A Purdue Master Gardener Basic Training will be offered to Miami and Surrounding County residents on Monday evenings 6-9 pm, starting September 13th and ending December 20th, 2021, according to Courtney Schmidt, Extension Educator with the Purdue Extension, Miami County. The program will be offered at the Miami County Fairgrounds Community Building.
The Purdue Master Gardener program is designed to train volunteers to assist with horticultural education programs for Purdue Extension. Participants enter a specially designed training program in home horticulture. Upon completion of the training program, they are identified as Master Gardener interns. At that time, the volunteers are expected to extend the information in the areas of gardening and horticulture under the guidance of Purdue Extension to become certified Master Gardeners.
The Purdue Master Gardener basic training program will consist of 15 sessions. Topics which may be covered are Soils and Plant Nutrition, Plant Science, Plant Disease Diagnosis, Insect Identification and Control, Weed Identification and Control, Ornamentals in the Landscape, Gardening for Wildlife, Lawn Care, Plant Propagation, Annuals and Perennials, and Pesticide Safety and Alternatives, etc. Purdue Extension Specialists, Extension Educators, Advanced Master Gardeners, and local horticulture experts serve as instructors.
Persons interested in registration information for the Master Gardener program should contact Purdue Extension Miami County located at 1029 W. 200 N., Peru IN 46970-7526, 765-472-1921, schmi163@purdue.edu. Pre-registration is required. The cost is $170.