Master Gardener Certification Program Registration

The Master Gardener Certification Program Information

How Can I Become a Massachusetts Master Gardener?

The Master Gardener program grew out of extension education services offered through land grant universities in the United States. The first Master Gardener program was established in 1973, and today there are master gardener programs in all 50 states and in 8 provinces in Canada. The mission of the Master Gardener program is focused on urban and suburban gardens with emphasis on unbiased scientific horticultural practices.

The Massachusetts Master Gardener organization (MMGA) became an independent organization in 2008 and has grown to have more than 500 active volunteers that work in more than 46 gardens throughout eastern and central Massachusetts. Our mission is to act as a resource for our communities through direct service in historic and food pantry gardens, by giving lectures, and supporting outreach projects in schools and non-profit organizations. To support this mission we train our volunteers in best practices horticultural methods through a lecture series, and an internship program that is supported by Certified Master Gardeners.

The 2024 Program begins with a 16 week lecture series on January 9th. Which is followed by a 7 month internship, where the students are asked to complete 60 hours of volunteer work. During the internship you will continue to learn about horticulture by working alongside other Certified Master gardeners.

After completing the program requirements, you will become a Certified Master Gardener. You will be part of a community who is passionate about horticulture, who successfully initiate projects in our neighborhoods, and work in ongoing projects gardens as a community of colleagues and friends. And we have many social events to learn more about horticulture, other project gardens,  and each others’ gardens.

Requirements: 

• Must be a resident of Massachusetts.

• Attend all 16 scheduled meetings (12 via zoom, 4 in-person, locations to be determined).

• Complete 60 volunteer hours, supervised by other Certified Master Gardeners, by November 1, 2024.

• Complete all homework assignments and 2 take-home exams.

• Have access to a desktop or laptop computer.

• Be comfortable with using online resources: using gmail, sharing resources electronically, researching using the internet, completing and returning class assignments which are distributed electronically.

• Before the lecture series begins, you will need to pass a CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) and SORI (Sex Offender Registry Information) check by the State of Massachusetts. We will help you submit the required information for this process.

• Submit the application and the $25 application fee.

• Complete a telephone interview.

• Pay the tuition ($650) and any fees.

• Purchase the master gardening text book from Pennsylvania State Extension ($75 plus shipping and handling).

Lecture series schedule: January 9 - April 30, 2024

There will be 12 lectures via zoom, and 4 in-person sessions. The class size is 40 people, and the expectation is that you attend all the scheduled lectures; they are not recorded. The lectures are held on Tuesdays from 8:45 am to 12pm. There are weekly homework assignments and 2 take-home exams which are based on assigned reading from the PennState Extension Master Gardener Manual.

January 9 Orientation (in-person, site to be determined)*

January 16  Soil Science, part 1

January 23  Soil Science, part 2

January 30  Botany, part 1

February 6  Botany, part 2

February 13    Perennials

February 20   Woody Ornamental

February 27    Native Plants

March 5       Vegetables

March 12     NO CLASS MEETING, mid-term due Mar 31

March 19     Weeds & Invasive species

March 26     Plant Propagation

April 2          Integrated Pest Management/Entomology

April 9          Pruning (in person, site to be determined)*

April 16        Plant Diseases

April 23        Lab Day / practicum (in-person, site to be determined)*

April 30        Project Day (in-person, site to be determined)*

Internship: May 1 - November 30, 2024

During the 7 month internship, the students are asked to complete 60 hours of volunteer work. You will be supported, supervised and work along-side MMGA Certified Master Gardeners. The volunteer hours are broken up into several categories. We want to expose you to all the types of volunteer work the organization does.

• Gardening: Working in at least 3 of our 46 project gardens (24 hours)

• Helpline: Working with a Certified Master Gardener, respond to horticultural questions emailed by the public (9 hours)

• Outreach: Participate in MMGA Outreach activities in a Master Gardener booth at farmers markets and autumn agricultural fairs (8 hours)

• Continuing Education: Attend MMGA sponsored Continuing Education programs (6 hours)

• MMGA Administration: Participate in MMGA administrative work such as attending Associate or Regional meetings, audit a committee meeting, volunteering at the MMGA Symposium in the fall (8 hours)

• ‘Any hours’: Volunteer in your favorite category above! (5 hours)

What Are the Benefits to Becoming a Certified Massachusetts Master Gardener? 

• Learn best practices horticulture by working with skilled Certified Master Gardeners in MMGA sponsored project gardens;

• Participate in the dozens of MMGA-sponsored Continuing Education classes, workshop, field trips and visits to members’ and project gardens;

• Provide best practice horticultural knowledge and gardening support at the community level through our outreach programs: Ask a Master Gardener, Helpline and Soil pH testing at farmers’ markets, plant sales, community fairs, and other MMGA sponsored events.

• Learn how to be an informative speaker by joining our Speakers’ Bureau which presents lectures to the community on horticultural topics.

• Meet other Master gardeners through bi-monthly social meetings that include a horticultural presentation and updates about the MMGA organization.

How to Apply

The application for the 2024 Master Gardener Certification Program will be made available through a special September edition of The Dirt magazine - an electronic publication of the MMGA. If you are already a subscriber to The Dirt, check your inbox in September. If you are not a current subscriber, please click here to subscribe.

Candidates for the program are chosen through an interview process after submitting the completed application found here.