2017 Master Gardener Training Class

Virginia Cooperative Extension is now accepting applications for the 2017 New River Valley Master Gardener Training Program! Applicants must be able to attend a 60-hour Training Course and complete 50 hours of volunteer service with Virginia Cooperative Extension during their first year. . Students will get an equivalent of 3 college credits worth of knowledge from classes taught by Virginia Tech professors and Virginia Cooperative Extension Agents. The course provides a thorough understanding of all areas in horticulture. and includes the following topics: Topics covered in the course include: Botany, Entomology, Indoor Foliage, Annuals, Perennials, Risk Management, Trees and Shrubs, Abiotic Plant Stress, Fruits, Plant Pathology, Urban Forestry/Pruning, Landscape Design, Propagation, Vegetables, Pesticide Use & Safety, and Water Quality. Upon completion of the Training Course, students will be considered interns and will begin a 50-hour internship designed to provide practical hands-on learning under guidance of experienced Extension Master Gardeners. There are many on-going Master Gardener projects in the NRV that help others learn and use sustainable gardening and landscape practices, teach youth gardening skills, provide food for those in need while teaching them how to grow their own, assist community members through horticultural therapy, and more. Master Gardening is a fantastic way to volunteer. The skills you learn during the Extension Master Gardener Training Course will help you not only in your own gardens but when assisting others as well. We hope you will consider joining this exciting, fun, and educational group who don’t mind getting their hands dirty to support the community! Contact the New River Valley Master Gardener Coordinator at the Montgomery County Extension Office for more information or to obtain an application!