Master Gardener Volunteer & Home Horticulture Training
Master Gardeners are trained volunteers who provide educational information to Cooperative Extension clientele. They undergo intensive training.
Course topics include basic botany; climate and soils; composting; water and irrigation; ecosystems and native plants; plant selection, planting, staking and pruning; woody plants (fruit and ornamentals); vegetables and annuals; weed management; wildlife damage control; plant diseases; entomology; integrated pest management and pesticide safety.
The primary focus of the volunteer work is providing science-based horticultural information to the community. Some examples of volunteer work are:
- staffing horticulture help lines in the Cooperative Extension offices
- giving talks, demonstrations, etc. to groups
- sharing horticulture information at festivals, farmers' markets, etc.
- assisting students in school wildlife habitats
- providing horticultural advice to individuals, groups, and establishment
2025 Master Gardener Volunteer Training - This 17 session class will be held in Prescott and begins on Wednesday, January 15, 2025. Applications were due by December 1, 2024. If you would like to be placed on a list for future classes please email Mary Barnes at barnesm@arizona.edu
Home Horticulture Classes are held via Zoom each Fall for those who would like to learn science-based gardening practices, with no volunteer commitment. Please email Mary Barnes at barnesm@arizona.edu to be placed on the distribution list to receive an application in August for the session that begins in September, 2024.