How To Become A Master Gardener

To receive an application to be considered for the 2025 Master Gardeners Training program, potential applicants are required to attend ONE of the Information Day sessions on September 12 or 13, 2024:

In-person on September 13: 

• 10:00 – 11:00 am
  UC South Coast Research & Extension Center
  7601 Irvine Blvd, Irvine, 92618

On Zoom on September 12:

• 6:00 – 7:00 pm
  Register with this link:
  https://ucanr.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMsf-
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University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Master Gardeners are volunteers who extend research-based knowledge and information on home horticulture, pest management, and sustainable landscape practices to the residents of California.  In Orange County we expect to offer the next volunteer training class to start at the end of 2024 and run through mid-May 2025.  We will begin communicating about the application process in July of 2024.

The class of 2024 has graduated.  Plans are under way for the next course.

What do UCCE Master Gardeners do?

University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners are volunteers trained to help residents of Orange County become better gardeners. Using a variety of activities such as workshops, lectures, and a garden hotline, these volunteers answer questions about home horticulture, sustainable landscaping, and integrated pest management using University of California research-based information.

After their training Master Gardeners are qualified to help the public with problems in areas such as:

• Food gardening
• Growing annuals, perennials and woody ornamental plants
• Selecting and caring for fruit and landscape trees
• Integrated Pest Management (insect and pest control)
• Soils, fertilizers and irrigation
• Plant pathology
• Composting and vermiculture
• Weed control
• Plant problem diagnosis
• Water quality and conservation

Master Gardeners work in their community by volunteering for activities and projects such as:

• Teaching workshops, or lecturing on gardening practices
• Answering gardeners’ questions via email through our Gardening Hotline
• Using mass media to disseminate gardening information
• Speaking to the public on horticultural/gardening topics
• Staffing information booths at various venues
• Participating in research activities with academics within UC
• Designing, planting and maintaining demonstration gardens
• Consulting with gardeners with the goal of improving their landscape practices
• Educating and guiding parents and teachers in gardening practices in support of school gardens

Who are Master Gardener candidates?

Master Gardener candidates are adults of all ages and come from all walks of life.

We are looking for people who

• live in Orange County
• have a basic knowledge of gardening
• have a desire to volunteer in their community to share what they learn about gardening
• have an interest in increasing their horticultural knowledge and skills

The UC Master Gardener program is administered by individual county UC Agriculture & Natural Resources Cooperative Extension offices.  If you do not live in Orange County, you can use this link to find the program in your area.

Find Your Local California Master Gardener Program

If you are currently a Master Gardener in another state, have recently moved to California and would like to transfer to the program here, please contact the Program Coordinator directly.  See our Contact Us page for details.

If you would like to express interest in our UC Master Gardener volunteer training class, please click on the "Open Survey" link below.  We will email you about our next volunteer training class as soon as we have details to share.