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SPRING GARDEN FAIR All things green sprouting at Master Gardener's Spring Fair Comment By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Follow @@VickieAldous MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Follow @@VickieAldous Posted Apr. 29, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Follow @@VickieAldous Posted Apr. 29, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Master Gardeners and vendors will not only offer thousands of plants at the 37th annual Spring Garden Fair this weekend, they will give out free advice on how to make a garden thrive. The fair is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 30, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 1, at The Expo, 1 Peninger Road, Central Point. Admission is $3 for ages 15 and older. Kids get in free, and parking is free. See www.jacksoncountymga.org or call 541-776-7371 for information. The event brings together more than 100 carefully juried, high-quality vendors, growers and exhibitors, according to the Jackson County Master Gardener Association, which puts on the annual affair. They are eager to chat about new products and techniques, and to share their knowledge and experience, organizers say. "We are so excited about it. We've filled out every space," says Lara Foote, a Master Gardener and vendor co-chairperson. "The event is put on by volunteers, and it has juried vendors. Everyone there has passed our jury and has products that fit the gardening lifestyle." She says thousands of plant starts will be available, including vegetable, perennial and annual starts. The fair features a variety of free events and services that are new this year. Free demonstrations will be offered at the top of each hour, with topics that include starting a vegetable garden, planting for pollinators, raised beds, mulching, watering, growing tomatoes and peppers, drought-tolerant gardening and caring for roses. Presented by Master Gardeners, with handouts from Oregon State University Extension, the 15-minute workshops are followed by question-and-answer sessions. Fair-goers who buy plants and a pot can visit the free potting station and have their plants planted for free with Plan B Organics soil. Master Gardeners will demonstrate proper planting techniques and provide helpful handouts on container gardening developed by OSU. "People tend to plant too deeply or too shallowly and to overcrowd plants in containers," Foote says. "It's important to plant the appropriate mix of plants. For example, put in plants that have the same watering needs, such as daily versus weekly watering." Also new this year, visitors can bring a three-quarter cup sample of garden soil and find out its pH level. Each visitor can bring up to three samples. Free test results are available in about one hour. "Certain plants like low pH soil and certain plants like high pH," says Elah Self, chairperson of the Spring Garden Fair. "If plants get the wrong pH, they won't thrive and they can die. Sometimes they won't even fruit." Experts can provide advice on matching plants to soil, or how to amend soil to change the pH to fit plants that are already there, Self says. The fair also features a variety of free events that have proven popular over the years. Visitors can bring in one cup of unfiltered well water and have it tested for nitrates, and can also get advice on how to keep septic tanks performing well. High levels of nitrate in drinking water can be dangerous to health, especially for infants and pregnant women, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The high levels often result from improper well construction or well location, overuse of chemical fertilizers or improper disposal of human and animal waste, according to the CDC. Master Gardeners will hold a free plant clinic, with advice about growing plants and eliminating pests. Visitors can get a wide variety of their questions answered. "I've had people bring me leaves and twigs to identify," Foote says. People have asked Master Gardeners to identify ants and spiders, apple tree varieties and say whether spots on a tree are harmful, she notes. At a free composting information booth, Master Gardeners will explain the art and science of proper composting. Raffle drawings will be held throughout the weekend, with potted plant assortments, an Echo cultivator and a Solar Gem Greenhouse among the prizes. "Garden Guides for the Rogue Valley" will be for sale, along with a wide assortment of used gardening books at low prices. "The gardening books are sold at a huge discount. It's always a very popular booth," Self says. The fair has a children's garden where kids can make their own planting pot. The garden provides a preview of the Jackson County Master Gardener Association's Children's Garden Summer Program. Food will be available at the fair, including slow-smoked barbecue. Staff reporter Vickie Aldous can be reached at 541-776-4486 or [email protected]. Follow her at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous . By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Follow @@VickieAldous MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Follow @@VickieAldous Posted Apr. 29, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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