Lafayette County Master Gardeners to Help Residents Diagnose Plant Problems in April
Free "Plant Scene Investigation" lecture at Oxford's public library on April 9 will teach residents to spot pests and disease in their own yards.
The Lafayette County & Oxford Public Library auditorium will host a free plant diagnostics lecture on April 9, when Dr. Chris Cooper walks attendees through how to read plant symptoms and damage patterns to identify the pests and pathogens most likely threatening local landscapes.
Cooper, the UT Extension County Director in Shelby County, Tennessee, titled his presentation "Plant Scene Investigation," a name that signals his approach: treating a sick or damaged plant like a crime scene, working backward from visible clues to a diagnosis. The noon lecture is free and open to the public, with no registration required.
The April 9 session is part of the Lafayette County Master Gardeners' 2026 Spring Lecture Series, which has used the library as its home base for the continuing program. A follow-up lecture is already scheduled for noon on May 17 at the same location.
Cooper brings a practical, field-tested curriculum to Oxford. He has spent his career delivering educational programs across Shelby County and West Tennessee, focusing on the specific pressures of urban and home horticulture, the category that covers most Lafayette County gardeners tending residential yards, container plantings, and home vegetable beds.
The Master Gardeners' lecture series has drawn a range of speakers in past years. A 2022 spring schedule at the Lafayette County and Oxford Public Library included sessions on spring florals, organic gardening, and beekeeping, reflecting the organization's pattern of pairing science-based content with practical, locally relevant topics.
The April 9 lecture begins at noon in the library auditorium.
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