by Joe D. Janak, Jr.
Victoria County Extension Agent
July 6, 2011
(From the Victoria Advocate)
Applications for 16-week program being accepted through July 19
2011 will be our 15th year of training local people to be Master Gardeners. It is really amazing that so many years have gone by and what our Master Gardeners have accomplished.
Do you enjoy the feeling of helping someone, teaching them something, especially about gardening or growing plants? Are you interested in the latest information on shade trees, lawn grasses, diseases, or SuperStarTM plants for your back yard? If you are, the Texas AgriLife Extension Service - Victoria County organized Master Gardener program may be what you are looking for.
While the program is open to all, men and women are both encouraged to sign up to participate in activities that will teach them to enhance and landscape their own yards and also learn to teach others.
In the past 14 years, 148 of the 268 people - or 55 percent - that went through the 16-week course became certified Master Gardeners by completing their 50 hours of volunteerism. And those same people are still active in the Master Gardener program today. That speaks volumes for a volunteer organization with some members that have been volunteering for 14 years.
In recent years, volunteers hosted more than 50 educational events, reaching more than 4,500 people each year. Last year, they had 113 events that reached more than 7,300 people in educational events. Their volunteer time alone was more than 16,000 hours in 2010 - or nearly 100,000 hours in 14 years - valued at more than $1.5 million to the community, plus more than half a million dollars raised in establishing the Master Gardener Pavilion and the Victoria Educational Gardens (VEG).
So what's on tap for 2011 training? Sixteen weeks of training sessions will be conducted every Thursday from 1-5 p.m. beginning Aug. 4 and running through Nov. 17, with graduation scheduled for Dec. 13.
To truly understand gardening, you must learn about plants and how they grow. Once that is accomplished, you'll learn about diagnosing diseases and identifying insects - the good and the bad - and learn to manage them. Next, you will be learn about plant propagation, which is how to grow more of your favorite plants from seeds, cuttings, roots, buds or grafts. This training is hands-on.
But we are just getting started. Next, you'll learn about the recommended trees, shrubs, perennials, roses and SuperStarTM plants and how to care for them. The same applies for vegetables and herbs for your garden. Sampling your own soil and learning what it means will be a great benefit to your gardening success. Topics on the latest recommendations in growing backyard fruits and nuts, and learning home landscaping principles and EarthKindTM gardening practices really are advantageous.
Everyone has a yard, and turfgrasses, varieties and their management will be discussed, as it is of high interest. For all those pests that need controlling, you'll learn about pesticides, safety using them, organic pest control and application techniques. Other topics will include perennials, roses, bulbs, pesticide safety, pesticide application techniques, rain water harvesting, composting, and lastly, you'll receive training to teach youngsters through the Junior Master Gardener program. You will conduct children's tours, educate the public with the skills you learned, write news articles such as "The Gardeners' Dirt" for the Victoria Advocate and present programs.
Applications to see whether you qualify for the Master Gardener program are available at the Extension office at 528 Waco Circle in Victoria, or by calling 361-575-4581. Applications will be accepted until Tuesday, July 19. The registration fee for the 16-week program is $175, which averages about $10 per week. There is also an additional charge of approximately $30 for a bus tour of various gardens, which is optional.
If you can commit 16 Thursday afternoons to enhance your knowledge and donate back at least 50 hours of volunteer time in 2012 - mostly during the 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. time period, the Victoria County Master Gardener program is an exciting endeavor waiting for you. Watch Friday's Advocate for the Gardeners' Dirt article, which explains more about the Master Gardener course.
Joe Janak is a Victoria County extension agent
WHEN: Every Thursday from 1-5 p.m. beginning Aug. 4 through Nov. 17.
COST: $175.
INFORMATION: For more information, stop by the Extension office at 528 Waco Circle, Victoria, or call 361-575-4581
The Victoria County organized Master Gardener program will teach participants many aspects of gardening, including shade trees, lawn grasses and diseases. Prospective gardeners will also learn about insects, both good and bad, and how to manage them. The bad actus ike the cactus month, above. Once hatched, the larvae burrow into the cactus pad and feed together as a group. This pest can cause severe damage to the population of native prickly pear cactus in the southwestern United States and Mexico.