Ask A Master Gardener

Count on our garden hotline for local, reliable advice on lawns, gardens, and home landscape care!

 trees and shrubs • annuals and perennials • fruits and vegetables • lawn care • soil and composting • cover crops • insects • plant diseases • household pests • soil testing • and more!

Master Gardener office hours: Tuesdays and Fridays from 9 – noon (April - October). Feel free to call or stop by anytime during those hours.

We also take questions left on our voicemail (315) 331-8415 ext. 107 or emailed to us at mgwayne@cornell.edu.

Please include a daytime phone number where we can reach you along with any details pertaining to your question.

Plant/insect samples for diagnostics or ID can be dropped off M-F 8:30am to 4:30pm. Plant samples should be submitted in a plastic bag and insects in a clean crush-proof container. Please label with your name and contact information.

If you would like us to look at a sample, please refer to the instructions below and include your name, address, phone and email address, if you have one, with your sample.

Emailing us: When you are emailing us for Insect or Plant ID or plant disease diagnosis, please provide good quality, clear photos. They can be emailed to mgwayne@cornell.edu and should include your question/problem, your address, and phone number. That way we can contact you with any additional questions we have. If a sample is needed, we will contact you.

Plant Samples (brought to our office): If you would like us to look at plant samples you can drop them off at our office Monday-Thursday from 830am to 430pm or on Friday by 11am. Samples degrade quickly and this timing will help insure the quality of your sample when we look at it. The samples should be freshly cut, live plant parts and include any parts that show the problem. Please enclose them in a sealed plastic bag labeled with your name, address, phone, and email.

Insect Samples (brought to our office): Insect samples can be dropped off Monday through Friday from 830am to 430pm. They should be in a clean, sealed, crush proof container (not a plastic bag) and include your name, address, phone and email.

Soil Samples: Soil pH testing (soil acidly/alkalinity) is completed at our office for 3.00 per sample. The soil should be dry and in a container or plastic bag. Please include your name, address, phone and email. Samples can be dropped off Monday through Friday from 830am to 430pm.

Soil Nutrient Analysis testing is completed by the Dairy One Soil Lab in Ithaca. You mail your sample(s) with your payment directly to the lab in Ithaca.

Submission forms, instructions, and mailing boxes are available to pick up from our office or we can provide you with the forms via email. Costs for testing are listed on the submission form and are determined by the type of test you require. If you haven't had a soil nutrient analysis in a while or if it is a new planting site, this is the test that we recommend.

Master Gardeners can assist with submission forms and answer questions on soil sample submission and soil test results. If you need to contact us call (315) 331-8415 ext. 107 or email mgwayne@cornell.edu

Last updated March 27, 2026