Rutgers Master Gardener Program

The Rutgers Master Gardeners of Mercer County Volunteer Training Program

Interested in becoming a Rutgers Master Gardener of Mercer County? The next class will most likely be held in January of 2025. If you wish to be added to the waitlist for the RMG class, please call (609) 989-6830 or email justine.gray@rutgers.edu

History

The Rutgers Master Gardener Volunteer Program was created by Cooperative Extension to meet an enormous increase in requests from home gardeners for horticultural information. This increase derives primarily from the urban and transient nature of modern American life. Seventy-plus years ago an Extension agent dealt with the questions of farm families. Since then, much of this farmland has been subdivided, which has increased the number of families Extension must serve. In addition, many of these families are new to the area and are unfamiliar with the grasses, shrubs, trees, diseases, and insects that populate their new community. They often call Extension for advice.

In 1972 a county agricultural agent started the Master Gardener Program in Washington State. Since then it has spread to all 50 states and several countries. Seventeen of New Jersey’s 21 counties now train Master Gardeners. The Mercer County program started in September 1993.

What Is Cooperative Extension?

Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) of Mercer County helps the county’s diverse population improve life through an educational process that uses science-based knowledge. RCE/New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station focuses on issues and needs relating to agriculture and the environment, management of natural resources, food safety, quality, and health, and family stability, economic security, and youth development. Our departments are Agriculture, 4-H Youth Development, and Family and Community Health Sciences. The Rutgers Master Gardener Program is run through the Agriculture department.

As an integral part of The School of Environmental and Biological Sciences of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and the New Jersey Agriculture Experiment Station, we provide practical information and educational programs (including the Rutgers Master Gardener Program) to all adults without regard to race, religion, color, age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or disability. Rutgers University and County Boards of Chosen Freeholders fund the individual Extension offices throughout New Jersey.

Goals Of The Rutgers Master Gardener Volunteer Program

  • To extend into the community the educational efforts of Rutgers Cooperative Extension by using trained and certified volunteers.
  • To establish educational programs in which Rutgers Master Gardeners help residents of Mercer County obtain up-to-date recommendations from Rutgers University, the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  • To assist individual clients, community groups, or other potential audiences by disseminating horticultural, pest control, and related information on the county-supported telephone Helpline and at community outreach events.

Curriculum

  • Basic horticulture
  • Plant diseases
  • Flower gardening
  • Insect identification and control
  • Vegetable and herb gardening
  • Soils and fertilizers
  • House plants and container gardening
  • Environmental responsibility
  • Ornamental trees, shrubs, and vines
  • Lawn care
  • Plant maintenance and pruning
  • Tree and small fruit culture
  • IPM, pesticides, and problem solving
  • Landscaping basics
  • Composting
  • Helpline training
  • Weed identification and control
  • Volunteerism

Training Staff

The teaching staff consists of the Mercer County Horticulturist, county agricultural agents, Rutgers staff and faculty, and other horticultural experts.

Course Requirements

Requirements for certification and graduation as a Rutgers Master Gardener of Mercer County:

  • 80% attendance for class sessions and field trips. Students who miss class are responsible for all work. Applicants who have already planned extended absences that would necessitate missing classes should consider taking the program another year. The classes are twice a week.
  • Satisfactory completion of activities and assigned projects.
  • Satisfactory grade on the take-home open book final exam.
  • Return of a signed copy of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County Master Gardener Volunteer Agreement.
  • Fulfillment of the 60-hour volunteer requirement.
  • Volunteer Commitment

To become a certified Rutgers Master Gardener one must complete the 21-week academic classwork and Helpline training. As part of the requirement students must contribute 60 hours of volunteer time to Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County or related programs. The volunteer commitment includes:

  • A minimum of 30 hours spent supplying information to the public on the Rutgers Master Gardener Helpline at the office in Ewing.
  • Five hours using composting skills at the award-winning Mercer Educational Gardens at 431A Federal City Road in Pennington.
  • The remaining 25 hours (of the total 60) may be spent on the above options or on other approved Mercer County projects such as Rutgers Master Gardener program committees, the Mercer County 4-H Fair, or other Extension and county programs.
  • Up to 15 hours (of the total 60) may be donated to horticulture education programs in other not-for-profit agencies in Mercer County.
  • To maintain Rutgers Master Gardener status:
    • 30 hours (at least 15 on Helpline) must be volunteered in each year thereafter.
    • 10-hour per year continuing education requirement for all graduates.
    • 1000 volunteer hours confers 1000-hour volunteer status as a Rutgers Master Gardener of Mercer County (our program currently has over sixty 1000-hour members!)

Tuition

A $250.00 tuition fee is due with your application. This fee covers the cost of the training manual, name badges, class supplies, and speaker fees. Scholarship opportunities may be available.

Acceptance

Up to 25 people will be accepted into the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Mercer County volunteer training program each year. Mercer County residents are given priority and are admitted on a “first-applied first-accepted” basis. Once the class fills, a waiting list is started in the order applications are received.

Out-Of-County And Out-Of-State Residents

Residents of other New Jersey counties should seek open slots in their home county’s Rutgers Master Gardener program. Hunterdon, Middlesex, Burlington, and Monmouth, counties that border Mercer, all have comparable programs. Out-of-county residents may be accepted after all Mercer vacancies are filled and the applicant’s home county program is filled. Volunteer hours must be served in Mercer County. We are not accepting out-of-state residents at this time.

Application

Interested in becoming a Rutgers Master Gardener of Mercer County? If you wish to be added to the waitlist for the 2025 MG class, please email the program coordinator at justine.gray@rutgers.edu.

Questions?

Do you have questions about the program or the application process? Contact our office at 609-989-6830 for more information.