Virginia Cooperative Extension, Fairlington Community Center:
3308 S. Stafford St., Arlington. Phone 703-228-6414.
Knowledgeable staff can offer advice on local conditions, pest management, and plant and insect identification. Specific brochures and flyers, as well as soil test kits, are available at no cost to the public. VCE runs the Master Gardener program as well as the Extension Master Gardener Help Desk.
Extension Master Gardener Help Desk:
3308 S. Stafford St., Arlington. Monday-Friday, 9 AM-noon. Phone: 703-228-6414.
This is a year-round call or walk-in plant clinic. Call with questions or bring in gardening samples for help in identifying or diagnosing problems, etc. You can also email questions to mgarlalex@gmail.com. Photos of problem are helpful.
Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia:
See our website for gardening tips, activities, special events, information about our demonstration gardens, workshops, classes, and more!
Virginia Cooperative Extension Publications (VCE):
This site gives you direct access to all the publications and other resources of Virginia Tech and Virginia State University. Also, for a broader internet search, enter a topic in your search engine, then add ‘site:edu’ to it. It will yield results from universities, extension offices, etc. that are highly reputable sources. For example: deer resistant plants site:edu.
VCE provides Extension Master Gardener training each fall, from September through November. The course comprises over 60 hours of classroom training plus 60 hours of hands-on internship. Contact VCE at 703-228-6414. Extension Master Gardeners volunteers help educate the public in sustainable landscape practices. They volunteer at plant clinics, the Extension Master Gardener Help Desk,and at the demonstration gardens, and they assist people in diagnosing and recommending treatments for plant-related problems. They also offer public education programs at libraries and community centers in Arlington and Alexandria as well as speakers for private groups such as clubs and civic associations.
The Virginia Cooperative Extension office, and the Master Gardener plant clinics, have soil kits, information and mailing instructions for sending soil samples to Virginia Tech for analysis.
A Soil Sample Information Sheet for Home Lawns, Gardens, Fruits, and Ornamentals must accompany every soil sample sent in, along with appropriate fees based on what testing is requested.