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 Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington 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.
How to become a Master Gardener volunteer
Step 1: Apply.
We are no longer accepting applications for our 2025 Master Gardener Training class.
To be notified when we open applications for our 2026 Master Gardener Training class sign up HERE for our interest list. You will then be notified when we resume accepting applications.
Step 2: Complete the Master Gardener educational training.
Training in the metro area (Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties) is a mix of in person and online training modules. The curriculum is developed by OSU horticulturalists and includes topics on local climate gardening techniques, basic botany, methods for growing vegetables, lawns, fruit trees and landscape plants, soil management plant nutrition, pest identification and control methods, and prevention and diagnosis of plant problems, to name a few.
Step 3: Participate in 2 hands-on workshops.
In-person, hands-on workshops are offered at various locations in the metro region. 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 associations (nonprofit organizations) in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties.
- Educating the community through the Master Gardener association’s demonstration/education gardens located in the metro area. Includes growing food for distribution to local food pantries.
- Contributing to other organizations’ garden-based educational activities serving various communities in the metro region.
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
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.
- Controlled Environment Agriculture explore the possibility of CEA (Controlled Environment Agriculture) to create an extremely high-intensity production environment. Learn the importance of controlling water, light, temperature, substrate, nutrients, and the atmosphere for maximizing plant growth.
- 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 schedule for 2023.
- Permaculture Design Certificate is an introductory course and a broad survey of the permaculture design system.
- School Garden Coordinator Certificate covers best practices for building, using and maintaining school and youth food gardening programs.
- Growing in an Urban Environment you will explore the diverse and site-specific scenarios you might encounter on your various journeys in urban agriculture.
- Horticulture Jobs and Career Essentials in this 10-week online course, you will learn about the various career opportunities in the broad and encompassing field of horticulture.
- Organic Gardening this class will teach you the essentials for a thriving garden while helping you save time and money by avoiding common mistakes.
Explore OSU’s expansive online Professional and Continuing Education courses. Including: permaculture food forests, pruning and training of berries, kiwis and grapes, and more.