Each plant in your garden needs the right nutrients and care, at the right time. Knowing the preferences of each plant can be overwhelming. Tending a garden for fun shouldn't feel like work. University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners are trained to help your garden goals succeed. Master Gardeners have research-based solutions to solve your garden problems. Their straight-forward solutions will help you weed, feed, or treat your way to a bountiful garden.
The Master Gardener training is approximately 60 hours of classroom instruction on basic botany, vegetables, soils, herbs, wildlife control, insects, turfgrass, flowers, diseases, woody ornamentals, fruits, and pesticide safety. After completing the training, Master Gardener graduates hold the title of Master Garden Intern. Interns become Active Master Gardeners once they complete 40 internship hours in a two-year time frame post-graduation. Active Master Gardeners maintain their status through a commitment of 20 hours of volunteer time and 10 hours of continuing education committed to program-related projects. Active Master Gardeners are re-screened every 3 years.
There are different options to take the Illinois Gardener Training to become a Master Gardener:
Online Illinois Gardener training: Designed for any gardener interested in learning more, this fully self-paced online course is offered three times a year. Learn more on the Online Illinois Gardener page.
Hybrid training: This training combines in-person hands-on classes held once a week and self-guided online content. Attendance is required on Tuesday mornings when training is offered.
The next Hybrid course will be offered during the Fall of 2025. Registration and course schedule TBD.
The online training program costs $300 and includes a training manual shipped to your address.
The hybrid training cost is $250 and includes a training manual with hands-on activities.
Upon completion of the course, you’ll receive an Illinois Gardener Training Certificate of Completion. You’ll then be given the choice to stop there and simply utilize your new gardening knowledge in your own garden — or choose to move on to the next steps of the process to becoming a Certified Illinois Extension Master Gardener volunteer.
Because there is no subsequent volunteer commitment to just taking the online course, participants do not automatically become Illinois Master Gardeners and may not use the title of Master Gardener at this point. The title of ‘Master Gardener’ is a registered service mark and only to be used for Illinois Extension events and purposes.
Internship
Maintaining Active Status
Livingston, McLean, and Woodford Master Garden Volunteer programs are open to all adults in the community. Online training is available year-round.
