Success StoryHome Horticulture Services: Call Your County Extension Agent



Home Horticulture Services: Call Your County Extension Agent

Author: Shane Bogle

Planning Unit: Caldwell County CES

Major Program: Horticulture, Consumer and Home

Plan of Work: Production Agriculture

Outcome: Intermediate Outcome

Homeowners have limited access to unbiased information when problems with landscapes, lawns, and gardens arise.  Many turn to the internet or local box store businesses that are inclined to sell unnecessary products along with the “free” advice. Needless and often excess chemicals are applied to perceived issues without thought of environmental or legal concerns.  The Caldwell County Extension Office offers free research-based education, and diagnostic services to help homeowners apply appropriate solutions to real world problems in the garden and landscape.  Often a site visit reveals that many problems require little to no treatment at all.  Homeowner education and proper identification of pests just makes sense.  It saves money, protects the environment, and can mitigate further plant loss.

In the past year Caldwell County Extension provided evidence-based materials, diagnostic services, and soil test recommendations to over 320 homeowners in Caldwell County. This includes 90 home horticulture related site visits, 35 plant/insect diagnostics, 125 phone consultations and 70 soil samples. Educational service work provides a positive impact to the taxpayers of Caldwell County per our mission statement: The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service provides practical education you can trust to help people, businesses, and communities solve problems, develop skills, and build a better future.