Become a Hays County Master Gardener:
2023 Fall Hays County Master Gardener Training Class – September 9th – November 17th- REGISTRATION IS CLOSED
The Program:
The members of the Hays County Master Gardeners Association (HCMGA) are people from Dripping Springs to San Marcos and Wimberley to Buda who take an active interest in the unique challenges of creating thriving landscaping, trees, and gardens in our Central Texas conditions and who strive to teach our community about sound horticultural practices like using native plants and capturing rainwater. Members receive invaluable training and continuing opportunities for education, then share their horticultural expertise through a wide variety of projects benefiting Hays County residents and organizations.
In a typical year, Hays County Master Gardeners log nearly 6000 hours of volunteer service to the community. We spend a lot of time getting our hands dirty planting and tending public and community garden sites. We log many hours answering horticulture questions from the public or presenting talks and gardening advice at schools and working with community groups ranging from food pantries to women’s shelters. At our greenhouse, you’re likely to find us working on our propagation techniques and experimenting with water-efficient container gardening.
Training:
The Hays County Texas Master Gardener Program holds ONE training session every year, in the Fall, September – November , consisting of a hybrid of in-person and virtual classes. Classes typically meet twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays, in-person classes have been held at locations in San Marcos and Wimberley. In addition to the training classes, Master Gardener Interns must complete 50 hours of volunteer service within one year of the start of the class to become a Texas Master Gardener.
The course is a high level, intense training class, led by Texas A&M Professors and Specialist Speakers.
The Hays County program offers a minimum of 64 hours of instruction following:
- Earth-Kind practices of landscape management covering:
- Soil and Plant Nutrition
- Insect, Disease, and Weed Management
- Trees
- Vegetable and Herb Gardening
- Lawn Care
- Plant Selection
- Composting
- Water Conservation
Waitlist:
All inquiries for submission/entrance into the class are waitlisted. The Hays County Master Gardener Association will send applications via email in June to those who have been waitlisted first, then applications are opened to the public. 40 individuals are offered entrance into the course each year, applications close once the class meets the 40.
The Hays County Master Gardener Training Course tuition is $250.
