Plant Problem Program for Homeowners

Since 1978, Extension specialists and county agents, in cooperation with suburban Maryland homeowners, have conducted an educational program to teach homeowners how to deal more effectively with insect, disease, weed, and cultural problems, such as improper soil fertility or pH, of their ornamental trees, shrubs, and turf.

In winter meetings, specialists and agents met with community leaders to solicit participation in the program. Interested homeowners signed up and paid a $50 fee. This fee covered the salary of the landscape plant management "scouts." Scoutshighly trained undergraduate students at the University of Maryland-visited each homesite from late May through August at biweekly intervals.

All trees, shrubs, and turf were inspected for signs of pest and beneficial insect activity as welI as cultural problems. Whenever possible, these problems were discussed with the homeowner on site. Anything not recognized by the scout in the field was brought to a county agent, specialist, or diagnostician at the University's Plant Clinic.

Following the visit, the scout met with program supervisors (agents or specialists) to discuss the findings of the homesite visit. The result of this consultation was a report sent to each homeowner. The report told homeowners how to recognize the pests and other problems encountered, how to manage the existing problem, and how to avoid or reduce the impact of the problemin the future. In addition to visual monitoring, soil samples were taken from the lawn and selected beds and recommendations were made to correct fertility and pH problems.

By the end of the summer, each participant had an 80-page binder full of newsletters, fact sheets, scouting reports, and other educational information. This binder formed a personalized guide to managing the most common problems around the homesite.

At the conclusion of the 1982 program, we surveyed the 100 participating homeowners to determine educational and attitudinal changes. Homeowners were asked if their abilities, practices, or knowledge had increased, not changed, or decreased as a result of their participation. Table 1 summarizes results of the 59 homeowners that completed the survey.

Of the participants responding, 97% believed that the information received would be useful in future years and 81% thought this approach would save money on pest control in the long run (the average estimated savings was $53 per year). Furthermore, 93% felt the program was worthwhile and 98% believe it or a similar one should be conducted in the future.

These findings show that Extension-based landscape plant management programs were enthusiastically received and can have a major educational and attitudinal impact on the target audience-in this case suburban homeowners.