Master Gardener Class for Gallatin County Begins January 18

Montana State University Extension in Gallatin County will host a level 1 Master Gardener class beginning Monday, January 18. The class, intended for beginner to intermediate gardeners who want to be more successful in vegetable or flower gardening and to better understand yard and garden maintenance, will be held from 6 - 8:30 p.m. on consecutive Mondays until March 7 at the Museum of the Rockies. Sign up here:

The instructor will be MSU Horticulture Specialist Toby Day. Topics to be covered include: an introduction to MSU Extension and the Master Gardener program; soils and fertility; plant growth and development; flower and vegetable gardening; planting and maintaining trees and shrubs; an introduction to proper pruning and maintaining lawns; and an introduction to integrated pest management.

The class offers a certification track or a non-certification track, and both include the Montana Master Gardener handbook. The certification track costs $180. Certification requires passing an open book test and completing 20 hours of community volunteer commitment by May 1, 2017. The non-certification track costs $250.

To sign up for the class, call the Gallatin County MSU Extension office at 406-388-3213, email emily.lockard@montana.edu or visit the office at 201 West Madison, Ste. 300 in Belgrade.