Master Gardener Program
Enroll online to be a Master Gardener
Dear Fellow Gardener:
Thank you for your interest in the Master Gardener program sponsored by the Seminole County Cooperative Extension Service and the University of Florida. You may already be familiar with the program as it has been offered in the county for a number of years and 58 out of Florida's 67 counties have active Florida Master Gardener Pograms. What is the Master Gardener Program?
Florida Master Gardeners are adult volunteers trained by the County Extension Center by Cooperative Extension Service personnel. After completion of 12 to 14 weeks, 6 hours per day, one day per week, with approximately 75 hours of intensive horticultural instructions, the unpaid volunteers become certified MG's, ready to return 50 hours of volunteer service to their community through assistance with Extension home horticulture activities and projects.
The basic requirement is a love of gardening with a lot of experience particularly at the "dirt-under-the- fingernails" level. Second is the willingness to volunteer in Extension coordinated projects.
Classes are scheduled once a year, usually in the Spring. Some topics to be covered include: basic plant science, soils and fertilizers, basic plant pathology and entomology, fruit culture, vegetable gardening, turf, trees and shrubs, annuals and perennials, foliage plants, household pest control, and pesticide use and availability. The fee for training materials and supplies varies due to printing costs, but normally runs in the vicinity of $120.00, and is non-refundable.
We need help answering the telephone, assistance in the plant clinic, writing articles for newsletters, work in the soil testing laboratory, presentations to garden clubs and homeowner associations and civic groups, and your wise council on landscaping and beautification projects around the county.
Perhaps, the greatest benefit for you is the opportunity to get out among the people to further promote the wonderful hobby of gardening by sharing your knowledge with those just becoming familiar with the earth and the many trees, shrubs, grasses, and foliage plants that surround us. If you are interested, send in your application and we will notify you when the date for another class has been scheduled.
Upcoming Events
www.seminolecountymastergardeners.org
Program administered by Extension Urban Horticulturalist, Dr. Al Ferrer.
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