MU’s Master Gardner Online Class Starts January 2

By Quentin Weed
UCM Student and Townsquare Intern

The University of Missouri is opening registration for their 15-week online Master Gardener course that will take place January 2 through April 27.

The class runs through the MU Extension program, which is a partnership with MU, Lincoln University, Missouri county extension councils, and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the U.S. Department of Agriculture which seeks to improve the skills, knowledge, and health of the agricultural community in Missouri.

The price of registration is $200, which includes a copy of the Missouri Master Gardener Core Manual, and classes will take place with instructors Sarah Denkler, Debi Kelly, and David Trinklein. Registration must be completed before Jan. 2, 2026.

According to MU Extension Master Gardener state coordinator Debi Kelly, this class focuses on horticulture through presentations and discussion forums each week.

Students will have the opportunity to learn a great deal about gardening methods and methodology, including subjects like soil, nutrition, insects and diseases, plant structure, and more.

This is the core training section of the Master Gardener Certification, which is then followed by at least 30 hours of volunteer service and an extra 20 hours per year afterwards with the assistance of local coordinators to gain full certification.

The Master Gardener program, which is available everywhere in the U.S. and most of Canada, has seen over 4,800 students participate since it first started in 2013.

Of the program, Kelly says that “the program’s motto, ‘helping others learn to grow,’ emphasizes service to others as the program’s main objective.” She states that one of the outcomes of the course is students being able to help their peers and community through their knowledge of “gardening and the environment” by “sharing [their] plant knowledge with others.”

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If you are interested in the class, you can register here. You can get more information by contacting Debi Kelly at kellyd@missouri.edu.