A Typical MG Course Syllabus

This is a sample course syllabus for the Tri-County Master Gardener training course. The actual sequence of classes may vary depending on availability of the guest speakers. Each weeks training class is four hours plus a supper break. An updated and accurate syllabus will be provided during the orientation class.

•  Orientation Week  •

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

    • Return to the Top

    •  Week 1  •

    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

    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

    • Return to the Top

    •  Week 2  •

    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

    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.

    • Return to the Top

    •  Week 3  •

    HOME ORCHARDS & SMALL FRUITS    (2 hours)

  • Guest Speaker: Ken Creel

  • 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.

    ENVIRONMENTAL GARDENING    (2 hours)

  • Guest Speaker: Jerry Redus

  • Objectives:
        • Learn the major elements of envornmental gardening
        • Become familiar with the benefits of environmental gardening
        • Understand the steps in developing a healthy garden
        • Recognize the basic principles of composting

    • Return to the Top

    •  Week 4  •

    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

    • Return to the Top

    •  Week 5  •

    HOUSE PLANTS and WATER GARDENING    (4 hours)

  • Guest Speaker: Drucilla Esslinger

  • Objectives:
        • Review basic house plant selection and care techniques
        • Learn basics of planning and establishing water gardens
  • Reading Assignment for House Plants and Water Gardening
        • Read Alabama Master Gardener Handbook, Chapter 5.
        • ANR-1139,Container Gardening
        • ANR-1242, Home Selection and Care of Interior Foliage Plants
  • Additional Resources for House Plants and Water Gardening
        • ANR-184 Annual Bedding Plants
        • ANR-566 Herbaceous Perennials in Alabama

    • Return to the Top

    •  Week 6  •

    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

    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

    • Return to the Top

    •  Week 7  •

    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

    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.

    • Return to the Top

    •  Week 8  •

    •  NOTE FOR THIS WEEK  •
    This week's class will meet at the Huntsville-Madison County Botanical Garden at the regular time.

    PLANT SELECTION    (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


    • Return to the Top

    •  Week 9  •

    •  NOTE FOR THIS WEEK  •
    This week's class will meet at the Huntsville-Madison County 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 ANNUALS & PERENNIALS    (2 hours)

  • Guest Speaker: Harvey Cotten

  • Objectives:
        • Gain first–hand knowledge of ways to use annuals and perennials in a home landscape


    • Return to the Top

    •  Week 10  •

    •  NOTE FOR THIS WEEK  •
    This is a hands-on class. Bring your garden gloves. We will meet in the classroom for a short video and then move to the “Barn” where we’ll 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


    • Return to the Top

    •  Week 11  •

    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

    • Return to the Top

    •  Week 12  •

    ADAPTIVE GARDENING    (2 hours)

  • Guest Speaker: Janet Szofran

  • Objectives:
        • Learn the definition and a brief history of horticultural therapy
        • Learn the five benefits of horticultural terapy
        • Become familiar with possibilities for MG involvement
        • Understand the practice of adaptive gardening for specific reasons
        • Learn how to choose plants and plant projects to meet specific needs

    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

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