Harold Watters is the Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Agent for Champaign County, and has responsibilities for Horticulture and the Master Gardener Program. Contact Harold at 937-484-1526 or watters.35@osu.edu.

We also have an email for the Champaign Master Gardeners: champaign-mg@cfaes.osu.edu

We'll check this regularly during the growing season starting the first week of May!

To see some regional information on home horticulture and Master Gardener events - check our new West Central Ohio Extension Hort blog: http://westohiohort.blogspot.com/

To find a world of information at your fingertips, see the Ohio State University Master Gardener Website: http://mastergardener.osu.edu.

Gardeners are always asking me "how much rain did we get?", so I joined a national network of weather reporters. Our rainfall information from our site here at the Community Center in Urbana should be available every morning by 8AM on the CoCoRaHS website: http://www.cocorahs.org/state.aspx?state=oh, then click on the map on Champaign County.

The Master Gardener program here in Champaign County operates a Horticulture Hotline from May through September taking questions about gardens, lawns, fruit trees even about insects and diseases. They give production information as well as solve problems for homeowners – while always using research-based information from university faculty and researchers.

To reach the Master Gardener Volunteers staffing the Horticulture Hotline call 937-484-1526 on Wednesday afternoons starting the first week in May and running through the end of September.

In addition to the Hotline, the Master Gardeners also educate the public with classes at the Library and have several volunteer projects throughout the county. For those who attend activities at the Champaign County Community Center, you'll also see the perennial plantings around the front entrance, installed and maintained by the Master Gardeners.

We do have a range of ages and backgrounds in our group, but all are very enthusiastic about their garden. And they love to share what they know. If you have an interest in gardening and helping fellow homeowners with their problems call our office to talk about joining the program.

We will be recruiting for new Master Gardeners for Champaign County starting in December. Call in now with your contact information if you have an interest. We expect to hold a training session on Wednesdays in February thru early April...just before the growing season.

Connections to Web Sites

Ohio Integrated Pest Management 

Pesticide Education Programs, The Ohio State University 

Integrated Pest Management Links - Farming the Net 

VegNet