Master Gardener Core Course

December 13 at noon: Deadline for accepted applicants to pay tuition. 

December 16-20: Mandatory background screening period.

By January 17, 2025: All students will be emailed instructions to create an account, login, and access our online course website called Moodle. University of Wyoming Master Gardener Handbook, our digital textbook, will be available on the Moodle course site.

January 23 by 2:00 p.m.: Printable versions of the slide decks for week one lectures will be availalbe on Moodle. We will load slide decks each Thursday by 2:00 p.m. throughout the 10 week course.

January 24, 9:00 a.m.: First day of live class.

January 27 by 5:00 p.m.: First recorded class will be available in Moodle.

March 7: No class, Spring Break

April 4: Last day of live class.

April 25, 2025: Course Closes: all assignments, quizzes, and the final exam are due.

To apply to the NDSU Extension Master Gardener Core Course you must be a resident of North Dakota who has reached the age of 18 at the time of application. You must live in a county currently accepting applications or be willing to travel to a nearby county to volunteer.

Those who are 18 and living in a county in Minnesota, South Dakota, or Montana that borders a North Dakota county accepting applications may also apply, with the exception of Clay County, MN. 

ND counties accepting applications for the 2025 Core Course are: Barnes, Bowman, Burke, Burleigh, Cass, Dickey, Divide, Dunn, Eddy, Foster, Grand Forks, Grant, LaMoure, McIntosh, McLean, Mercer, Mountrail, Richland, Sargent, Stark, Steele, Stutsman, Towner, Traill, Ward, Williams.

If your county of residence is not accepting Master Gardener applications:

• Consider our Professional Horticulture Course
• Complete the course and two-year internship in an adjacent county that is accepting applications

Contact the Extension Master Gardener Program with any questions regarding these options.

Most individuals will take the course entirely online. Individuals can use our webinar software to participate live on their computers if they login during the Friday class period (9:00 – noon CDT) while some individuals will watch the recorded videos. The Friday class will be recorded and uploaded to the course website by 5:00 p.m. It is acceptable to take a mix of classroom and online training. Those joining us in Fargo on NDSU campus are responsible for parking fees (up to $10 daily).

This list may vary slightly as we finalize speakers for the course.

• A Guide to Tree Planting
• Annuals Best Suited for North Dakota
• Basic Entomology and Integrated Pest Management
• Botany Basics and Plant Physiology
• Building Raised Garden Beds
• Cole Crops
• Composting
• Cucurbits
• Diagnosing Plant Problems
• Establishing and Maintaining Turf
• Fertilizers and Nutrient Disorders
• Flowering Shrubs for Home Landscapes
• Fruit Orchard and IPM
• Houseplants
• Introduction to Plant Pathology
• Landscape Design
• Nightshade Crops
• No-till Gardening
• Organic v Synthetic Pesticides
• Perennials for All Seasons
• Pesticide Safety
• Plant Propagation
• Pollinator Gardens
• Pruning Trees
• Seasonal Checklist
• Seed Starting
• Small Fruits and Grapes
• Soilless Container Media
• The Science Behind Home Garden Remedies
• Trees for North Dakota
• Understanding Garden Soils and Soil Tests
• Useful Websites and Resources
• Vegetable Cultivar Selection
• Weed Identification and Management
• Wildlife Management

• Reading assignments and handouts
• Lectures and videos
• Weekly open-resource quizzes on our website
• Open-resource final exam on our website
• Final grade of 80% is required

After successful completion of all course work with an average grade of 80% by April 25, 2025, you will be considered a Master Gardener Intern. As an Intern, a commitment to 48 hours of volunteer service (over two growing seasons) will build your gardening, teaching, and communication skills. The 48 hour volunteer service requirement must be completed by October 31, 2027.

After the initial 48 hours of volunteer service, you will become a Certified Master Gardener. As a Certified Master Gardener, 20 hours of volunteer service and 10 hours of continuing education must be submitted annually. Certification (and all included benefits) are annually renewed with submission of aforementioned volunteer hours. This process keeps MG skills honed and education updated.

• Teaching children about gardening through 4H or the school district
• Maintaining a community garden
• Designing and building a pollinator garden
• Growing vegetables and fruits to benefit local food pantries
• Participating in NDSU vegetable cultivar research trials
• Teaching adults how to garden
• Giving gardening talks
• Assisting NDSU Extension personnel in your county
• Volunteering to maintain zoo gardens
• Answering gardening questions at a county fair, home show, or garden tour