October 7, 2019 - By Diane Timmins and Jeanne Ann Pine, UC Master Gardeners - Have you wondered what the huge green thing is eating your tomato plants? Why are the trees in your neighborhood dying? What is that wildflower you photographed on your hike this morning? How and when do you prune your peach tree? What kinds of plants grow well in this area and require little water?  Ask a Master Gardener!  These and many others are the types of questions that the UC Master Gardeners of Mariposa County Helpline receive and answer.  Our volunteers search our library, research-based websites and even contact local and university experts to try to find an answer for you.  And it’s free!

UC Master Gardener volunteers go through a five-month training program and participate in activities and training to support home gardeners and the community of Mariposa County.  We are an extension of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Division of University of California at Davis. The purpose of the UC Master Gardener program is to extend research-based information verified by UC experts about home horticulture and pest management.  Our volunteers are trained in basic botany, disease and insect management, weed science, plant propagation, irrigation, soil science, home vegetable gardening, fruit trees, landscape trees, and local issues such as fire preparation and oak and pine tree problems.

Gardening in the foothills can be an experiment in patience at times, especially if you have relocated from Southern California or the Bay Area.  Whether it’s what to do about late frosts, blistering summer temperatures that seem to suddenly merge into cold fall days, varied soil conditions, landscaping for fire, or an unusually bad year with the ground squirrels, give us a call. Our UC Master Gardener volunteers are local residents in the community, dealing with the same issues you are.  They are trained to apply UC-based research with local gardening and landscaping conditions.
The Helpline is one of our most popular services and we welcome you to contact us with your questions.  If it is outside our area of expertise, we will suggest referrals. If you would like to drop off a sample or visit us in person, come by the Ag Building at the Mariposa Fairgrounds (5009 Fairgrounds Road, Mariposa). Helpline volunteers are available from 2:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M. on Thursdays all year as well as Tuesdays from 9:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. during the spring and summer (March to September).  However, you can drop off samples Monday through Friday from 8:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. and 2:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.  You can also email us at mgmariposa@ucdavis.edu or call us at (209) 966-7078.  We have also recently initiated an Helpline e-clinic as well on our website at cemariposa.ucanr.edu/Master_Gardener. You can post pictures and ask questions to our dedicated Helpline volunteers.

If you are interested in becoming a UC Master Gardener volunteer, please contact Sheri Mace at (209) 966-2417.  Our next training class will begin in January 2020. Applications are being accepted through Friday, October 25, 2019. You can pick up an application at our office or download one off our website.