How to Become a Master Gardener

Fall Training (in-person, county)

For the first step, please complete the volunteer application, email/mail it to Maxine Yoon (maxyoon@umd.edu), and let her know when would be a good time to come in for an interview (in-person or virtual).  Once she has completed all the interviews, she will then have to send in your information to our background check system by the end of July and send out a Qualtrics survey to your references.  This will give us enough time, the month of August, for the background and reference checks to go through.  When your background check clears, I will then accept payment of $350.  Do not order your textbooks.  I will order the textbooks for everyone and they will be here ready for pick up on the first day of class.

Timeline of classes will be every Wednesday night 6-8PM from the first week of September to the week before Thanksgiving at the Anne Arundel County Extension office.  We will be covering topics such as Entomology and Invasive Insects, Plant Pathology, Botany, Integrated Pest Management, Soil Science, Plant Nutrition, Ecology, Bay-Wise and Conservation Landscaping, Vegetables, Native Plants, and Plant Identification.  This will primarily be in-person, but we do have some guest speakers that will be presenting via zoom.  The virtual component is mainly an option for those that need it as an accommodation and for recording purposes.  If you would like to take this course virtually, the statewide spring training is yearly and is held via zoom.  Please pick the option that you think would work best for you, both options have their own benefits and drawbacks.

Spring Training (virtual, statewide) 

The Anne Arundel County MG program participates in the state-wide MG training in the Spring.  It will be held online virtually and the classes are from the first week of February to the first week of May, every Wednesday from 6-9 PM.  

For the first step, please complete the volunteer application, email/mail it to Maxine (maxyoon@umd.edu), and let her know when would be a good time for us to come in for an interview (in-person or virtual).  Once she has completed all the interviews, she will then have to send in your information to our background check system by the end of November and send out a Qualtrics survey to your references.  This will give us enough time, the month of December, for the background and reference checks to go through.  When your background check clears, I will then accept payment of $350 minus the cost of the textbook (TBD).  Please order your own textbook from here: (TBD) 

The spring training will be covering topics such as Entomology and Invasive Insects, Plant Pathology, Botany, Integrated Pest Management, Soil Science, Plant Nutrition, Ecology, Bay-Wise and Conservation Landscaping, Vegetables, and Native Plants.  The spring training is held entirely online and virtually via zoom.  If you would like to take this course in-person, the fall training is held yearly and held mostly in-person.  Please pick the option that you think would work best for you, both options have their own benefits and drawbacks.

Assurance Statements

  • A reduction in fees is available by request and is approved based on availability, eligibility, and financial need.

  • University programs, activities, and facilities are available to all without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, religion, protected veteran status, genetic information, personal appearance, or any other legally protected class. 

  • If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any event or activity, please contact Maxine Yoon at 3012267475 or maxyoon@umd.edu at least 2 weeks prior to the event.