Master Gardener Training
MU Extension horticulture specialists will lead 14 sessions.
“Gardening is an activity that has many benefits,” said David Trinklein, state horticulture specialist for the University of Missouri Extension. (University of Missouri Extension)
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Gardening is an activity that has many benefits, says David Trinklein, state horticulture specialist with the University of Missouri Extension.
“One of those is the satisfaction that comes from sharing your plant knowledge with others,” Trinklein says.The University of Missouri Extension Master Gardener program was designed to do just that. “The motto, 'Helping Others Learn to Grow,' emphasizes service to others as the program's primary purpose,” Trinklein says.
A new session of our online Master Gardener training begins on August 11th.
Trinklein and University of Missouri Extension horticulture specialist Sarah Denkler will lead the 14 online sessions. “These classes are a viable option for those who can't take a weekly class in person,” Trinklein said.
Classes are delivered as a series of narrated video presentations through the Canvas learning management system. Students work at their own pace. To pass the course, students must earn an overall score of 70% on the chapter-by-chapter quizzes.
Topics include basic botany, soil and plant nutrition, vegetable cultivation, fruit production, landscape design, woody ornamental plants, herbaceous landscape plants, turf management, insect and disease management, and pesticide safety.
The core training is the first step to becoming certified as an MU Extension Master Gardener. Trinklein said trainees must also complete at least 30 hours of volunteer work. Regional Master Gardener coordinators can help online trainees find volunteer opportunities to meet the service hour requirements.
“Every state in the U.S. and most provinces in Canada have an Extension Master Gardener program,” Trinklein said. Since its launch in 2013, more than 2,000 people have taken MU Extension's online Master Gardener training.
Register at http://muext.us/MGfall2024 . For more information about the Missouri Master Gardener program, visit http://mg.missouri.edu
–David Trinklein, University of Missouri Extension
