Have you ever wondered where to go for advice about landscaping or vegetable gardening? Does a pest problem have you stumped? Do you need guidance on how and when to prune your favorite specimen plant or fruit tree? Master Gardeners 
The Master Gardener Program is administered by the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE), and is part of the University of California, Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR). Our mission is “to extend research-based knowledge and information on home horticulture, pest management, and sustainable landscape practices to the residents of California…”
Master Gardeners go through an extensive training program and background screening, and once certified, they must also complete annual requirements for volunteer hours and continuing education. In other words, when you enlist the help of a Master Gardener, rest assured that you're receiving top-notch assistance.
One of the primary ways San Joaquin Master Gardeners help county residents is through our Help Desk, which is open from 9:00 a.m. to noon from Monday through Thursday. For general gardening questions, you may contact the help line at (209) 953-6112. If you need help with identification of a pest or weed, or diagnosis of a plant disease or problem, it's best to contact our volunteers by email (anrmgsanjoaquin@ucanr.edu), or to visit our office in person at the Robert J. Cabral Agricultural Center, 2101 E. Earhart Blvd., Suite 200 (off Arch-Airport Road in Stockton). When using email, it's helpful to send a few clear photos along with a description. If coming to our office in person, please bring an intact insect or a large plant sample in a tightly sealed clear plastic bag or jar, to prevent potential spread of a harmful condition or invasive pest.
Our “UCCE Master Gardeners of San Joaquin County” website is another key part of our outreach, with countless articles, helpful links, and other garden-related information appropriate for our area. The information available is far too extensive to list here, so set aside some time to visit our site and explore its many resources.
Your local Master Gardener volunteers also participate in many local community education projects. These currently include:
- The Learning Landscape, our volunteer-maintained demonstration garden at the Robert J. Cabral Agricultural Center (address above). This garden is open to the public year-round, and its six miniature landscapes—All-Stars, California Native, Edible, Foliage, Mediterranean, and Pollinator—are designed to inspire and educate visitors. Plant specimens are labeled with both scientific and common names; informative signage explains the garden's sustainable design elements and irrigation system. Visit the landscape on your own, or look for notice of our biannual public event: Open Garden Day, held in both the spring and fall.
A San Joaquin Master Gardener working in the Learning Landscape - Garden Notes, our quarterly newsletter. Both current and prior issues are available online; visit our website and click on the newsletter link on the home page.
- The “What's Growing On” blog—of which this article is a part—which is a series of weekly articles on a wide variety of garden-related topics. The full series of articles is available at http://blogs.esanjoaquin.com/gardening/.
- Monthly workshops in Stockton and Manteca. Check our online “Calendar of Events” for locations, dates, and times.
- The annual Smart Gardening Conference, which is next scheduled for March 3, 2018. Specific details and registration information will soon be posted on our website.
- The School and Community Gardens Committee, with expert consultants that can help your organization establish and properly maintain an edible or ornamental garden. We currently work with the Boggs Tract Community Farm, the Stockton Emergency Food Bank garden, the garden at the LOEL Senior Center in Lodi, the Black Urban Farmers Association, and many other school and community sites throughout the county.
- Community outreach. San Joaquin Master Gardeners volunteer their time and talents at various special events throughout the County: farmers' markets in Stockton and Tracy; AgVenture programs in Lodi, Manteca, and Stockton; Arbor Day events throughout the county; Stockton's Earth Day Celebration at Victory Park; the Sandhill Crane Festival in Lodi; and many more.
The statewide Master Gardener program also has a tremendous selection of online resources and other valuable information for the general public. Visit their website (http://mg.ucanr.edu) and click on the “Gardening Resources” icon to access a page with links to:
- The California Garden Web, a portal to UC's collection of garden-related research.
- The California Backyard Orchard, with guidance on growing fruit and nut trees at home.
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM), on how to cope with garden problems while minimizing impacts to the human and natural environs.
- ANR Publications, with a wealth of UC-published books and pamphlets.
Master Gardener volunteers throughout California have donated nearly five and a half million hours of their time—and San Joaquin Master Gardeners have donated almost 49,000 hours in the last ten years— to help people like you with garden-related questions and issues. We're always glad for opportunities to serve you, because gardening is our passion!
If you have any questions about the San Joaquin Master Gardener programs mentioned above, need help with gardening-related questions, or would like to become a Master Gardener yourself, please call our office at 209-953-6100, send us an email at anrmgsanjoaquin@ucanr.edu, or visit our website.