Garden Tips

Plant Clinics

• identify the problem and recommend a solution
• suggest ways to manage the problem using the least toxic pesticides
• identify insects, weeds and pathogens that cause disease
• suggest soil improvements and amendments that may be needed
• provide information on an established lawn and how to care for it
• explain proper pruning procedures, when and how
• provide printed gardening information
• suggest options for dealing with wildlife problems

If you would like to attend a plant clinic, check the Events Calendar. If you would like to schedule a clinic for your group, please contact Prince George's County Master Gardener Esther Mitchell

Native Versus Invasive Plants

Because some plants introduced from other parts of the country or world for use in landscaping have turned out to be serious threats to our native flora and ecology, the Maryland Cooperative Extension encourages use of plants native to the region.  Native plants support native wildlife and help create a distinctive sense of place. Once established, native plants need less maintenance and fewer inputs of fertilizer, water and pesticides, saving money for the gardener and helping restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

Invasive alien plants have been called the second greatest threat, after habitat loss, to native species of plants and animals in the U.S. Introduced plants often have no natural predators or pathogens in their new location and have sometimes been promoted by the horticultural industry because of their tolerance of diverse conditions and easy growth habits. These factors increase the likelihood such plants will become problems over time.  Lists of invading plants in the Mid-Atlantic region, along with suggestions for more desirable replacement species, have been published and may be found at one or more of the following links.

• Maryland Native Plant Society: mdflora.org
• Chesapeake Natives Org: chesapeakenatives.org
• Maryland Cooperative Extension, Online Publications: http://www.hgic.umd.edu/content/onlinepublications.cfm#NativePlants
• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Chesapeake Bay Field Office: www.fws.gov/r5cbfo
• USFWS, Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping: www.nps.gov/plants/pubs/nativesMD
• Mid-Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council: http://www.ma-eppc.org
• Plant Conservation Alliance, Alien Plant Working Group: www/nps.gov/plants/alien/
• The Nature Conservancy: http://nature.org/invasives/indes.html
• Maryland Invasive Species Council: www.mdinvasivesp.org
• Maryland Department of Natural Resources: www.dnr.state.md.us

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