we may have some Red Thread in the yard.
- I think many local vegetable gardens have experienced some stunting this year. The prolonged cooler weather we had at the beginning of the summer seemed to have a big impact on plants that were put in the ground in late April and May. In addition, we have had several periods with very little rain to help keep gardens watered which has also been having an impact. Before planting next year, its a good idea to do a soil test to see where your soil could use some support. Soil tests are available through the master gardeners at your local library. You can use these results to ensure you are planting in a robust healthy soil that is ready to provide a good home to your plants. Also, if you aren't already doing this, I would suggest fertilizing your garden with an organic fertilizer. Organic fertilizers slowly release nutrients giving a steady supply of food to your plants without disrupting the work of earthworms and other beneficial organisms. Follow the recommendations on the label for frequency of fertilizing. I'm not aware of nor have I been able to find any literature on red thread having an impact on anything other than turf grass. I'm not sure if you mentioned that in correlation with your concerns about your vegetable garden or as a separate concern. However, if you were looking for recommendations to deal with the red thread as well, fungicides are not usually advised for red thread control on residential turf for various reasons. The disease is largely cosmetic. Unless environmental conditions that promote disease development persist for extended periods, the turf will recover — usually with no lasting effects of infection. Good luck and happy gardening!
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Invasive plant removal / Joining Master Gardeners
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Date Posted: Fri, Aug 11 - 10:16 am
- Any good contractors in the area to help with invasive removal by a utility line. Have privet in my backyard it’s growing into power lines. Oh also I would love to be part of the master gardener program but got no response when contacting vatech contact. Let me know what’s required to join the local chapter
- I don't have personal experience with any contractors for removing invasive species, but have always heard really good things about Davey: https://www.davey.com/environmental-consulting-services/invasive-species-management-control/ Also, we would love to have new members join the Richmond Master Gardeners! But unfortunately, the city does not currently have an extension agent and hasn't for a few years now. This means there is no one in place to run the Master Gardener training program so we are unable to take on new members at this time. I believe that Henrico, Chesterfield, and Hanover are still able to offer the new member program, so I would suggest reaching out to them if you are interested.