Want to make your green thumb greener?
Central Texas gardeners can become Texas Master Gardeners during an upcoming training series conducted by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service offices in Brown and McCulloch counties.
The training doesn't start until Sept. 13, but participants must register by Aug. 15 at either of the AgriLife Extension offices coordinating the program.
Scott Anderson, Texas AgriLife Extension Service agent for Brown County, says the Master Gardener classes will be held each Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 13 to Nov. 15.
"We'll have two sessions per day in the morning and afternoon," Anderson says. "We'll rotate the classroom sessions between Brady, Brownwood, and Winchell, with carpooling arrangements available to all sites."
Besides the classroom sessions, the training also will include field trips. Anderson says classroom training will be complemented with field trips to DeLeon, Fredericksburg, and Tarleton State University in Stephenville.
Plant pathology, rainwater harvesting, and soil health will be some of the topics covered during the training.
The Master Gardener program is a statewide training effort offered through the Texas AgriLife Extension Service. It consists of at least 50 hours of classroom instruction, followed 50 hours of volunteer service to the participant's local AgriLife Extension program and community. The service must be completed within the year following the class. Once requirements are complete, the participant then becomes a certified Texas Master Gardener.
Individual registration is $150 with a $50 deposi5t by August 15. Or individual registration is $175 with the $50 deposit for those wishing to attend the classes but not commit to the volunteer service. Both fees include the Master Gardener handbook. Registration balances are due the first day of class.
For more information or to register, contact the Texas AgriLife Extension Service office in Brown County at 325-646-0386 or McCulloch County at 325-597-1295.