Grow your gardening knowledge, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced gardener. There are no course prerequisites, although a basic knowledge of plants is helpful.
In this 12-week non-credit program, you will receive the same science-based training that OSU Extension Master Gardener trainees receive in Oregon, moderated by a skilled instructor. (Please note, you will receive the same education, however, this program does not lead to a Master Gardener Certification).
This is one of our most popular courses. By the end of the program, you will know:
For each topic, you will have the chance to learn and interact with the instructor and your classmates via:
Upon successful completion of the online course, you will receive a digital Certificate of Home Horticulture.
NOTE: Though this is the same training as the Master Gardener program, this Certificate of Home Horticulture will not lead to a Master Gardener Certification.
A very limited number of scholarships are available.
Applications are due three weeks before the start of the next course. You will receive a notification at least two weeks before the start of the next course.
You can complete your Home Horticulture Certificate scholarship application here.
If you live in Oregon and are interested in becoming an OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteer, visit this website https://extension.oregonstate.edu/mg to find out about in-person trainings.
Targeted Gardening Short Course Series
If you do not need or desire the full certificate course, or only want to study certain topics, you might be interested in the on-demand Gardening Short Course Series, which pulls from sections of the Home Horticulture Online program.
If you'd like to learn more about being a Master Gardener volunteer and what it entails, you can read more in this free 24-page eBook "An Introduction to Being a Master Gardener Volunteer."
I learned a lot about the PNW flora, conifers and how to better amend my soil. The instructor was great, very responsive. I enjoyed the practical requirements. If you’re interested in learning about the diversity of this region, and how to better take care of plants, then absolutely I would recommend the program.
I now have a new network and I've helped people learn how to garden without chemicals. After the course, I've helped grade school kids to like worms by teaching a class in 5th and 6th grade. I loved it all.
The convenience of taking the class online was priceless. I was concerned I'd have enough time to put into the course given my busy schedule, but I was able to successfully complete the course working two jobs, plus the support of my full-time employer who let me change my lunch schedule to allow time to study. It was a great accomplishment for me and proved to me I can do whatever I put my mind to doing. I learned new skills and concepts and have a ton of resource material to refer back to as needed. I can't speak highly enough about the experience overall.
I love gardening and wanted to meet more people that share my passion. Through this program, I met some wonderful people - actually, I met more of my neighbors through this program! The people I worked with were so interesting! Learning online was wonderful for someone working full time. I hope to see more young people and will encourage others to try this program.
I learned a ton and yields are up. I now have a scientific approach to organic food production. I enjoyed learning botany, soils, entomology and herbicides & pesticides. It was rigorous, but fun.
This program enhances gardening knowledge, which is important because so many people have gardens/yards and feel frustrated about how to take care of it. My favorite part were the discussions and learning how to approach specific problems and hearing from others on what NOT to do, or from others’ bad experiences.
I incorporated what I learned in teaching the general public about gardening and it greatly enhanced my classes. I enjoyed the online flexibility, quality instructors, and the ability to revisit lectures via weblink. I would recommend this program due to the benefits mentioned above, plus the quality, research-based information. OSU made online learning easy and I highly value the quality content and instructors.
This was something I always wanted to do. The daytime class didn’t work for me because of work. After taking the class, I was able to step into the Plant Clinic and stay with it. I loved the diagnostic section and the online flexibility for a working person. I had a great experience and would do it again.
I wanted to be a better gardener. The course was a great education on all aspects of gardening. This summer I helped a work-colleague turn her front yard into a meadow of wildflowers with knowledge I learned. I visited it recently and it's beautiful!
I learned a lot and met great people and got involved in the community. The time involved compared to the amount I learned was well worth it. A lot of what I learned involved practices that everyone should know, IPM, when and how to use a pesticide if necessary, safe practices that help Mother Earth, etc. It was a great and thorough program.
I am still having a great time reviewing all the lectures as this is all new to me and a great challenge to learn. I especially want to thank Signe Dangler for her lectures that I loved. They are so easy to listen to. Her comments to all of us on our assignments are so informative. I am amazed that she is so good and that she is so thorough to read through all the assignments and provide specific feedback. All the knowledge that she has repeated to her in the small assignment efforts that we present to her could be so boring and frustrating. The way she corrects them in such a friendly personalized way makes us feel as if a dear friend guided and corrected us in a positive discussion.
Signe Danler is a veteran Master Gardener and landscape designer with a Masters of Ag degree in Horticulture. In the Master Gardener Online program, she uses her experience and training in gardening, urban forestry and ecological landscaping to communicate about and promote sustainable gardening and landscaping practices.
Gail Langellotto is a Professor of Horticulture at Oregon State University, where she also serves as the Principle Investigator of the Garden Ecology Lab and leads the statewide Oregon State University Master Gardener program. She has a M.S. and Ph.D. in entomology, and has published research on topics as diverse as the costs of starting and maintaining a vegetable garden, pollinator-friendly gardens, and the benefits of gardening to healthy eating. Her OSU Extension Service and outreach efforts are focused on communicating research-backed management practices to home gardeners. For the online Master Gardener and urban agriculture PACE courses, she supervises overall course development, and reviews and contributes to course content.