The University of Missouri Extension Office is offering Missouri Master Gardener online training beginning Sunday, Jan. 15.
Classes cover basic information for subjects like botany, vegetable gardening, fruit production, soil and plant nutrition, insects and diseases, and pesticide safety.
According to a press release from the MU Extension Office, this core training session along with 30 hours of volunteer service are necessary for trainees to become a certified Master Gardener. Students are encouraged to ask a current Master Gardener for assistance finding volunteer opportunities.
Classes are administered as scripted and narrated presentations via the Canvas learning platform, allowing trainees to learn at their own pace. To pass the course, students must earn a 70% composite score on their chapter quizzes.
“One of [the rewards of gardening] is the satisfaction of sharing your plant knowledge with others. The Master Gardener program was initiated to do just that,” said David Trinklein, state horticulture specialist for the MU Extension.
The program’s main goal is to serve others, as exemplified in its motto “helping others learn to grow.”
The 14 classes will be taught by Trinklein and Sarah Denkler, MU Extension horticulture specialist.
“These classes represent a viable option for people who can’t take the weekly classes in person,” Trinklein said. “There are Master Gardener programs in every state of the union and in most provinces of Canada.”
Students must register by Saturday, Jan. 14 in order to participate in the spring 2023 online training. For more information about Master Gardener classes, visit mg.missouri.edu.
