Extension Corner: Want to be a Master Gardener? Time to sign up for training

Eric Wright
·2 min read

There are a lot of gardeners out there, but only a select few that can call themselves Master Gardeners. If you’d like to join this elite group of highly trained home garden experts and devoted community volunteers, you can sign up now.

The fall Master Gardener class is open for registration. We will host a class at the Etowah County Extension office beginning Aug. 10 and ending Nov. 9 that will have a statewide flavor. The statewide nature of the class will allow participants to learn online together, but take on some hands-on learning locally.

Master Gardener training teaches things like basic botany, integrated pest management, vegetable gardening, plant diseases and entomology.
Master Gardener training teaches things like basic botany, integrated pest management, vegetable gardening, plant diseases and entomology.

To register, visit https://bit.ly/3IOLCGZ and see a list of all of those hosting classes. Find details at https://bit.ly/3N5zwMc.

While learning in detail about gardening is central to the class, learning to engage in the community with volunteer projects is what separates it from other learning opportunities.

Master Gardener interns (those in the process of becoming full-fledged Master Gardeners) must earn an Extension Master Gardener Course Certificate and complete a minimum of 50 Extension volunteer hours within a 12-month period. Travel is required to complete the course.

Throughout the course, you’ll learn things like basic botany, integrated pest management, vegetable gardening, plant diseases and entomology.

If you don’t think you can travel, or can’t take on the volunteer hours, you can still take advantage of our research-based gardening information through a new program called Garden-U. Register for the Alabama Extension horticulture training course as a Garden-U participant and receive a certificate upon completion of the training at aces.edu.

If you have other questions about the program or any other area under the Extension umbrella, please reach out or stop by our office on the fourth floor of the Etowah County Courthouse at 800 Forrest Ave., call us at 256-547-7936 or visit us on Facebook at https://bit.ly/3otwUdl or online at https://bit.ly/3yniPCx.

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) is an equal-opportunity educator and employer. Everyone is welcome! Please let us know if you have accessibility needs.

Eric Wright is extension coordinator for the Etowah County Extension Office.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Want to be a Master Gardener? Time to sign up for training