Master Gardener Cindy Ericksen quizzes Greywolf Elementary School students about plants in April, as part of the Master Gardeners’ education outreach program. Sequim Gazette photo by Michael Dashiell
 

Applications for the Washington State University Extension Master Gardener Training program are being accepted.

The nine-week training begins Feb. 15 and runs through April 12. Classes are from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays in Port Angeles. Additional online instruction will be required. The program provides education in gardening and environmental stewardship generated from research at WSU and other universities.
Trainees learn to identify plant materials, diagnose plant problems, identify insects and insect damage, detect plant diseases and determine correct cultural practices. This enables them to provide appropriate recommendations for treatment and management of horticultural problems and provide information on safe and effective gardening and landscaping practices. Classes are taught by specialists in botany, soil science, entomology, pest management and plant diseases.
Following the training, Master Gardeners are required to pass on their knowledge. Opportunities range from teaching to garden design to experimental horticulture. Clallam County has three demonstration gardens where information is available on plant matters, gardening techniques and sustainable gardening.
Master Gardeners develop and give talks and demonstrations on gardening topics. They also hold weekly plant clinics from March-October and present programs on plants and growing to all local second-grade classes.
The county Master Gardener organization donated approximately 1,000 pounds of produce to local food banks and provided thousands of hours of plant clinics, public education and youth outreach this past year.
The cost of the class is $200, which includes all materials. Some partial scholarships are available. The application deadline is Jan. 21. For more information or to receive an application, call 417-2279 or e-mail Muriel Nesbitt at mnesbitt14@gmail.com.