Helpful Hints
(1) Bringing in specimens to Be Identified
(2) Obtaining a Soil Sample Kit

Feel free to e-mail the below-listed contacts for horticulture assistance. If you need a plant/insect diagnosis/identification, visit the office closest to you. Link to the "Contact Us" at bottom of this page for physical addresses and phone numbers of the east and west office locations.

Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity.

• BJ Jarvis - Horticulture Agent and County Extension Director
• Elisabeth A. Payne, Program Assistant - West
• Jeannie Hayes, Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Program Assistant

• It is impossible to identify a dead plant or to determine the cause of death.  The plant is easier to identify if the leaves are not wilted.  Upon cutting a plant specimen, please place the specimen in a plastic bag so the plant does not dry out.  Also, the sample should be large enough to include leaves, branches, flowers or fruit to help identify the plant or diagnose the problem.
• If you are having trouble with your lawn, bring an 8" x 8" lawn specimen that has been dug 6" deep. Half of the specimen should be diseased and adjacent to the other half that has not yet become diseased.
• Write down any chemicals, sprays or fertilizers, giving the quantity and approximate date of applications for the last 6 months along with your watering methods.
• Insect specimens should be placed live, if possible, in a small glass jar of rubbing alcohol; bring several specimens, if possible.
• We do not test soils for pH; therefore, it is not necessary to bring soil sample(s) to the offices. We do have soil kits in the office that include instructions on how to take the sample(s), bag(s) to contain the soil sample(s), and a self-addressed box for mailing the sample(s).  There is no cost for the kit, but there is a $3 cost per sample for pH testing or $7 cost per sample for pH plus macronutrient testing; the check is made out to the IFAS Extension Soil Testing Lab and mailed with the sample(s).  You will receive the original report from the Soil Lab and Pasco Extension office will receive a copy of the report; if you are in further need of interpretation of the report, call the Pasco Extension office.
  It usually takes 10-14 days for a report to return to you.

If it is too far for you to drive to either of the two Extension offices, you can print the forms out on the Internet, follow instructions on the form and mail the sample(s) using a small box and small paper bags.  Access to the two forms are as follows:  (1) Landscape & Vegetable Garden Test Information Sheet and (2) Producer Soil Test Information Sheet.  It is important to follow instructions as written.

The horticulture fact sheets that Extension offices disseminate to their customers can be obtained at the following University of Florida Web site: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu