The day started off with a book sale (discounted for MGers and MGers to be)....... ooooooooooh! I'd say 90+% of the class came away with at least something!
Then we got down to LOTS of hands on learning...... all to do with pathology, diseases and diagnosis.
A table was set up with 25 examples of plant problems..... fungus this, gall that, blight and scab so and so...... and it was up to us to closely examine the samples, discuss/debate amongst ourselves, and use the reference materials provided to try and identify the culprit causing the problem.
For good measure, a few placebos were thrown into the mix....... to show us that what might look like a problem sometimes isn't..... just mother nature doing her thing. GREAT HANDS ON LEARNING!!!
Many of us came away with more assurance that, with time and plenty of practice, we'll be able to get our hands around this stuff and do a credible job at diagnosis too.
Each team table also spent time with a seasoned MG who gave us more one-on-one guidance on the topic..... with more mysteries to solve....
... and we got to tour the lab where samples that MGs are unable to diagnose at a clinc are sent for further examination.
Not a big lab, but it packs a punch with all the proper equipment and reference materials. A group of experienced diagnosticians (all of them volunteer master gardeners who've proven their metal on the topic) get down and do the necessary detective work to come up with the proper diagnosis.
As yet another fallback..... if this lab can't find the answer, the sample is sent off to the WSU's main lab in Puyallup. That's where the big kahunas, trained academics, go into action...... so, you see, we really do mean business when we say we'll get you an answer to your plant problem.
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