Tri-County Master Gardener Training

View a map to the
Belle Mina Research Station.

Got a question or need some help?
Contact your county Team Leader if you are going to miss a class or have questions about anything in the program. Go to your county's website for more information about projects and volunteer opportunities.

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) maintains a very large library of informational publications on many topics. A number of these are listed below as reading assignments or additional resources. You will need a PDF viewer to read the files online. A free copy is available for download from Adobe Acrobat. Click here to search the ACES library for other brochures of interest.

Another great source of information is the online Tri-County Calendar of Events. Kathie Bass, Chair of the Communications Committee, posts information about meetings, projects, and continuing education opportunities of interest to Master Gardeners in Limestone, Madison and Morgan counties. It is kept current by volunteers in each county. Anyone with information about an upcoming event can email it to Kathie and she will get it added to the calendar.

Weather Note: The blue bar at the top of the weather link will turn RED when severe weather is forecasted in the area of the Tennessee Valley Research Station at Belle Mina, Alabama. View the syllabus for this AMG training course. Some rearranging of the class sequence is necessary for each course due to availability of the guest speakers. Invite a friend to be a Master Gardener. Print and mail this MG application to: Kenneth W. Creel, Regional Extension Agent, 819 Cook Avenue, Huntsville, AL 35801.

Plan your trip Local Radar Detailed Forecast

The 19th Annual AMGA State Conference
A Garden for all Seasons
April 2-4, 2009 - Huntsville, AL.

•  January 22, 2009  • ORIENTATION    (2-3 hours) Guest Speaker: Ken Creel & Class Volunteers Objectives:     • Welcome to the program     • Review schedules and program requirements     • Understand rights and responsibilities as a student in the program     • Meet program staff and class participants Additional Resources for the Orientation     • Alabama Cooperative Extension System     • ACES Master Gardener Site     • Alabama Master Gardeners     • Alabama Master Gardener Volunteer Program Click to view

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•  January 29, 2009  • PLANT PHYSIOLOGY    (2 hours) Guest Speaker: Dr. Rudy Pacumbaba Objectives:     • Review basic plant parts/structures and their functions in plant growth and development     • Understand relationship of photosynthesis and respiration to plant growth and development     • Identify the basic requirements for plant growth including the 12 essential elements     • Recognize the process by which plants absorb essential elements Reading Assignment for Plant Physiology     • Read Alabama Master Gardener Handbook, Chapter 1: pages 33 – 47 TREES AND PRUNING TECHNIQUES    (2 hours) Guest Speaker: Ken Creel Objectives:     • Become familiar with basic cultural practices relating to the planting and care of trees     • Understand the importance of proper site analysis and selection     • Learn to identify and control major diseases of trees     • Recognize types of trees successfully grown in this geographic region     • Learn appropriate basic pruning techniques Reading Assignment for Trees and Pruning Techniques     • Read Alabama Master Gardener Handbook, Chapter 6, pages 9 - 11.

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•  February 5, 2009  • HOME ORCHARDS & SMALL FRUITS    (2 hours) Guest Speaker: Mike Reeves Objectives:     • Identify the recommended varieties of fruit trees for our growing area     • Gain an awareness of the basic cultural practices for home orchards and small fruits     • Become familiar with methods to identify and control insects and deseases in home orchards and on small fruits     • Learn the basic pruning techniques for home orchards     • Understand the importance of site and cultivar selection for small fruits (strawberries, blueberries, grapes, brambles) in the home garden Reading Assignment for Home Orchards & Small Fruits     • Read Alabama Master Gardener Handbook, Chapter 4. CONTAINER GARDENING    (2 hours) Guest Speaker: Mary Pendley, Alice Lawler Objectives:     • Review the principles of successful container gardening     • Review the principles of color selection Reading Assignment for Container Gardening     • Alabama Master Gardener Handbook, Chapter 5, pages 1-8 and 13-17     • Container Gardening     • Home Selection and Care of Interior Foliage Plants Additional Resources for Container Gardening     • ANR-0184 Annual Bedding Plants     • ANR-0566 Herbaceous Perennials in Alabama

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•  February 12, 2009  • VEGETABLE GARDENING    (2 hours) Guest Speaker: Doug Chapman Objectives:     • Understand the basics of small scale vegetable gardening     • Understand planting schedules and fertilization     • Review methods of insect and disease control     • Learn harvesting and storage techniques Reading Assignment for Vegetable Gardening     • Read Alabama Master Gardener Handbook, Chapter 3. Additional Resources for Vegetable Gardening     • ANR-0910 Common Insect and Disease Pests of Turfgrasses and Ornamentals in Alabama     • ANR-0063 Planting Guide For Home Gardening In Alabama     • ANR-0479 The Alabama Vegetable Gardener ENVIRONMENTAL GARDENING & COMPOSTING    (2 hours) Guest Speaker: Elouisa Stokes Objectives:     • Learn the major elements of environmental gardening     • Become familiar with benefits of environmental gardening     • Understand the practice of adaptive gardening for specific reasons     • Recognize the basic principles of composting Additional Resources for Environmental Gardening and Composting     • Class hand-outs

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•  February 19, 2009  • SOILS AND FERTILIZERS    (4 hours) Guest Speaker: Dr. Charles Mitchell Objectives:     • Identify the five factors of soil formation     • Recognize the physical components of soil     • Be able to identify and explain the function of the elements essential to plant growth     • Recognize types of fertilizer and their appropriate uses Reading Assignment for Soils & Fertilizers     • Read Alabama Master Gardener Handbook, Chapter 1: pages 1 – 32 Additional Resources for Soils & Fertilizers     • ANR-0340 Soils of Alabama     • ANR-0744 Fertilizer Basics For Home Grounds     • ANR-0006-A Home Soil Testing: Taking a Sample     • ANR-0006-B Home Soil Testing: Using The Soil Test Report

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•  February 26, 2009  • ENTOMOLOGY    (2 hours) Guest Speaker: Ken Creel Objectives:     • Learn to identify and control various types of common insects     • Become familiar with the principles of pesticide safety Reading Assignment for Entomology     • Read Alabama Master Gardener Handbook, Chapter 3, pages 33-47; Chapter 6, pages 88-101; chapter 7, pages 15-21. Additional Resources for Entomology     • ANR-1042 Common Diseases and Insects Found in Landscape Settings     • ANR-1045 Garden Bugs     • Integrated Pest Management WEED SCIENCE    (2 hours) Guest Speaker: Ken Creel Objectives:     • Learn to identify and classify weeds     • Become familiar with the four general methods of weed control     • Understand the importance of proper selection of herbicides and safety procedures for their use Reading for Assignment for Weed Science     • Read Alabama Master Gardener Handbook, Chapter 2: pages 16 – 29 Additional Resources for Weed Science     • ANR-1128 Weed Identification for Horticultural Crops     • ANR-0854 Weed Control in Residential Landscape Plantings     • ANR-0322 Weed Control in Home Gardens     • Auburn University Weed Identification LAWNS    (2 hours) Guest Speaker: Ken Creel Objectives:     • Identify the varieties of lawn grasses recommended for our area     • Learn to evaluate them based on temperature tolerance, resilience, and amount of care required     • Learn basic techniques involved in establishing lawn grass     • Become familiar with the basic requirements for proper lawn maintenance Reading Assignment for Lawns     • Read Alabama Master Gardener Handbook, Chapter 7.

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•  March 5, 2009  • •  NOTE FOR THIS WEEK  • This week's class will meet at the Huntsville Botanical Garden at the regular time. PLANT SELECTION & GARDEN TOUR    (4 hours) Guest Speaker: Harvey Cotten Objectives:     • Learn what to look for in a plant, i.e. growth habit and cultural requirements     • Obtain an overview of plants that perform well in our growing zone Reading Assignment for Selection of Plant Materials     • Read Alabama Master Gardener Handbook, Chapter 6. Additional Resources for Plant Selection     • ANR-0566 Herbaceous Perennials in Alabama

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•  March 12, 2009  • •  NOTE FOR THIS WEEK  • This week's class will meet at the Huntsville Botanical Garden at the regular time. ANNUALS AND PERENNIALS    (2 hours) Guest Speaker: Niki Sothers Objectives:     • Learn about the selection and care of annuals and perennials     • Become familiar with their growth habits and best cultural practices Reading Assignment for Annuals & Perennials     • Read Alabama Master Gardener Handbook, Chapter 5, pages 18-30 Additional Resources for Annuals & Perennials     • ANR-751 Correct Installation And Establishment Of Ornamental Plants     • ANR-0566 Herbaceous Perennials in Alabama     • ANR-1071 Wildflower Identification LANDSCAPING WITH HARVEY    (2 hours) Guest Speaker: Harvey Cotten Objectives:     • Gain first–hand knowledge of ways to use annuals and perennials in a home landscape Reading Assignment for Landscaping with Harvey     • GARDEN HOME by P. Allen Smith

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•  March 19, 2009  • •  NOTE FOR THIS WEEK  • This is a hands-on class. Bring your garden gloves. We will view a short video and then split into small groups to rotate through learning stations. Experienced MGs will show you how to perform various types of propagation and then you will practice them. You will keep what you plant so bring a medium-sized box to put your plants in. PLANT PROPAGATION    (4 hours) Guest Speaker: Ken Creel Objectives:     • Be able to categorize methods of propagation as sexual or asexual     • Learn techniques and methods of vegetative propagation     • Learn techniques and methods of propagation by seeds Reading Assignment for Plant Propagation     • Read Alabama Master Gardener Handbook, Chapter 5: pages 8 – 12

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•  March 26, 2009  • PLANT PATHOLOGY    (2 hours) Guest Speaker: Dr. Jim Jacobi Objectives:     • Learn to identify the major diseases of ornamental flowers, shrubs, and trees     • Acquire a knowledge of techniques for diagnosing growth problems of ornamentals Reading Assignment for Plant Pathology     • Read Alabama Master Gardener Handbook, Chapter 2, pages 1-15; and Chapter 6, pages 102-136 Additional Resources for Plant Pathology     • Auburn University Plant Laboratory     • Birmingham Plant Diagnostic Laboratory HERBS    (2 hours) Guest Speaker: Kathryn Davis Objectives:     • Learn the basics of herb gardening including varieties appropriate for our area     • Gain an awareness of growing, harvesting, and storage and use techniques Reading Assignment for Herbs     • ANR-1037 Growing Herbs in Containers     • ANR-1164 Growing Herbs

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•  April 2, 2009  • Alabama Master Gardener State Conference

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•  April 9, 2009  • LANDSCAPE DESIGN    (4 hours) Guest Speaker: Kerry Smith Objectives:     • Gain an awareness of the basic principles of “good” landscape design     • Understand the process of analyzing a site to be landscaped     • Become familiar with the steps involved in developing a landscape design Reading Assignment for Landscape Design     • Read Alabama Master Gardener Handbook, Chapter 8 Additional Resources for Landscape Design     • ANR-0813 Residential Landscape Design     • Auburn University Landscape website     • Auburn University Landscape Plant Database

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•  April 16, 2009  • BACKYARD WILDLIFE HABITAT    (2 hours) Guest Speaker: Herb Lewis Objectives:     • Illustrate incorporating water into a backyard wildlife habitat     • Focus on the key element of flowing water     • Demonstrate associated benefits within a small backyard setting Additional Resources for Backyard Wildlife Habitat     • For the Birds, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, March 2001     • Guide to Bird Behavior, Volume One, Donald Stokes; Little Brown and Company, 1979     • The Practical Rock & Water Garden, Peter Robinson, Hermes House, 2002     • Garden Stone, Barbara Pleasant, Story Books, Stone Publishing, 2002 WATER FEATURE CONSTRUCTION    (2 hours) Guest Speaker: Herb Lewis Objectives:     • TBD

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Heart of the Valley Regional Master Gardeners
Ken Creel - Regional Master Gardener Coordinator

• Limestone County • 1109 W. Market Street Athens, AL 35611 Phone: 256-232-5510 Fax: 256-230-0015 Email: Doug Chapman (Map to the Office) LCMGA Website Mailing Address P.O. Box 1304 Athens, AL 35612 LCMGA E-mail

• Madison County • 819 Cook Avenue Huntsville, AL 35801 Phone: 256-532-1578 Cell: 256-382-1554 Email: Ken Creel (Map to the Office) MGNA Website Mailing Address 819 Cook Avenue Huntsville, AL 35801 MGNA E-mail

• Morgan County • 3120 Highway 36 W. Hartselle, AL 35640 Phone: 256-773-2549 Fax: 256-773-2540 Email: Ron Britnell (Map to the Office) MCMGA Website Mailing Address P.O. Box 98 Hartselle, AL 35640 MCMGA E-mail

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