How to Join

The application period for 2023 is now closed. For information about future Master Gardener classes, please CLICK HERE to join our email list.

Central Oregon Resources

Are you interested in learning about gardening in Central Oregon? Are you willing to share your time and knowledge with your community? Become an OSU Master Gardener™ volunteer!

The OSU Master Gardener™ Program in central Oregon is entering its 42nd consecutive year, serving Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson Counties. Over the years, this program has trained hundreds of volunteers and they, in turn, have reached thousands of clients within our communities.

The OSU Extension Master Gardener Program educates Oregonians about the art and science of growing and caring for plants. The program targets individuals interested in learning and sharing research-based gardening information. Currently, the program has over 90 active volunteers who find the program educational, fun, and very rewarding.

OSU Master Gardener trainees receive 48 hours of intensive classroom training followed by 48 hours of experiential learning. The OSU Master Gardener Program consists of two parts:

Classroom training (hybrid in person and online in 2023)
Experiential learning in the plant clinic and community outreach activities.

An individual must complete both parts to successfully become an OSU Master Gardener.

Classroom training dates are listed in the application. The cost of the program is $280 for the class of 2023. Partial scholarships are available, call 541-548-6088 to request more information.

Part 1: Classroom Training

Once you apply and have been accepted, you will be considered an OSU Master Gardener™ trainee. As a trainee, you will participate in weekly hybrid (both in person and online combined) training conducted by qualified OSU Extension faculty, specialists, and certified OSU Master Gardeners™. Training days occur once a week for 8 weeks. Please consider these dates when applying, keeping in mind that you are required to attend a minimum of 7 classes in person. For 2023, these are the training dates:

Location: OSU/Deschutes County Extension Service, 3800 SW Airport Way, Bldg. 3, Redmond, OR

Time: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm Break from 11:30 – 11:45 pm

Dates: Classes will be held on Tuesdays, January 17 - March 21, with no class on Feb 7 and Mar 7. There are several gardening topics covered during classroom training including:

Photo: A. Detweiler

Photo of a garden taken during a garden tour

Photo: A. Detweiler

plant health
pruning
pesticide safety
insects
weeds
plant disease
diversity, equity and inclusion
vegetable gardening
climate
soils
botany
turf grass
plant damage
composting
water-wise gardening

Part 2: Experiential Learning/Volunteer Hours

As with any other learning process, hands-on experience is always beneficial and quite fun! In addition to classroom training, trainees are required to volunteer a total of 48 hours in experiential learning to complete their training. This involves working in one of two Extension offices (Prineville, or Redmond).

The plant clinic is where clients call in or walk in with gardening questions. You are required to volunteer at a plant clinic four hours per month from April through October (28 hours total). Each volunteer is trained to work in the plant clinic (Redmond and/or Prineville locations). The remaining 20 hours of your experiential learning is completed through a variety of community outreach activities (see application).

At the completion of your experiential learning, you will become a certified OSU Master Gardener™. You will need to re-certify on an annual basis to keep your certification status. The OSU Extension Service reserves the right to interview applicants by phone or in person for final selections.

Statewide Resources

Master Gardener Position Description

This form describes the job of a MG Extension volunteer, as well as position requirements and supervision.

Master Gardener™