Want to know what’s killing your dogwood or how to properly prune your roses? Looking for a less toxic way to get rid of slugs, aphids and other pests? Got a tree or shrub that you need help identifying?

Starting this month and through early September, you’ll find gardening experts who can help answer your questions at dozen of Master Gardener clinics throughout King County. Master Gardeners are volunteers who go through a rigorous training program by Washington State University. They provide research-based information on home gardening and pest control.

In West Seattle this summer, Andy will periodically be staffing the Master Gardener booth at the West Seattle Farmers Market, and I can be found at McLendon Hardware in White Center. Here are the hours & location:

West Seattle Farmers Market, 44th Avenue SW and Alaska Street, April 27-September 14, Sundays, 10 a-.m.-2 p.m. (No clinic May 4).

McLendon Hardware, 10210 16th Avenue SW, April 5-September 13, Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

But don’t limit yourself to West Seattle. There are clinics in Ballard, Rainier Valley, Renton, North Seattle, Vashon Island, Lake City, Federal Way, Burien and more. Find the full list of locations and times here.

King County has one of the largest Master Gardener programs in the world. It started here, before spreading to all 50 states and many other countries. To find out more about becoming a master gardener, click here.

There’s bad news for gardeners this spring, especially those who look forward to Zoo Doo compost.

The Woodland Park Zoo has canceled the sale of Zoo Doo compost because of it contains high levels of an herbicide called clopyralid in the manure.

Dan Corum, of the Zoo, told the Seattle P-I: “We deeply regret that Zoo Doo will not be available for many loyal users.”

As the P-I explains: “Zoo Doo is a composted blend of manures mixed with straw bedding, grass, leaves and wood chips. The manure comes from nonprimate herbivores, such as elephants, hippos, giraffes, zebras and elk.”

The zoo sells about 1 million pounds of this stuff a year.

Zoo officials traced the source of the herbicide to hay, and says it plans to switch to organic hay. It expects to sell the stuff this fall.

Read more from the Seattle PI: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/402355_zoodoo06.html

1. Avoid using weed and feed products, which broadcast herbicides on
every inch of your lawn. Instead, choose a “slow-release” or “natural
organic” fertilizer, which gradually releases nutrients into the soil
to prevent runoff.

2. Plant drought-tolerant plants such as rosemary, lavender and sedum
that need little water once established. Efficient water use keeps
water in the rivers, creeks and streams for salmon and other fish,
especially during crucial summer months.

3. Think twice before reaching for herbicides. You can control weeds by
hand-pulling them or by building healthier soil to allow the grass or
plant you have there to out-compete weeds. Pulls weeds when they’re
early and young.

4. Plant a tree, or two or three. Trees catch rain and allows it
evaporate before reaching the ground. This reduces runoff, the main
source of pollution in the Puget Sound. Learn more from the Puget
Sound Partnership: http://www.psp.wa.gov/stormwater.php

5. Build healthy soil, which helps absorbs more runoff and filters out
pollutants. Amend your soil with compost, whether home-made or
purchased from places like Cedar Grove (which recycles most King
County residents yard waste into compost).

6. Mulch garden beds annually with compost, leaves, bark or wood chips
to cut down on weeds and watering.  Mulch also helps prevent erosion.

7. Choose the right plants for the right spot to reduce the need for
excess watering, pruning, and fertilizing. Consider native plants.

8. Water plants deeply but infrequently. This helps grass, trees and
plants grow deep roots and prevent disease. After soaking the roots,
let the top few inches of soil dry before you water it again.

9. Install a few rain barrels. Seattle, King County and other
cities provide discounted rain barrels that you can install near your
downspout. The barrels allow you to catch rainwater into 55-gallon
barrels to water your plants at a later time.

10. Mulch mow, as we do at Ecoyards. Leave grass clippings on your
lawn. It not only saves time and yard waste, but returns water and
nutrients to your lawn.

If you are coffee-addicted like me and the Ecoyards crew, you probably end up with a lot of coffee grounds left over. You could toss it in with yard waste, but why not add coffee grounds to your compost pile or mulch acid-loving plants?

Mulching helps keep weeds down and retain moisture. Coffee grounds are very acidic, so use it judiciously and only on acid-loving plants such as azaleas, rhododendrons and blueberries. Don’t lay it on too thick, and mix it in with the soil.

Better yet, add coffee grounds to your compost pile and let it help break down other yard waste and turn it into rich organic matter that you can then use in your yard. Composting requires a balance of nitrogen-rich “greens” and carbon-rich “browns.” Coffee grounds are, despite common logic, a “green,” like vegetable waste, fresh leaves, alfalfa pellets, or fresh grass clippings. “Browns” provide carbon and include fallen leaves, newspaper, wood chips or straw. The city of Seattle offers good tips for how to backyard compost.

At Ecoyards, we practice mulch-mowing, or “grasscyling,” when we mow lawns, so we’re always a little short of “greens” to add to our home compost pile. That’s where coffee grounds come in handy.