2025 Spring Master Gardener Training Offered Feb. 24 – May 2

AMES, Iowa – The application window is opening Jan. 13 for this year’s spring Master Gardener training cohort, which will be offered in 23 counties or extension regions.

Counties offering spring training are Adair, Black Hawk, Bremer, Cass, Cerro Gordo, Clay, Clinton, Davis, Floyd, Hardin, Jasper, Lucas, Mahaska, Marion, Marshall, Mills, Mitchell, Monroe, Palo Alto, Wapello, Warren, Washington and Worth.

Iowans wishing to become a Master Gardener volunteer register with an Iowa State University Extension and Outreach county office, participate in online learning modules and complete in-person volunteer orientation organized by their county office.

Applicants have from Jan. 13 to Feb. 14 to apply for the spring session. Training for the spring session begins Feb. 24. Applications for the fall session will be open in July. Learn more about the program online or through your local extension office.

“Prospective Master Gardener volunteers continue to derive satisfaction and excitement from participating in the hybrid Master Gardener training program,” said Alicia Herzog, Master Gardener program manager with ISU Extension and Outreach. “Although the hybrid format began out of necessity, it has become the new norm, making programming accessible to many more participants than we could reach solely through in-person offerings.”

Local extension staff can help anyone with questions about joining Master Gardener training this year, including details of when and where in-person volunteer orientation will take place in their county or extension region.

Starting this year, non-volunteer participants can complete the course entirely asynchronously, with no in-person meetings required. While the non-volunteer option does not confer the Master Gardener title, which is reserved for volunteers, it allows participants to gain knowledge and access the same high-quality information as Master Gardener students, Herzog explained. Those interested in the non-volunteer option can purchase their spot in the course on the ISU Extension and Outreach Store website between Feb. 17 and March 14.

Iowa State has offered Master Gardener training for over 40 years, engaging more than 15,000 people in learning about gardening best practices.

For more information, Herzog can be reached at 515-294-3627 or aherzog@iastate.edu.