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

•  August 14, 2008  • 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 "New Gardeners Learn by Trowel and Error!" Thanks to Andria Segedy for these great pictures! Click to view Click to view

•  August 21, 2008  • Plant Physiology - Dr. Rudy Pacumbaba. We learned that an 8-year old Apple tree may have a root system that, laid end to end, would reach to Scottsboro and back. We heard about growth regulators, plant hormones, and how we get a ripe banana to the market. Who would've guessed that there was so much science behind a 'Green Thumb'? The class on plant physiology gave us a new perspective of what is really happening in our garden. All that stuff going up the xylem and down the phloem and, also, in & out of the leaves. It's not easy being a plant. Trees and Pruning Techniques - Ken Creel. Ken gave us insight to how a tree survives and thrives.., and how easily it can be damaged or killed. He told us what to look for when selecting trees for our yard and how to plant them. We learned to recognize bark ridges, branch collars, forks, included bark, and true branches. He expalined how extensively damaged or rotted a tree can be inside and not exhibit any outward signs. This presents a real hazard in urban areas as large branches can fall without warning and have tragic results. All of this we must keep in mind when we speak with homeowners. The potential danger a tree presents may far exceed the sentimental value. "If only I could grow green stuff in my garden like I can in my refrigerator!" Reading Assignment for Plant Physiology     • Read Alabama Master Gardener Handbook, Chapter 1: pages 33 – 47 Reading Assignment for Trees and Pruning Techniques     • Read Alabama Master Gardener Handbook, Chapter 6, pages 9 - 11.

•  August 28, 2008  • Vegetable Gardening - Doug Chapman. A Limestone County Extension Agent since 1994, Doug presented an excellent class on home vegetable gardening. We learned the importance of site selection, choosing the right crops, and about the Carbon to Nitrogen ratio. And, we now know those letters on the plant tag at the garden center indicate pest resistance: V-Verticillium wilt, F-Fusarium wilt, N-Root-knot Nematodes, T-Tobacco Mosaic Virus, and PM-Powdery Mildew. Picking a resistant variety of any plant will reduce the maintenance needed during the growing season. Reading Assignment for Vegetable Gardening     • Read Alabama Master Gardener Handbook, Chapter 3. Lawns - Ken Creel. Ken's class on lawns is always entertaining and informative. Growing turf grass can be a challenge trying to balance the various needs of warm and cool season grasses with the extremes of heat, drought, shade and pests that we experience here in the valley. We learned the characteristics of each type of grass and the environmental conditions that can aggrevate lawn deseases and insects. Lawn care always brings many questions.., from homeowners in new lots with no trees and in rural homes on lots full of tall evergreens. Full sun to deep shade makes answering lawn questions tough. Reading Assignment for Lawns     • Read Alabama Master Gardener Handbook, Chapter 7. "Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit..; Wisdom is not putting it in fruit salad."

• 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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