Using the Extension Service to Solve Yard, Landscape and Gardening Problems

The U.S. network of Cooperative Extension offices around the country is one of the taxpayer rewards that few people understand or even know about. But it's free and creates a great opportunity to tackle tough landscaping issues with great advice and create a plan for ongoing and corrective maintenance.

From Mississippi State University:
Established in 1914, Cooperative Extension was designed as a partnership of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the land-grant universities, which were authorized by the Federal Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890. Legislation in the various States has enabled local governments or organized groups in the Nation's counties to become a third legal partner in this educational endeavor. The congressional charge to Cooperative Extension through the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 is far ranging. Today, this educational system includes professionals in each of America's 1862 land-grant universities (in the 50 States, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, Northern Marianas, American Samoa, Micronesia, and the District of Columbia) and in the Tuskegee Institute and sixteen 1890 land-grant universities.

Help for Homeowners
Each state, in cooperation with its local land-grand university, runs a network of coop extension offices that offers resources to local farmers, homeowners and others in the community seeking research-based answers to questions ranging from how to raise chickens, to soil testing, to picking the right trees and shrubs. It's run by the USDA, and most counties in every state have an office.

For homeowners, this means access to the best local research on a huge variety of issues surrounding landscaping and related concerns like pest management and best techniques for growing everything from grass to trees to shrubs to vegetable gardening.

Many of the local offices are staffed by volunteer workers as well as paid staff. The public can call or walk-in during business hours, and ask a question of perhaps a Master Gardener, about the best way to prune a tree, get a soil or well-water test, or find out why the hydrangeas are dying. Their information is based on academic research and disseminated through public education and outreach, on line articles and help desks.

If You're Selling
For owners with specific issues, this can be a great (and free) way to access the latest and best information about local issues and appropriate solutions for landscape and gardening concerns. When sellers put their homes on the market, it is often an initial drive-by from a potential buyer that either eliminates the home from a buyers potential list, or encourages them to take a peek inside.

If you have time to solve an issue or problem before selling, this is a great resource to help you take care of everything from a dying lawn to saving storm-damaged trees. First impressions are everything when selling.

If you have an on-going problem and do not have time to solve the issue before you put your home on the market, having information and materials available to potential buyers can go a long way to alleviating fears and helping buyers see the lack of severity of say, a line of dying boxwood bushes, to understanding how to test well water annually for homes not on a public water supply.

To find the one of the 2,900 offices nearest you: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/index.html
The Extension Website: http://www.extension.org/