GARDENING HOTLINE TO HELP NOVICES

JACKSON -- Watching a beloved plant die, unresponsive to any amount of sun, water or plant food, can be discouraging to a budding green thumb.

Novice growers won't have to stand by helpless anymore, thanks to a new University of Missouri Extension Master Gardeners Hotline. It was connected Monday, and callers are promised the best information available about growing anything from apples to zucchini.

Gerald Bryan, University Extension agronomist, and his group of 30 certified master gardeners will answer the hotline during business hours weekdays and from 6-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday. Based in Jackson, the number is (573) 243-4681.

"This will be an extension of what I do normally -- helping farmers with their row and forage crops," Bryan said. "But we have other people in the group who concentrate on other areas. We'll probably get some common questions, some pretty specific and some entertaining ones."

To become a master gardener through the extension, applicants must complete about 11 weeks of classes on heirloom seeds, turf management, landscaping, orchards and other topics.

After the classes are over, the gardeners are required to donate 30 hours of their time the first year to furthering the art of gardening, perhaps by speaking to civic groups or helping with landscaping projects. They must donate 20 hours the second year and each year they are associated with the Master Gardeners Group.

Among the members are Joe Sherinski, KFVS-TV's Mr. GoodGarden, and Debbie Naeter, in business as The Plant Lady.

Naeter said she fields a large amount of plant-related questions in her business, but she specializes in tropical plants. If she answers the hotline and the question is on orchards, for example, she may bring it before the next master gardeners' meeting.

"Of the 30 people in the group, there are 30 reasons for being there," Naeter said. "But we all want to promote gardening and landscaping and doing those things without the use of chemicals. We all like to make things grow."

Naeter, Sherinski and other members of the group will speak at the Home Show Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau. They also will staff a booth at the show and dispense applications for the master gardener class.