We are looking for people who enjoy gardening, want to learn more, and want to share their knowledge and skills to help the community.

 

Training

Horticultural professionals conduct two 3-hour sessions per week at the Louisa County Office Building, Meeting Room second floor, 1 Woolfolk Avenue, Louisa, VA. We also host several field trips at offsite locations.

The course provides a total of 50 hours of instruction consisting of classroom lectures, hands-on demonstrations, and field trips to local farms and other venues.  Classes usually start in February and run through April.

 

Topics include:

• Basic Botany
• Soils, Nutrients and Fertilizers
• Plant Propagation and Pruning
• Plant Disease Identification, Management, and Control
• Entomology & Pest Management
• Pesticide Use and Safety
• Native Plants & Gardening
• Herbaceous Plants and Trees
• Turf Grass and Weeds
• Vegetable Gardening
• Herbs
• Invasive Species
• Water Quality & Conservation

 

Requirements

Trainees are expected to complete an open-book exam at the end of the course and, afterwards as new interns, complete 50 hours of volunteer project service within one year. Once completed, interns then become certified Extension Master Gardeners. As a Louisa Extension Master Gardener, they are then expected to provide at least 20 hours of volunteer project service plus complete 8 hours of approved continuing education each year to remain active. 

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Application

Class Cost: $185. Application deadline is February 15, 2025. In addition, a separate $12.50 background
screening fee is required for all volunteers accepted into the Master Gardener program. Scholarships may be offered on a case-by-case basis.

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