Advice, Tips & Resources
Horticulture Answer Service

Master Gardeners are available to answer your gardening questions.

This service is available by phone Monday - Friday 9 a.m. to noon, (314) 577-5143.

If you just want to know when you can plant your tomatoes or what may be causing your crabapple tree to lose its leaves, the staff at the Horticulture Answer Service is there to help you. They can also assist you in how to navigate our Gardening Help information on our website. With many years of experience and a wealth of gardening information at their fingertips the Horticulture Answer Service is there to help you.

Kemper Center Plant Doctors

Bring in a sample of your sick plant and let the Master Gardeners at the Plant Doctor desk diagnose your problem and provide treatment recommendations. Plant Doctors are also available to assist in plant identification.

This is a walk-in service open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Saturday in the Kemper Center for Home Gardening. A 10-minute walk through the Garden from the front entrance. The service is free with Garden admission.

Try to include leaves and flowers representative of the entire plant. Complete either the plant identification or the plant problem form and bring it with your sample.

For a fee, basic and complete soil tests are available through the Kemper Center. Your soil sample will be sent to a lab and you will receive your results in one to two weeks by mail or email.  Plant Doctors can test the pH of your soil free of charge while you wait.

Email Us Your Questions

You may email us your gardening questions at plantinformation@mobot.org . Please allow up to 7 business days for a reply. Including images of a plant to be identified or problem to be diagnosed is highly encouraged. You can attach them to your email.

Green Resources Answer Service

For help locating Green  products and services, evaluating Green claims, or planning a Green home or lifestyle, contact the Green Resources Answer Service at greenresources@mobot.org or on (314) 577-0246.

Garden Pests and Problems

No garden is without its pests and problems. With correct diagnosis and careful intervention, however, your garden's problems need not be a barrier to successful gardening.

Find out how to identify and control common garden pests and commercial pesticides that are safe for home use.

Kemper Center Factsheets

Our Kemper Factsheets provide you with in-depth information on a wide selection of popular and useful gardening topics - from lawn care to planting trees to growing vegetables or gardening indoors. Here is your best source for indepth information. You can browse by categories. 

Bloom Time Information

These two documents will provide you with information on when some of the most loved and asked about plants usually flower at the Garden. There is a list by bloom time and one by plant name:

Bloom Time by Month

Bloom Time by Plant Name