In Milford, Master Gardeners answer your questions

MILFORD — As any gardener, amateur or professional knows, gardening can be tough in an area with abundant wildlife – but many in the area may not know help is available both in person and via phone manned by master gardeners. Penn State Cooperative Extension, located on Broad Street, is open to walk-ins on Tuesday mornings at 10, or you can call in with questions.
“We have a thick file of people who have called,” explained Laura Orben, who works the phones at call time. People can either call or drop samples with their problematic plants at the Extension office, for a phone call from a master gardener later.
A previously left sample of a basil plant full of yellow leaves and brown spots that had stopped growing received a full explanation from Master Gardener Kathy Donoghue in a phone call.
“It’s septoria, a blight,” she explained, adding what the cause was and how to deal with it.
“Cut all yellow leaves as soon as they appear, and try to get as much air as possible circulating to the plants. When you water them from above, the water flow hits the plants, and the spores stick to them. Water from the bottom!” she advised.
She also said there’s no product to deal with the problem, but that it is all to do with water.
The basil had been planted under a black walnut tree that was continuously dropping leaves and nuts that left stains on everything, but that was not the cause, Donoghue continued.
She also had advice for winter gardening indoors, timely with the coming winter season: “If you have a very good sunny window, place your basil plant there. The sun is essential.”
But when watering, remember to water the plant from the bottom just like outdoors. Donoghue added her own daughter grew several basil plants that grew to be tall all winter long in a sunny window in Brooklyn, using both an EarthBox ready-to-go system that has a built in water container in the bottom so you don’t need to worry about watering, as well as a regular planter.
Watering from the bottom is the key to not causing yellowing or browning of leaves, but if it happens, they need to be removed immediately.
As for the garden pest outside, Donoghue advised using cayenne pepper around the plants.
“It may get to their paws and stop them from coming back,” she said.
For those wanting to take their gardening skills further, the extension is starting a course that runs on Thursday evenings from Oct. 6 to Feb. 23, 2017.
For more information, call 570-296-3400 or email PikeExt@psu.edu.
- Anya Tikka