Chat live with University of Maryland garden experts
The University of Maryland Home and Garden Information Center has added a live chat feature to its advice menu.
And Garden Variety was the first live chatterer.
After a 2009 garden season that saw a 30 percent increase in e-mail questions and in visits to its Web site, the extension service has expanded its Internet presence to handle what is expected to be another busy growing season.
"We had about 12,000 calls and about 3,500 e-mails," said Jon Traunfeld. "We think the increase is due to the Grow It, Eat It campaign."
Debbie Ricigliano, the horticultural consultant who will administer the live chats, said interns from the University of Maryland, who were majoring in broadcast journalism, introduced the information center to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
To open a live chat, just go to the Home and Garden Information Web site and click on the "Live Chat" option in the left-hand menu.
"Live chat as another thought they had," she said. "It just took some time to get it up and running."
There are six horticultural experts available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and each will be able to carry on multiple live chats.
Residents with questions can still call the service at 800-342-2507.
But when the question involves the identification of a disease or insect, e-mailing a digital image remains the best way to get answers.
