Gardening here is different. Learn more, grow more.
Colorado gardening and landscaping takes grit…. and knowledge of our unique soils, climates, and plants. CSU Extension has been helping people grow in our great state for 150 years. Join us to learn the basics from our Colorado horticulture experts through our flexible ‘Green School’ program.
TRAINING COURSES & OPTIONS
We have a certifying FULL COURSE option and multiple SHORT COURSE options to meet anyone’s needs. Regardless of the course, you’ll receive in-depth horticulture training provided by CSU faculty, staff, and specialists.
SHORT COURSES
REGISTER BY COURSE | Price: $195/short course
- COLORADO GARDENING FOUNDATIONS: Soils, Entomology, Tree Care & Planting, Colorado Gardening Challenges, Irrigation
- LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT BASICS: Soils, Lawn Care, Weed Management, Irrigation, Tree Care & Planting
- PLANT DIAGNOSTICS: Soils, Botany, Integrated Pest Management & Plant Diagnosis, Entomology, Plant Pathology
- GROWING FOOD: Soils, Vegetables, Small Fruits, Tree Fruits, Entomology
Short courses are bundles of 5 self-paced, online courses. Click on each short course above to see the complete schedule. There are no live weekly class reviews for short courses but you do have direct email access to course instructors. A certificate of completion will be provided to participants upon completion of all courses. No refunds.
FULL COURSE
$530 | Registration is closed for Spring ’23
Join our interested list to be contacted about future registration.
- 2023 Training Spring Schedule
- Access to 14 self-paced online classes
- Live weekly class reviews with CSU subject matter experts
- To obtain certification, trainees must complete 8 online classes and pass the comprehensive final (open-book, research encouraged) with a 70% or better
- You’ll have access to the online courses for one year
- No refunds
ONLINE & LIVE VIRTUAL CLASS LEARNING
Our full course training is “hybrid” – classes will be a mix of online, webinar and live, web-based Q&As with specialists. You won’t just be reading and completing courses online, you’ll have access to CSU subject matter experts for live weekly reviews hosted online. Short course participants do not attend weekly reviews, but will have access to subject matter experts by email for Q&A.
The online class content is up-to-date, engaging, self-paced and includes integrated readings, videos, activities and quizzes. Courses are science-based and specific to Colorado’s unique (and challenging!) climate, soil, environment, insects, wildlife, and plants.
Classes include:
SOILS & AMENDMENTS
80% of plant problems can be attributed to soil issues, and good soil is the foundation to a great garden. Learn about soil structure, texture, tilth, fertilizers, soil amendments, and everything you need to know to create a great garden from the ground up.
BOTANY: HOW PLANTS GROW Understanding basic plant physiology is foundational to growing and caring for your landscape. This course covers the basics of how plants grow and applying this as a Colorado gardener.
COLORADO GARDENING CHALLENGES This class will cover how to deal with the many challenges to the Colorado gardener – everything from temperature whiplashes, low humidity, drying winds, critters, fires, water rights, and more. Native plants will be discussed as a solution to many gardening challenges, including benefits, misconceptions, and using them in the landscape.
ENTOMOLOGY
Insects are the most abundant and diverse form of life found on earth. Being able to identify them and understand the role they play in landscapes (beneficial vs. detrimental), is one key to successful gardening. This class covers the basics of insect identification, insect anatomy and growth, and goes over the more common orders of insects that gardeners might encounter.
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT & PLANT DIAGNOSIS
There are many pests and diseases that can affect plants and being familiar with the plant diagnostic process is an important skill for anyone working with landscape plants. Integrated pest management (IPM) is an multi-prong approach to pest management and an important part of the diagnostic and treatment process.
PLANT PATHOLOGY Learn to use the plant diagnostic pyramid and process to troubleshoot, identify and appropriately manage common plant diseases – both biotic and abiotic. This class is taught by a CSU plant pathologist so you’ll have the latest and greatest information.
LAWN CARE / TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT Learn the best, science-based practices for having the best lawn on the block. This class covers various grass species, general care (mowing, watering, fertilizing, aeration), irrigation, turf health and common issues/diseases, and managing weeds in the lawn.
WEED MANAGEMENTWeeds tend to be a gardener’s biggest headache. This class covers the principles of weed management, weed life cycles, ID of some common weeds, how weeds can indicate cultural issues in the garden, and noxious vs landscape weeds.
SCIENCE OF PLANTING TREES & TREE CARE
Trees play an incredibly valuable role in our landscapes, but are often improperly planted leading to premature health issues and even death. This class will cover appropriate species selection for your site, proper planting techniques and post-planting care to help ensure their survival.
VEGETABLES
Vegetable gardening can be a fun and rewarding endeavor, and this class covers all of the basics of how to do it successfully. In this class, learn about garden layout, planting times, soil preparation, pests and disease of vegetables, routine garden care and season extension.
FRUIT TREES
Fruit trees are a great addition to a landscape and grow well in Colorado, but have different care and maintenance requirements than other landscape plants. Here you will learn about planting considerations along with training and annual pruning techniques specific to fruit trees.
SMALL FRUITS
There are many delicious small fruits that grow well in Colorado including raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and grapes. In this class you will learn about soil preparation, training and pruning techniques and appropriate varieties that grow well here.
PRUNING
Proper pruning is an important part of tree care and routine maintenance. It reduces pest and disease issues and helps keep trees from becoming hazards. In this class you will learn proper pruning techniques and the various reasons why pruning is a critical part of tree care.
IRRIGATION Water is a big issue in Colorado landscapes- this class will cover water rights to how water moves through home landscapes, irrigation equipment, watering frequency and amount, evapotranspiration, watering efficiently and how to conduct home lawn check ups (and more).
EARNING YOUR CERTIFICATE
To obtain certification, trainees in the full course must complete 8 online classes and pass the comprehensive final (open-book, research encouraged) with a 70% or better.
Upon completion of the course, you’ll receive a Colorado Gardener Certificate. However, because there is no subsequent volunteer commitment, participants do not become Colorado Master Gardeners. The title of ‘Master Gardener’ is a registered service mark and only to be used for CSU Extension events and purposes.
The Colorado Gardener Certificate may be displayed in a place of business and used in business marketing.
Short Course participants will receive a Certificate of Completion for the specified short course. All courses must be completed to earn this certificate.
ENROLLMENT
Full Course Registration:
Spring ’23 is closed. Join our interested list to be contacted about future registration.
Short Course Registration:
FEES
- Full Course (14 classes + weekly live reviews) = $530
- Short Course (5 classes each; no weekly reviews) = $195
- See our “TRAINING FEES & COURSE MATERIALS” document for details
- Payment is required at the time of registration
- Discounts may be available to CSU and county employees in Colorado, email us to learn more
- Sorry, we CANNOT offer refunds
Contact GreenSchool@colostate.edu for details.
The full course is comparable to a 4-credit class. In comparison, tuition for a four-credit class at CSU is $1,932.
Scholarships
We offer a limited number of need-based scholarships for the full course. Scholarships provide 50% off the full-price, full course registration only. This means scholarship recipients pay $265 instead of $530. Applications closed in November for our Spring 2023 course. Check back next fall or join our interested list to be notified of our scholarship application process.
Considering the Colorado Master Gardener Volunteer program?
This option requires a completed application, interview, and background check in addition to training fees and a 50-hour volunteer commitment to your local county in the first year. Learn more.
