Talk radio for gardeners

URI Master Gardeners launch ‘Virtual Radio Hour’ to answer gardening questions

Todd McLeish

Britain's BBC has been doing this for a while

Do you have a sick plant, a weed you just can’t seem to identify, a query about when to transplant your seedlings, or any other gardening question? 

The University of Rhode Island Master Gardeners now have another way to provide answers to these and other questions.

The Master Gardeners and URI Cooperative Extension have launched the Virtual Radio Hour to provide answers to questions about home and community gardening. 

At 10 a.m. on the first Saturday of each month, an expert panel of Master Gardeners will convene for one hour via Webex to respond to local gardening questions.

The program is an extension of the URI Master Gardener Hotline, which has been staffed with Master Gardeners for more than 20 years to provide answers to gardening questions via telephone and email.

“Amid the challenges posed by the pandemic this year, the URI Master Gardener program has built out our public education offerings, making them more relevant and accessible to a wider community of Rhode Islanders,” said Francesca Gallo, program associate at URI Cooperative Extension.

“While the Master Gardener Hotline will remain one of our key public resources, we hope that Virtual Radio Hour will provide another platform for members of the public to gather and receive answers to a wide range of gardening questions. Similar to the Hotline, Radio Hour attendees will experience that personal connection with Master Gardeners, but they will be able to do so in community with others.”

Gardeners are invited to submit their questions in advance when registering for each month’s Virtual Radio Hour or ask questions live in the event chat. Panelists will also answer questions that are commonly asked via the Master Gardener Hotline and URI Cooperative Extension social media.

Due to the July 4^th holiday weekend, the Virtual Radio Hour session in July will be held July 10.

To register for Virtual Radio Hour, visit web.uri.edu/mastergardener/radiohour. Gardeners can also ask questions by phone or email through the Master Gardener Hotline at (401) 874.4836 or at gardener@uri.edu.