Attend an Open House
One of the best first steps would be to attend a Master Gardener open house. At this kind of event, you’ll have the opportunity to take a deeper dive into what the Master Gardener Volunteer program is, interact with current MGVs, and ask questions. After an open house, if you are still interested in the program, go ahead and fill out an application.
Application and Interviews
After filling out an application, you will hear back whether or not your application was accepted or denied. If your application is accepted, you would then move onto an interview to further gauge your interest and commitment to the program. You will also need to complete a criminal background check.
Training
After interviews, then you’d be on to the training portion of becoming a Master Gardener Volunteer. Training is held over the course of 2-3 months covering a range of core topics related to gardening and horticulture. These topics include OSU Extension and MGV orientation, basic botany and plant physiology, soils and fertilizers, basic entomology, basic plant pathology and plant disease diagnostics, integrated pest management and pesticide use and safety, home lawn care, annuals, perennials, and bulbs, trees and shrubs, home vegetable production, home fruit production, houseplants, and backyard wildlife management. There may also be tours to regional arboretums and other experiential learning opportunities as well. In total, each trainee must complete 50 hours of instruction. There will also be some quizzes and a final, open-book or take-home exam that trainees must pass with a cumulative average of 70% or better. The cost of training may vary, but should generally be ~$200. The course fee covers your MGV manual, name tags, and other training/course materials.
Intern Status
Upon entering the training, you are considered a MGV intern. This status remains until the training is completed and the intern fulfils the 50 hour volunteer commitment. After these requirements are met, interns will receive an official MGV certificate.
Maintaining Active MGV Status
Once you have become a MGV, you must recertify each year. To recertify and be considered in good standing, each MGV must complete a minimum of 20 hours of volunteer service, 10 hours of continuing education, pay the $10 state support fee, and complete the online recertification process annually.
Questions?
If you still have questions, feel free to reach out to the extension office. You can reach us at 440-326-5851, or email the ANR educator at becker.643@osu.edu.
You can learn more about the MGV program here, and you can review the MGV policies here.
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