BURLINGTON — If you’ve got a gardening question, you can call the University of Vermont Extension Master Gardener Helpline to get an answer. 

Gardeners who have questions about fruit and vegetable gardening, ornamental plantings, insect and disease identification, lawn care and backyard composting are invited to contact the helpline, which is staffed by Extension Master Gardener volunteers. 

To speak with a volunteer by phone, call the helpline at 802-656-5421 on Thursdays between 9 a.m. and noon. The helpline phones are staffed during the gardening season until Oct. 26.

For a faster response, questions also may be submitted online anytime throughout the year at go.uvm.edu/gardenquestion. You may include up to three clear photos, which will be helpful in diagnosing the issue. 

Soil tests for home gardens are available through the UVM Agricultural and Environmental Testing Lab. For information, visit go.uvm.edu/soiltest. If you have follow-up questions about soil recommendations, please upload a copy of your soil test report with the helpline online form.

Commercial growers of vegetables, berries, tree fruit and related crops should contact the UVM Extension Commercial Horticulture Team at go.uvm.edu/hort for information and assistance.

Extension Master Gardener volunteers receive 16 weeks of science-based horticulture training plus complete a 40-hour internship to become certified. Last year, volunteers responded to more than 1,000 gardening questions from Vermonters.

The helpline is a free public service offered by UVM Extension’s Community Horticulture Program and supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Protection and Pest Management Program.