Help Desk

Call, Email or Visit the Master Gardener Helpline Office and We Will Help

Just as plants spread their roots to take in “information” necessary for a healthy result, gardeners reach out to nourish their curiosity through horticultural study and experimentation. But what if you just need that little bit of extra help to get to the results you desire? One option available to you is to contact the Master Gardeners Helpline active in your county.

Here's how it works in San Joaquin County: two of our many Master Gardeners staff the helpline Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon. You may reach us by calling, emailing, or stopping by the Cabral Agricultural Center. The MGs in the office on that day will either answer your question or start the chain of info that will get us to the answer. We don't pretend to know everything, but do we ever have resources!

Working the Helpline as a first year MG has been an experience that began with apprehension but morphed into an activity to embrace. Time spent helping clients is time spent practicing how to access the resources we have been given and how to ask the right questions. Working as teams, we get to know our MG partners (it's a large group!) and use this opportunity to cement and enhance the vast amount of information given during training by the finest instructors.

One day in the Helpline office we received a request for information about a flowering bulb which the client received during the Winter holidays. We gave our best answer, realizing afterward that there is so much more to be learned about these magical powerhouses that store energy and pop out the glorious colors of Spring.

There is a plethora of science and research-based information available online and when answering a question, we often include links to beneficial sites in the University of CA Agricultural and Natural Resources world as well as other university extension sites. Past issues of this very blog will often bring answers to light. For example,

In the "Bulbs" blog published March of 2021 tells us that bulbs are modified stems which function as food storage for the potential flowering plants. Planting depth, drainage and sunlight are all important for both hardy and tender bulbs. Illustrations accompany the text.

In the "How do I select and plant flower bulbs for spring blooms?" blog published October of 2022 covers how to select bulbs to plant during the Fall for Spring flowering. The author touches upon arrangement of bulbs in the garden or in pots for glorious displays of color and texture as well as other aspects of planning a bulb garden.

In "What is a Blub?" from Michigan State University Extension, we learn that bulbs are geophytes; corms, rhizomes and true bulbs are all part of this group. We learn how to tell the differences among them, and an excellent table has been provided to assist.

Finally, if you've ever wondered how to “force” bulbs to do their magic during the Winter,

This article will give step-by-step instructions and a short list of supplies to ensure spirit-lifting blooms until Spring arrives again. This is also a great project for kids to take on with an adult.

As we head into Spring, feel free to contact the MG Helpline. We are here to assist!

Visit us during Help Desk hours at 2102 E Earhart Ave, Ste 200 Stockton, 95206. Click here for a map

• Call us at (209) 953-6112.  If you call outside Help Desk hours, please leave both your phone number and email address so that we may respond to you in a timely manner.
• Email us at anrmgsanjoaquin@ucanr.edu.   Please use email if you want to submit photos along with your question(s).

Helpful sites:
San Joaquin County UC Master Gardener Helpline Info
San Joaquin County UC Master Gardener Website

Please note that if you do not have access to online sources, we can send info to you via U.S. Mail.