Love gardening and helping others? Become a Master Gardener | Sally Scalera

Last week, I mentioned that we are gearing up for the UF/IFAS Extension Brevard County Master Gardener class 2024 that will begin in January. For those who are unfamiliar with the Master Gardener Program, I thought I would share the program's history. In addition, I’ll share specific information on our program.

The Master Gardener program was started in 1972 in Seattle by two extension agents. They were looking for ways to meet the needs of backyard gardeners. They felt that well-trained volunteers could help with many of the day-to-day homeowner questions they received on a continual basis.

Since that time, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have a Master Gardener program. The Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program relies on trained and dedicated volunteers interested in gardening and giving back to their communities, benefiting both UF/IFAS Extension and the residents of Florida.

In 1979, three counties in Florida, one of which was Brevard County, held Master Gardener classes for the first time. The Mission of the Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program is “to assist extension agents in providing research-based horticultural education to Florida residents.” The vision is “to be the most trusted resource for horticulture education in Florida.” Out of 67 Florida counties, 56 counties maintain an active Master Gardener program with more than 4,000 volunteers throughout the state.

The Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator is typically a horticulture extension agent who runs the class and oversees the county’s volunteer recruiting and management of the program. Here in Brevard County, I am the Master Gardener coordinator, and I hold the Master Gardener class January through March from 9 a.m. until 3 p,m, for 11 consecutive Wednesdays.

Just in case you are curious, I will mention the various ways that Master Gardeners can volunteer and support the Urban Horticulture program and UF/IFAS Extension in Brevard.

Our building at 3695 Lake Drive in Cocoa has an office area near the main lobby for the Master Gardeners. Residents can either call, email or walk in. Those who walk in may bring samples of plants for identification, sick plants, unknown insects or just ask questions. Staffing the Master Gardener desk is a great way of continually learning new things, since they receive a lot of questions on various topics.

Because of the geographical shape of Brevard County, which is 72 miles long and averages 26.5 miles wide, there are also 14 Master Gardener clinics held throughout the county. Winter temperatures vary in Brevard, and there are unique growing conditions on central and southern Merritt Island and the barrier islands.

In addition, our county has the St. John’s River on the west, most of the Indian River Lagoon runs through it, creating Merritt Island, and our eastern boundary is the Atlantic Ocean.

All these factors make numerous possibilities, especially for residents growing fruit crops, because we are at the southern end of the temperate zone and the northern end of the subtropical zone. Therefore, we can grow temperate, subtropical and, in some areas, tropical fruit crops.

The locations of the Master Gardener clinics include the following libraries: Cocoa, Satellite Beach, Melbourne Beach, Merritt Island, Suntree/Viera, Titusville, Melbourne, Palm Bay, Cocoa Beach and Eau Gallie Library, plus the Brevard Farmers Market at Wickham Park and Patrick Space Force Base.

For those who enjoy getting their hands dirty, we also have the Brevard Discovery Garden. Master Gardeners work in the garden, nursery and greenhouse. Each area provides different volunteer opportunities.

In the garden, there is planting, pruning, and weeding. In the greenhouse, volunteers start new plants from seeds or cuttings and care for them, and in the nursery, work includes caring for and weeding potted plants for planting in the garden or fundraiser plant sales.

I also train Master Gardeners to conduct My Brevard Yard Site Visits. During the site visit, the Master Gardener(s) collect a soil sample and a water sample if the irrigation source is from a well, and both are tested. The water test results are sent to the homeowner shortly after the site visit.

Master Gardeners can also help with plant ID and answer questions. The homeowner also receives fertilizer recommendations based on their soil test results.

Another opportunity for volunteering is to staff a UF/IFAS Extension Brevard County table at special events held throughout the county during the year. These are fun events that the Master Gardeners attend, answer residents' questions, hand out our gardening information, and get the word out about the UF/IFAS Extension Service. Typically, most events are held in the spring, with the second batch occurring in the fall.

There are also a lot of benefits that come with training and being a Master Gardener.

The benefits begin in the Master Gardener class, where you will get to learn new information. Learning is always fun, and if it has to do with gardening, that makes it extra fun.

Along with learning, you will meet new people and make new friends. The social aspect is a great benefit, especially for anyone who is new to the area.

Another benefit is that gardening is a great way to get exercise, such as walking, stretching, digging and lifting. Gardening can also be a mood booster, because working with vegetable plants, flowers or plants in general can improve your mood, either from the beauty of the plants or the feeling of accomplishment from making an area look prettier.

The Master Gardener program is a win-win for the Master Gardeners and Brevard County, so if you enjoy gardening, consider becoming a Master Gardener.

We have over 175 active Master Gardeners who live and volunteer throughout the county. If you would like an application for the Master Gardener Class of 2024, contact my secretary, Adrienne, at adrienneadams@ufl.edu.

For those residents who don’t have the time to volunteer, I also hold the Florida-Friendly Landscaping Class Series, which covers all the gardening topics covered in the Master Gardener class, but it only runs for eight weeks, for three hours each Tuesday morning. If you would like information on that class, contact Adrienne for more information.

Sally Scalera is an urban horticulture agent and master gardener coordinator for the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences. Email her at sasc@ufl.edu.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Here's how to become a Brevard County Master Gardener