Master Gardener Training Fall '07

It didn't take CC more than a single summer to realize that most of her  California gardening expertese was  not of great value to her  in South Carolina's  low country.  She couldn't even recognize the  native plants around her much less the imported vegetation.  So she quickly set out to rectify that situation by enrolling in a Master Gardiner Certification program offered by the State o f South Carolina through Clemson University

The course entails forty (40) hours of training... at least thirty (30) of which are in the classroom. the remaining 10 can be field trips or hands-on lab work such as shown in the trimming lecture  and hands -on exercise below.

Topics covered in the formal classroom training include basic training on the following topics:

Soil and Plant Nutritioan

 Botany

Plant Physiology (Plant  Growth and Development)

 Entomology (Insects)

Plant pathology

Weed Science

Chemical Pest Control

Managing Organic yard Trimmings ( Composting)

Plant Proagation

Vegetables

Fruit

Landscape Design

Woody Plant Material for Landscape Use

Ornamental Plants in the Landscape' Herbacious Flowering Plants

Turfgrass Establishment and Management

Indoor Plants

Diagnostics for Urban Plant Problems

Once the classroom and labwork is successfull completed, the student still has to complete an additional forty (40) hours of volunteer community work  related to helping better the environment and or South Carolina's Gardening Community

Team #1 evaluates its specimens branch  formation and discusses how and where the trimming should begin.

 

With trimming complete  awaiting the instructos feedback

Teams # 2 and #3 do the same with their specimens

Upon completion of all the classroom , lab, and volunteer community service requirements  the students receive a master gardener Certification.  But they must still complete an additional forty hours per year  relevant community service to keep the certification current.