Become an Extension master gardener

If you enjoy plants, yard and garden work, learning new things and helping people, consider becoming an Extension master gardener. This volunteer program has been in Platte County since 1983, and we currently have 21 active volunteers. New volunteers join in January and early February.

Extension master gardeners are trained volunteers. In Nebraska, they assist University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in extending lawn, landscape, and garden information to youth and adults in their communities.

A master gardener might answer plant questions at the Extension office or at a master gardener booth, help with a 4-H gardening workshop, assist at the county fair, work with a local community garden or demonstration garden, or help plan an educational bus tour. Some volunteers design their own volunteer activities.

If you think you need to be an expert gardener or have many plant growing experiences to become an Extension master gardener, this is not the case. You only need to be interested in learning more about plants, meeting new people, and have the time to participate in training and volunteer outreach.

New volunteers are asked to complete 40 hours of education and return an equal number of volunteer hours throughout the year. After the first year, and once the first 40 hours are completed, returning volunteers are asked to complete 12 hours of continuing education and 12 to 20 volunteer hours annually.

Along with education about a variety of plant topics, master gardeners receive a handbook on plant care and additional literature on many plant topics. They learn about a variety of garden and landscape opportunities across the state and nationally through the International Master Gardener conference.

Additional benefits are meeting people with similar interests, sharing plants, discussing gardening successes and failures, and learning from each other, as well as the opportunity to share information with- and help others.

If you enjoy learning about plants, but do not have the time needed to become a volunteer, the lawn and garden classes are open to the general public to attend for a fee. You can choose which topics you are most interested in and attend only the sessions that are of interest to you.

Lawn and garden education sessions are held Tuesday evenings from 6:30-9 p.m. beginning Feb. 11. Topics to be covered this year are Integrated Pest Management, Diseases of Herbaceous Landscape Plants, Turfgrass Care and Management, Landscape Pollinators and Pollinator Friendly Plants, Plant Propagation, and Landscape Weed ID and Herbicide Update.

Classes are also held Thursday mornings from 9 a.m.-noon beginning Feb. 13. The topics this year include Pruning Trees, Shrubs and More; Vegetable Gardening, and two others sessions that are yet to be arranged.

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Become an Extension master gardener