Have you ever wanted to be a Rutgers Master Gardener?
Rutgers Master Gardeners are volunteers trained and certified by the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) Cooperative Extension to provide educational programs and activities that support sustainable home gardens throughout New Jersey.
Anyone interested in gardening and enthusiastic about volunteering can become a Rutgers Master Gardener. No previous education or training in horticulture is required.
New Jersey’s first Master Gardener program was launched in Bergen County in 1984. Since then, Rutgers Cooperative Extension has trained thousands of Rutgers Master Gardeners statewide. In return, these Rutgers his master gardeners have donated hundreds of thousands of hours of service to New Jersey residents. In 2022, in Monmouth County alone, a total of 264 Rutgers Master Gardener volunteers provided his services for 15,440 hours worth $423,982.40.
Rutgers Master Gardeners receive in-depth, hands-on training in horticulture from Rutgers University faculty and professional staff. Some basic topics include plant biology, reproduction, soil science, and disease and pest control. Participants pay a fee to cover the cost of materials and programs and learn from a combination of classroom and garden-based instruction (scholarships are available). In exchange for training, Rutgers Master Gardeners agree to volunteer part-time work in their communities in programs sponsored by the Rutgers Cooperative Extension. Successful graduates of the training become certified Rutgers Master Gardeners upon completion of volunteer service.
Rutgers Master Gardeners provide gardening demonstrations, telephone helplines and plant clinics, community and youth gardening, horticultural therapy, information booths at county fairs and other public events, research assistance at Rutgers University, cultivation and harvesting, and more. , using their skills in a variety of areas. food for hunger.
Rutgers Master Gardeners help maintain educational demonstration gardens at Rutgers Cooperative Extension County offices statewide. These sites include a native botanical garden, a rain garden, a pollinator garden and Plant Arrow, a hungry garden that produces thousands of pounds of vegetables that are donated to local food aid programs each year.
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Trained Master Gardener volunteers operate a 24/7 telephone helpline to advise the public on gardening issues and to diagnose and resolve home garden problems. County residents may call the local Master Gardener Her Helpline for free answers to questions about home gardens, insects, and pests. You can also leave questions on the answering machine after hours, on weekends, and during he’s particularly busy times of the year. You will receive a call back. You can also email Rutgers Her Master Gardeners with questions, photos and general gardening questions. Get back with accurate, science-based information to help you solve your gardening problems.
Rutgers Master Gardeners can also advise on local public gardening projects. They can help with garden planning and educational outreach and advice.
If you’re looking for speakers at your next conference or event, Rutgers Master Gardeners can provide speakers on almost any horticultural topic. With expertise ranging from growing roses to composting, Japanese beetles to his Jersey woodchucks, Rutgers his Master Gardener is happy to share that knowledge with your group or organization.
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Many Rutgers Master Gardeners are trained in horticultural enrichment. It is the process of using plants and gardening activities to improve the social, educational, psychological and physical well-being of people. These activities have proven therapeutic for many groups and individuals as working with plants can connect with calming experiences.
Rutgers Master Gardeners hosts a variety of public events throughout the year. These events include a virtual coffee talk series in February, a home garden symposium, a school gardening conference (for educators), a spectacular plant sale, a butterfly workshop, and the award-winning Bugs, Birds, and Beyond for kids. Festival (August) included.
If you are interested in becoming a Rutgers Master Gardener, want to learn more about upcoming programs, or have any lawn or garden questions, please contact your local Rutgers Cooperative Extended County office. Classes for the 2023 Master Gardener Training Program began his February and are now accepting applications. A complete directory of Rutgers Cooperative Extension county offices statewide can be found at https://njaes.rutgers.edu/county/.