Montana State University Extension in Gallatin County will host the Level 1 Master Gardener Class beginning Monday, January 18th.
The class will be held from 6-8:30 p.m. on consecutive Mondays until March 7th at the Museum of the Rockies. MSU Horticulture Specialist Toby Day will be the instructor. The class is intended for beginner to intermediate gardeners who want to be more successful in vegetable or flower gardening and to better understand yard and garden maintenance. Topics to be covered include: an introduction to MSU Extension and the Master Gardener program; soils and fertility; plant growth and development; flower and vegetable gardening; planting and maintaining trees and shrubs; an introduction to proper pruning and maintaining lawns; and an introduction to integrated pest management. The class offers a certification track or a non-certification track, and both include the Montana Master Gardener handbook. The certification track costs $180. Certification requires passing an open book test and completing 20 hours of community volunteer commitment by May 1st, 2017. The non-certification track costs $250. The volunteer commitment may include activities such as answering questions at a local farmers’ market, assisting local garden groups, volunteering at community gardens, donating time and food to local food banks and pantries and other horticulture-based volunteer projects. Projects will be discussed in more detail in class.
To sign up for the class, call the Gallatin County MSU Extension office at (406) 388-3213, e-mail Emily-Lockard@montana.edu or visit the office, located at 201 West Madison, Ste. 300 in Belgrade. To learn more about the Montana Master Gardener program, visit msuextension.org and follow the yard and garden link on the left menu to Master Gardener Program. •
