2006 Basic Master Gardener Training Class Assignments
Read this before starting: It is critical that you do your reading assignments and homework questions each week before class. If you don't, you are wasting your time taking this course. We plan to provide you a notebook in which to file the materials that you want to print and save. However, I recommend that you read to understand concepts, not to memorize details. Understand the concepts, and understand how to use the Web, especially the Google search page of the UF-IFAS materials at http://search.ufl.edu/web?site=ifas.ufl.edu Then you will be able to go back and find the details when you need them, wherever you are, even without your notebooks. (David Marshall)
September 7: Botany, Planting, Watering: - How plants grow and why it’s important to understand. Read the following:
Scientific Nomenclature: What's in a Name?
How Trees Grow in the Urban Environment
From the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods (FYN) Handbook (pdf), read the section on Mulch (It may take a few minutes to open this booklet on the computer... we will give you a copy of the FYN handbook on Sept 7 so that you won't have to view it on the Web everytime you need to look at it.)
Read this simple but important understanding of botany called How Plants Work.
If you want to do further reading on the subject, I suggest the book, Botany for Gardeners by Brian Capon. Paperback: 239 pages: Copyright: ©2005. The author, a former professor of botany with thirty years' experience, explains how plants are structured, how water is transported from soil to leaves, why minerals, air, and light are important for healthy plant growth, how plants reproduce, and much more. (Stan Rosenthal)
Answer these questions (click here) and come to class prepared to be called on to answer them.
September 14: Soils - Understanding the physical characteristics of soil and how they affect plant growth (more so than do the chemical properties in many cases.) Soil Testing Review of Planting Procedures. Visit the Soil Testing Laboratory Web site and familiarize yourself with it. Pay special attention to the ESTL Analysis page because it has the soil testing forms.
From UF Edis web site read the following publication. Soil pH and Landscape Plants. Also read the articles titled Soils Review for Master Gardeners as well as Manage Your Soil and Protect and Improve Your Soils.
If you really want to get into it I suggest reading as much as you can of the following publications from the UF Edis web site. Soil Texture, The Nature and Use of a Soil Survey, Soil Plant Water Relationships, and Growth Media for Container Grown Ornamental Plants. In the last publication, pay special attention to the section on Cation Exchange Capacity. From the Leon County Extension Web Page read the two articles Protect and Improve Your Soil and Manage Your Soil.
Answer these questions before coming to class (click here).
September 18: Demonstration Garden Workday: Come with tools (pruning loppers, hand pruners, pruning saw, shovel, gloves), prepared to work.
September 21: Fertilizers and Fertilization Procedures. Visit these sites and read:
Fertilizers for Home Gardeners
Plant Nutrients and Fertilizers for the Non-Farmer
Producing Garden Vegetables with Organic Soil Amendments
Florida Yards and Neighborhoods (FYN) Handbook (pdf) ( You have a printed copy.) Read the section on Fertilize Appropriately.
Answer these questions before coming to class (click here).
September 28: Lawns Read the following materials, and do the homework questions (click here).
Read this on growing grass in shaded areas.
Visit this site from the Florida Lawn Handbook and read the material on "other pests". Then look through the rest of the Lawn Handbook to familiarize yourself with what it contains: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/TOPIC_BOOK_Other_Pests No, you don't have to read it all!
See this site on a fire ant control product, Over 'N Out: http://www.gardentech.com/ono_facts.asp
Practice using this lawn problem diagnostic flow chart.
Read this info on summer and fall lawn problems.
Here's a site on identifying common lawn weeds.
The section in this publication for lawn care professionals has the best information on weed control products.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EP141 ; More good info on weed control in lawns. Especially note the info about timing of herbicide applications. For the latest soil temperatures, visit the Florida Agricultural Weather Network website (FAWN) and view the latest readings from Quincy: http://fawn.ifas.ufl.edu/scripts/flash_latest.asp
Here is some information on effectiveness of lawn fungicides for gray leaf spot of St. Augustinegrass.
If someone wants to submit a plant sample to our Plant Diagnostic Clinic in Quincy, this is the form.
October 5: Flowers. Installing micro-irrigation.
Visit this website and its associated links to know where to find various information on flowers, http://horttips.ifas.ufl.edu/Flowers/Flowers/flowers.htm
Answer these questions (click here) before coming to class.
October 12: Shrubs, Groundcovers, Vines, and Problem-Solving.
Answer these questions (click here) before coming to class. Here are the sites for reference:
Diagnosing Shrub and Tree Problems Based on Symptoms (pdf)
Color Photos of Insect Pests of Ornamentals, Sheet 1
Color Photos of Insect Pests of Ornamentals, Sheet 2
Summary of Some New Insecticides for Home Gardeners
Selected Shrubs for North Florida
Groundcovers for North Florida
October 16: Demonstration Garden Workday: Come with tools, prepared to work.
October 19: Vegetables. Answer these questions (click here) before coming to class. References:
Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide ;
Planting Guide: An easy-to-read and helpful chart. ;
Then study these two color insect sheets: Vegetable Garden Insect sheet 1, and 2.
Then... so that you don't confuse the bad guys with the good guys, go to the insect sheets on beneficial insects:
Then, for vegetable disease references, go to the UF-IFAS Extension Plant Disease Control Guide section on vegetable crops,
and the Cornell vegetable diseases website ,
and familiarize yourself with how they work and how you can find descriptions and photos of diseases there. Don't concern yourself with any pesticide recommendations given there; they are for commercial vegetable crops and not home vegetable gardens. As a MG, you will stick to control recommendations given in the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide.
Go to this site on Tomato Diseases in the Home Garden: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/PP121
Then go to this UF-IFAS tomato scouting site that has good photos of many of the tomato problems;
October 26: Fruit Crops Read this and answer the questions. Also, take a look at this presentation.
November 2: Trees Go to this Division of Forestry website, and study the sections on insect and disease pests of trees.
Then answer these questions, (click here).
November 9: Problem-Solving. Answer these questions, (click here). Today you will be given a take-home exam to complete and bring back to class on November 16. Reading references: Diagnosing Plant Problems Over the Phone ; Clemson Link to Plant Problems ; Virginia link to Plant Problem Shooting
November 13: Demonstration Garden Workday: Come with tools, prepared to work.
November 16: Review of Exam.
November 30: Orientation for Part 2 of the Master Gardener Program: Now that you have a few basics under your belt from the training classes, this session will tell you how you will move into the most educational part of the Master Gardener program... the volunteer work, where you will learn by doing.
December 14: Graduation. Receipt of your Master Gardener card (useful for discounts at many local nurseries) and a chance to meet Master Gardeners from past training classes.