Registration open for Wilson County Master Gardener fall certification training in Floresville

Applications are being accepted for the 14-week fall Wilson County Master Gardeners certification training course Aug. 20 through Nov. 19 in Floresville.

The course will help prepare individuals to become certified Texas Master Gardeners, which allows them to assist the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service through community education programs in horticulture.  

Classes will be held every Tuesday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in Room 10 of the AgriLife Extension office in Wilson County, 1103 Fourth St.

Registration is $275 per person or $480 for a joint application, which allows two people to take the course and share one manual. Registration deadline is Aug. 19, and after that date the cost will increase to $295 per person or $500 for joint applications.

The fee includes all course materials, field trips, a background check, a name badge and T-shirt.

To register, contact the office at 830-393-7357 or email Samantha Shannon at [email protected]. To learn more about the course, contact Master Gardeners Steffinie Mannifield at 210-310-6299 or [email protected], Brenda Schaefer at 210-842-0672 or [email protected], or Teri Burnham at 573-286-8953 or [email protected]

Master Gardener requirements

To become a certified Master Gardener, individuals must:

• Pay the applicable fee.
• Undergo a personal background check.
• Attend a minimum of 50 hours of classroom and field instruction.
• Complete take-home exams.
• Complete a minimum of 50 volunteer hours at approved Master Gardener projects within a year of completing the course.

To maintain Master Gardener status, individuals must perform 20 hours of volunteer service, attend at least 10 hours of continuing education training annually, pay dues, and report volunteer hours monthly.

Course topics

The courses will cover the following topics:

• Landscape design.
• Earth-Kind landscaping.
• Soil characteristics.
• Plant growth and development.
• Rainwater and irrigation.
• Home vegetable gardening and fruit production.
• Tree selection, planting and maintenance.
• Insects, entomology and integrated pest management.
• Plant diseases and weeds.
• Weeds.
• Native plants and wildflowers.