Lincoln County Agriculture & Natural Resources
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WVU Extension offers a variety of programs related to horticulture, agriculture and natural resources available for the residents of West Virginia. For a complete listing of all the information WVU Extension has for home gardeners, visit our lawns, gardens and pests section. While you're there, learn about the WVU Extension Master Gardener Program and how it benefits individuals and communities. Be sure to check out the latest from our popular WVU Extension Garden Calendar.
If you’re a producer,
whether with large-scale animals or vegetables for your local market, visit WVU Extension's farming section for more in-depth information about agriculture.
If you’re interested in learning about the all the things that make West Virginia wild and wonderful, visit our natural resources section.
Lawn, Gardening & Pests
Active Alerts in Lincoln County
AgAlert! Boxwood Blight
Boxwood blight is a fungal disease that affects one of West Virginia's most popular landscape shrubs.
Boxwood blights are a fungal disease that can be fatal if no measures are taken to manage the disease at the early stage of infection and symptom appearance. There are two different fungal pathogens involved with blights – Volutella buxi and Calonectria pseudonaviculata.
AgAlert! Herbicide Contaminated Compost
Compost has traditionally been used by growers not only for supplying nutrients to the soil and plant but also due to its multiple beneficial attributes, such as balancing pH, enhancing water holding capacity, and boosting soil structure and beneficial microbial populations to improve overall soil quality for plant growth and development. Compost can hold nutrients for a longer time and deliver to plants when needed. Nutrients found in compost are released slowly as the compost decomposes, reducing nutrient loss through prevention of off-site movement. Despite all these benefits, herbicide contaminated composts can do lots of harm to plants, especially to those belonging to the family Solanaceae, which includes tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. Plant distortion due to growth regulator type herbicide is shown in Figure 1.
Read AgAlert! Herbicide Contaminated Compost
AgAlert! Cucurbit Downy Mildew
Cucurbit downy mildew (CDM) has now been found in Monongalia County, West Virginia, as well as neighboring states – Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Maryland. For the latest information, visit the CDM regional map at https://cdm.ipmpipe.org/.
Cucurbit downy mildew (CDM) is a destructive disease that can affect most members of the gourd family or Cucurbitaceae, such as cucumber, cantaloupe, pumpkin, squash, watermelon and zucchini. However, cucumbers are the worst affected cucurbit that can be completely killed in two weeks from the onset of the disease.
Symptoms of the disease may vary slightly from species to species, but in general, it causes angular chlorotic lesions on the foliage. These lesions appear angular because they are bound by leaf veins. During humid conditions, the lower surface of the leaf is covered with a downy, pale gray to blackish mildew.
Read AgAlert! Cucurbit Downy Mildew
Master Gardeners
We’re growing
The WVU Extension Master Gardener Program provides people interested in gardening with the opportunity to expand their knowledge and sharpen their skills by taking part in Basic/Level 1 and Advanced/Level 2 training programs that provide in-depth training in various aspects of horticulture.
The program helps residents better understand horticultural and environmental issues through community engagement in gardening and beautification projects at schools, parks, public institutions, community organizations, and locations throughout the state.
Benefits of becoming a WVU Extension Master Gardener
Among the many benefits for getting involved with the WVU Extension Master Gardener program, here are the highest-ranking ones:
- Getting to know more about gardening and horticulture to expand personal horizons and be able to help others
- Significant improvements in quality of life, including physical activity, social activity, self-esteem and nutrition
- Offers opportunities for professional development through continuing training opportunities
- Meeting like-minded people and engaging in the garden activities you are passionate about
- Opportunities to assume responsibility
- Encourages individual independence
- Gaining respect in the community for your newly developed horticultural skills
- Flexibility to conduct volunteer work
How do you join?
The first step is to contact your county office and ask about the training program.
The WVU Extension Master Gardener Program is offered through our
local WVU Extension offices. The training program is currently an online-hybrid platform.
You will still need to contact your local WVU Extension office to go over the registration,
fees, paperwork and how to get the manuals.
The Winter/Spring 2025 training series will run from January 9 until May 15. Classes will be held every Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m.
Over the course of the 18-session online training program, you will receive 54 hours of instruction in a variety of topics, including botany, plant propagation, entomology, pesticides and pest management, plant disease, soil science and nutritional management, turfgrass management, vegetable gardening, tree fruits, small fruit, pruning, landscape design, woody ornamentals, indoor plants, herbaceous plants, garden wildlife management and West Virginia native plants. Learn more here.
From there, pass a test and complete 40 hours of initial volunteer work and you’ll have earned the right to call yourself a WVU Extension Master Gardener.
Extension Master Gardener Volunteer ApplicationExtension Master Gardener Policy Statement & Guidelines
Extension Master Gardener Association Bylaws
Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Agreement
Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Code of Conduct