SIDNEY — Shelby County Master Gardeners will be staffing a horticultural “hotline” at the Shelby County Extension Office throughout the growing season beginning May 2. Volunteers will be available from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. every Monday and Thursday from May through September to help with gardening concerns.

If a person has a gardening question or need a plant or insect identified, call the Extension Office at 937-498-7239 or stop by the office at 810 Fair Road. Specimens may be dropped off any time during regular office hours, and a master gardener volunteer will contact them as soon as possible. Pictures and questions may also be emailed to [email protected].

In some cases, samples may need to be sent to the C. Wayne Ellett Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic in Columbus, and they can help a person collect and prepare those specimens for submission. The extension office does not do soil testing; however, the office does sell testing kits from Penn State University.

Shelby County Master Gardeners is a volunteer group of area residents trained and supervised by Ohio State University Extension. The group’s goal is to assist local residents obtain timely, research-based horticultural information. While some extension publications are for sale, most information and services are provided free of charge.

The community is invited to visit the “memorial garden” located at the Agriculture Service Center on Fair Road.