Consumer Services

Consumer Horticulture

Services and programs are provided throughout the year to consumers in Cuyahoga county.

Programs:

Fall Seminar - An annual one-day seminar on horticultural topics of interest to gardeners, homeowners and Master Gardeners.  For more information click.

Master Gardener Training is taught in Cuyahoga county each winter. This intense ten week course in horticulture is geared to train gardeners in many areas of horticulture for their own self development and for volunteer service with the Extension office. Botany, propagation, woody and herbaceous ornamentals, turf and fruit are just a few of the topics covered in depth during the 60 hours of training.

Thursdays in the Garden programs are offered by the Master Gardeners throughout the growing season at 10:30 in the demonstration gardens behind Ben Franklin school, 1905 Spring Rd. These programs are free and open to the public. Park in front of the school and walk back to the garden area.  Also, you may want to bring a folding chair. A program flyer will soon be available.

All persons attending any of the Thursday OSU Extension Demonstrations at Ben Franklin are more than welcome to visit and ask questions of the Master Gardeners at any of the other demonstration gardens (Herb, Perennial and Vegetable).

See "Thursdays in the Garden" and "In the Gardens This Year - Demonstrations" for the Ben Franklin School and Demonstration Gardens, click here for more details and schedules.

The Gardening Checklist provides a "to do" list for your garden through the year.

Home & Garden Teletips
This telephone-accessed recorded information can be reached by calling 216-429-3148. Topics change monthly.

Teletips are also available Online through the following links:

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Partial Index-not yet complete

A Home Gardener's Calendar for Cuyahoga County, published by the Master Gardeners and written by Jack Kerrigan, is a month by month planner for gardeners. Each month lists tasks to be accomplished in your indoor or outdoor gardens. This book is available from the Cuyahoga Extension Office for $5 plus tax and postage and makes a great garden journal, planner, or gift for the serious gardener.

Other programs may be added as the need arises.

Diagnostic Services:

Horticultural Diagnostics Email
You can email a Master Gardener Diagnostician through
Email to Master Gardener Diagnosticians
In addition, you may answer your own questions 24/7 by accessing reports and other documents from universities across the country.  Search by plant, disease, insect or other relevant terms.  Fact Sheets and other documents are available from The Ohio State University's Ohioline or from the Plant Facts nationwide database.  Use the "Search" window to look up your search terms.

Horticultural Diagnostics Telephone Hotline
The Hotline is staffed by Master Gardener volunteers to answer call in questions. The hotline is available by calling 216-429-8200 during the following hours:
        Monday, 10:00 - 1:00
        Thursday, 10:00 - 1:00

Diagnostic Clinic
Cuyahoga county extension operates an in-house diagnostic clinic. This clinic utilizes visual diagnostics only. There is a $5 fee per sample. Forms can be requested from our office. The quality of the diagnosis depends upon the quality of the sample. Please provide a generous sample which includes both infected and non infected tissues. A report will be sent via eMail or ground mail.

Access to a complete diagnostic lab is available from C. Wayne Ellet Plant Pest Diagnostic Clinic. Fees vary by type of sample and tests requested.

Soil Testing
Forms and information on submitting soil tests are available through our office or you can download the form from the
UMass Soil Testing Lab.

Factsheets
These are one to three pages of information on a single gardening topic. Factsheets are available online or through our office. There is a limit of three factsheets for in office requests.