As mother nature seemed to flip a switch straight to summer this month, many of us are instantly feeling behind on our yard chores and gardening. University of Nevada, Reno Extension is offering free resources and expertise to help us get ahead of the curve and enjoy healthy yards and productive gardens even in Nevada’s often challenging growing conditions.

Highlights include a series of livestream Grow Your Own, Nevada! online classes with tips on growing our own healthy food, the Nevada-tailored Pest Solutions web resource, personal advice from trained Master Gardener volunteers, and many in-person talks and workshops both in northern and southern Nevada.

Learn how to Grow Your Own, Nevada!

The Grow Your Own, Nevada! Program will livestream eight classes 6 – 8 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays, April 7 – 30, to help Nevadans grow their own healthy food. Classes are free and held via Zoom, but residents must register online for each class they wish to attend. Horticulture experts from Extension will share their best tips on:

• April 7: Gardening on a budget, by Wendy Hanson Mazet, Extension program officer. Register online for April 7.
• April 9: Basic soils and practical applications, by Heidi Kratsch, professor and Extension state specialist. Register online for April 9.
• April 14: Basics of container gardening, by Rachel McClure, Extension Master Gardener coordinator in Washoe County. Register online for April 14.
• April 16: Seed saving, by Kratsch. Register online for April 16.
• April 21: Fruit tree insects, by Megan Andrews, Extension program officer. Register online for April 21.
• April 23: Fruit tree pruning, by Hanson Mazet. Register online for April 23.
• April 28: Growing grapes in the State of Nevada, by Don White, Extension Master Gardener. Register online for April 28.
• April 30: Bee identification and conservation, by Carrie Jensen, coordinator of Extension’s Urban Integrated Pest Management and Pesticide Safety Education Programs. Register online for April 30.

For more information on Grow Your Own, Nevada! classes, email Andrews or call her at 775-336-0257.

Get Nevada-tailored pest solutions at a one-stop-shop online resource

Extension’s user-friendly Pest Solutions website is maintained to help residents throughout the state safely and effectively manage common yard and garden pests. The website was launched just last year and includes the latest research-based information on managing weeds, insects, plant diseases and wildlife pests.

Get tips on gardening and living safely at Lake Tahoe

Extension’s Master Gardener Program and Living With Fire Program are presenting a free five-part educational series 6 – 8 p.m. on Wednesdays in April, at University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe, 999 Tahoe Blvd., Incline Village, in the Primm Library. Register online for each presentation. Topics include:

• April 1: McClure presents container gardening at higher elevations.
• April 8: Spencer Eusden, the Living With Fire Program’s curriculum developer, outreach and content coordinator, presents a wildfire preparedness workshop on how to improve your home hardening and defensible space.
• April 15: Suzanne Arney, Extension Master Gardener, presents on fire adapted landscaping.
• April 22: Jenni Burr, the Living With Fire Program’s outreach and content coordinator, presents on fire adapted communities and how we can work together to increase wildfire resilience.
• April 29: McClure presents on gardening with native and adaptive plants for higher elevations.

For more information on classes, email McClure or call her at 775-336-0274. 

Explore the Desert Gardening Series and other workshops

Extension offers free classes on a variety of gardening topics, 10 a.m. – noon on the third Thursday of each month, in the Master Gardener classroom at the Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd., Las Vegas. Registration is required. Topics include:

• April 16: Rose Care, by Master Gardener Judith Kafantaris. Register for Rose Care.
• May 21: Gardening Ergonomics, by Master Gardener Gail Brandys. Register for Gardening Ergonomics.
• June 18: Succulents, by Master Gardener Howard Galin. Register for Succulents.

In addition, Extension is offering these workshops in Clark County to help gardeners troubleshoot during their spring gardening:

• March 17 – April 21, 10 a.m. – noon: Harvest to Health, a six-week gardening and food systems workshop at Extension’s office, 8050 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. The class has a fee of $10, and registration is required. Register for Harvest to Health.
• March 26, 11 a.m. – noon: Interactions Between Insect Stress and Drought Stress, is a free virtual event held via Zoom, but registration is required. Register for Interactions Between Insect Stress and Drought Stress.
• April 4, 9 a.m. – noon: Native Plant Day, at Extension’s office, 8050 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. This is free, but registration is required. Register for Native Plant Day.
• April 16 – May 28, Thursdays, 2 – 4 p.m.: Hydroponic Crops Production Certificate Course 2026, at Extension’s North Las Vegas office, 2280 N. McDaniel St. This course is $100, and registration is required. Register for Hydroponics Crops Production Certificate Course 2026. 

Take in the sounds and sights at bird walks

The Research and Demonstration Orchard, at 4600 Horse Drive, Las Vegas, will host a Bird Walk and Garden Tour on Saturdays, March 28, April 25, May 23 and June 27, 9:30 – 11 a.m. Register for a Bird Walk and Garden Tour. The Red Rock Audubon Ambassadors and Extension Master Gardeners will host a Slow Bird Walk at Extension’s Botanic Gardens, at 8050 Paradise Road, Las Vegas, on April 14, 9 – 10:30 a.m. Register for the Slow Bird Walk at the Extension Botanic Gardens. The events are free, but registration is required. 

For more information on classes, email Lori Leas or call her at 702-257-5501.

Master Gardener volunteers are here to answer your questions

Those with yard and gardening questions can submit queries online to Master Gardeners for research-based information for Nevada’s climate and conditions. In Washoe County, Master Gardener volunteers also staff a help desk at the Extension office, 4955 Energy Way, Reno, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday. Talk with them in person, or contact them at 775-336-0265 or ExtensionWashoeMG@unr.edu.

In Clark County, Master Gardener volunteers also staff a help desk at the Extension office, 8050 Paradise Road, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Talk with them in person, or contact them at 702-257-5556 or ExtensionClarkMG@unr.edu. The Master Gardener Home Gardening Help Desk at Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd., Las Vegas, is open to visitors 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday.

Visit the Master Gardener Program website to find contact information for several Extension offices throughout the state that have Master Gardeners ready to assist. Master Gardeners also staff booths at farmers markets and other events throughout the spring and summer to provide research-based gardening information and answer questions. Also, watch for more information on Extension’s Home Horticulture Certification Program and plant sales in May.

Interested in attending an Extension event but need accommodations or assistance? Contact Paul Lessick, civil rights and compliance coordinator, at least five days prior to the scheduled event with your needs or for more information.