Become a Master Gardener™ volunteer

The 2025 Master Gardener volunteer training application is now closed. Applications for the 2026 training will open October 1, 2025.

Become a Master Gardener

Master Gardeners are people like you, interested in learning more and educating others about the art and science of growing and caring for plants in the garden, the landscape, and the home. Master Gardener volunteers work in and alongside community, bringing support and education for Lane county residents to grow their own food, identify and address invasive pests or weeds they may be dealing with, and growing plants for a more resilient environment and personal health.

Being a Master Gardener volunteer doesn’t mean you’ve mastered gardening. It means you have a lifelong love of learning—because there’s always something new to learn about gardening. Master Gardener volunteers are out in the community, serving as a steady presence, especially during the gardening season. Volunteers also serve by staffing the many questions that come into Extension via email, phone, and in person.

Learn more about the mission, vision, priorities and values of the Master Gardener program. Make sure this focus aligns with your own goals for garden-based learning and volunteering.

Program details

Oregon State University Extension Master Gardener volunteers are neighbors, friends, and family who you can go to for garden advice that is grounded in science and locally relevant. We are garden educators and on-the-ground community scientists. Master Gardeners receive extensive training and complete a university-taught course in topics including botany, pest identification, soil management, and diagnosing plant problems, to name a few.

Sliding scale fee and scholarships available.

Master Gardener Training

To become a certified Master Gardener, participants complete 40 hours of training classes and 40 hours of Master Gardener volunteer service. Anyone interested in horticulture and becoming a community educator can apply to the program.

Not interested in volunteering? We have additional training options

How to become a Master Gardener volunteer

Step 1: Apply.

Applications for the 2025 Master Gardener Training will be accepted from October 1 - November 15, 2024.

Step 2: Complete the Master Gardener educational training.

Training in Lane County is a mix of in person and online training modules that takes place between mid January - mid April. The curriculum is developed by OSU horticulturalists and includes topics on local climate gardening techniques, basic botany, soil management, plant nutrition, pest identification and control methods, and prevention and diagnosis of plant problems, to name a few.

Step 3: Participate in hands-on workshops.

In-person, hands-on workshops are offered at various locations in the Eugene area. Workshops are led by OSU Extension staff, gardening experts and experienced Master Gardener volunteer educators.

Step 4. Volunteer in the community.

Complete a 40-hour volunteer service commitment through a wide range of approved education outreach activities. Options include:

Answering gardening questions via our online/in-person gardening helpline.
Representing the OSU Extension Master Gardener program at community events, educating the public and answering gardening questions.
Making gardening presentations to community groups.
Contributing to garden education outreach through community projects/events sponsored by Master Gardener association (nonprofit organizations) in Lane County.
Educating the community through the Master Gardener demonstration/education gardens located in the Eugene area.
Contributing to other organizations’ garden-based educational activities serving various communities.

Step 5: Maintain your Master Gardener status each year

Current Master Gardeners can maintain their status by participating in continuing education and serving additional volunteer hours. Annual time commitment: 20 volunteer service hours, 10 continuing education hours

Photo by Lynn Ketchum. (Cropped from original)

Additional educational opportunities for growing your gardening skills

Becoming a Master Gardener means both growing your gardening knowledge and serving as a community educator through volunteering. If you are looking to only improve your own gardening knowledge, consider some of these other options from OSU:

Certificate of Home Horticulture is an online 12-week, non-credit introduction to horticulture course.
Gardening Short Course Series includes a menu of 12 on-demand gardening courses.
Online Urban Agriculture Program is a new program to help those gardeners who want to make a career of gardening and build sustainable food systems in the community.
Sustainable Landscaping course helps you work directly with your specific landscape.
Growing Oregon Gardeners: Level Up Series is a FREE webinar series with timely topics from gardening in a changing climate to techniques to extend your season. See recordings of past webinars and find the current year's schedule.
Organic Gardening online class will teach you the essentials for a thriving garden while helping you save time and money by avoiding common mistakes.
Permaculture Design Certificate is an introductory course and a broad survey of the permaculture design system.
Explore OSU’s expansive online Professional and Continuing Education courses. Including: permaculture food forests, pruning and training of berries, kiwis and grapes, and mor

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