Have a gardening question?
The Hamilton County Extension Agent and Master Gardeners will provide you with the latest university research-based information. What you won’t get is untested, unproven or potentially dangerous solutions. We can help with plant and insect ID, disease diagnosis, plant selection and general gardening questions. While we will do our best to answer your questions remotely, we may ask you to bring a sample to the extension office for further research.
To reach us:
- Send an email to mghchotline@gmail.com
- Call (423) 209-8560 and leave your name, phone number, the best time to reach you, and your gardening question
If you need help diagnosing a problem, please include details such as:
- Damage you see and when it started
- Which parts of the plant are affected, for example, flower, leaf, stem, fruit, etc.
- How the plant is watered and how much, for example, hand watered 3 times a week for 10 minutes
- Where the plant is located, for example, in a garden bed or in the lawn, next to a driveway or house, in full or part sun, facing what direction.
- For emails, please provide photos of the plant or section or your yard with which you have a question or concern. Photos of the area, the entire plant and closeups of the damaged areas are helpful.
Recent Questions
- Are Your Spring Bulbs Coming Up Early?
The unseasonably warm start to winter this year resulted in the early emergence of many spring bulbs. The Hotline received a question asking if the freezing temperatures we’ve had recently will cause them not to bloom or damage the bulbs.… - Just say no to fall pruning!
While fall is a great time to get your pruning tools cleaned and sharpened, it’s not a good time to use them. Trees and shrubs pruned in the fall or early winter will not have time to heal before going… - When’s the First Frost?
As the growing season comes to an end in our area, the MGHC Hotline is receiving questions about when to expect frost in our area. Not an easy question to answer with a definite date! The 90% frost date is… - Help Stop the Jumping Worm Invasion
The hotline has been getting questions about jumping worms (Amynthas spp.) The worms are an invasive species native to East-central Asia. The invasion that started in the upper mid-west has made it’s way to Tennessee and beyond. Gardeners should know how to… - Is This a Murder Hornet?
Now that “murder hornets” are in the news again the MGHC Hotline has been getting questions about possible sightings. As of now the Asian Giant Hornets has not been found outside of Washington state. The photos we are getting are…