Gardening through the seasons has become a popular series of classes the Mercer County Horticulture agent started offering in 2017. The classes cover a variety of topics from early season spring crops to what can be grown in the late fall. Each class goes through production requirements, insect/disease issues, harvesting and variety recommendations. At the end of the class participants go home with either seeds or transplants.

In the spring of 2019 an apple care class was offered as a part of this series. 25 participants attend the class on apple care. The horticulture agent covered planting, pollination requirements, insect, disease, and pruning. A large portion of the class was dedicated to pest management with an emphasis on alternative methods to pesticides like using integrated pest management (IPM). Everyone in the classed received spray guides on traditional, low sprays, and low spray organic options. At the end of the class all participants had a chance to win one of five apple trees that were to be given away. Those who did not win the drawing received apple bags to use to cover fruit and everyone received plate it up KY proud recipes on apples.

Once the class was completed 15 participants said they would still like to grow apples with the knowledge they had gained, 6 participants shared they had been spraying the wrong types of pesticides to treat for insects and disease, but now know the correct pesticides to purchase and 4 shared they will not grow apples after finding out how much work goes into them.

Even with participants leaving the class deciding they would not want to grow apples, will end up saving themselves time and money in the long run.