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, an in-person series of workshops at the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe on gardening and living safely at Tahoe, the Nevada-tailored Pest Solutions web resource, personal advice from trained Master Gardener volunteers, and more.

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: Basics 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 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 – 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, 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. Persons in need of special accommodations or assistance should email Paul Lessick, civil rights and compliance coordinator, or call him at 702-257-5577 at least five days prior to the scheduled event with their needs or for more information.

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.

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, email them or call them at 775-336-0265.

Visit the general Master Gardener 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.