Applications available for Master Gardener Program
Oct. 5—Applications are now available for the 2023 UConn Extension Master Gardener Program.
Anyone interested in horticulture is encouraged to apply to the program.
" You do not have to be pursuing a degree," said Melanie Desch, program assistant for Windham County UConn Extension. "[ It's for] anyone who's interested in getting more experience learning about horticulture and who also is interested in giving back and volunteering their time."
To become a certified master gardener, those involved in the program must complete a 16- week course that meets once a week from 9 a. m. to 1 p. m., starting in January and running through April.
On Monday, the class meets at the Bartlett Arboretum in Stamford and on Tuesday the class meets at the Middlesex Extension Office in Haddam.
On Wednesday, the class meets at the Hartford County Extension Office in Farmington and on Thursday, the Fairfield County- based classroom session will be held fully online.
On Friday, the class will be held at the Windham County Extension Office in Brooklyn.
Students enrolled in this program receive training in botany, plant pathology, soils, entomology, pesticide safety, integrated pest management, woody ornamentals, herbaceous ornamentals, vegetables, tree and small fruits, turf grass, invasive plants, weeds, water quality, environmental factors affecting plant growth and diagnostic techniques for the home gardener.
Following formal classroom instruction, the master gardener student completes a 60- hour internship program.
Thirty hours are dedicated to hands- on training in the extension offices, where students are supervised in researching and determining the answers to a broad range of horticultural questions including insect and plant identification, diagnosing plant diseases and providing sound horticultural recommenda-
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