Welcome to the Colorado Master Gardener GardenNotes! This site contains University horticultural information as well as training resources for Colorado Master Gardener and Green School students.

2024-2025 Green School Full Course Student Resources        

Below you’ll find information for registered Green School students.

• 2024-2025 Training Schedule Green School Full Course (pdf)
• Syllabus Green School Full Course Colorado Gardener Certificate (pdf)
• Syllabus Green School Full Course Colorado Master Gardener (pdf)
• Student Training Guide | Print to take notes, if desired
  • Includes optional homework/activities, and class notes
• Volunteer Handbook (pdf)
• Link to Online Courses CSU Online’s Canvas site
• Canvas Cheatsheet (pdf)

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Direct Links to Gardening Information

• CMG Program Overview
• Botany: How Plants Grow
• Colorado Climate Summaries & Frost Dates
• Diagnosing Tree Disorders
• Entomology and Identifying Insects
• Herbaceous Plants
• Identifying Trees and Shrubs
• IPM and the Diagnostic Process
• Irrigation Management
• Lawn Care – Turfgrass Management
• Native Plants
• Plant Pathology
• Pruning
• Small Fruits
• Soils, Fertilizers, and Soil Amendments
• Tree Care
• Tree Fruit
• Tree Planting: Right Plant Right Place
• Vegetable & Herbs
• Water Wise Landscape Design
• Weed Management

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2024 Complete Set of Garden Notes

*Note: This document contains all Garden Notes covered on the Green School Full Course. It is organized based on the 2024-2025 schedule.

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010 – CMG Program Overview

• #010, Reference and Review Material: Colorado Master Gardener Program
• #011, Learning
• #014, Volunteer Handbook
• #015, Communications
• #016, Fielding Questions: Tips
• #017, Listening Habits Evaluation
• #018, Using Copyrighted Materials, Are You Legal?

CMG PROGRAM SECTION [pdf]

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100 – IPM and the Diagnostic Process

• #100, Reference and Review Material: Integrated Pest Management and the Diagnostic Process
• #101, IPM and Plant Health Care
• #102, Diagnosing Plant Disorders
• #112, Systematic Plant Evaluation
• #113, Diagnosing Root and Soil Disorders on Landscape Trees

IPM & DIAGNOSTIC PROCESS SECTION [pdf]

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120 – Botany

• #120, Reference and Review Material: Botany
• #121, Horticultural Classification Terms
• #122, Taxonomic Classification
• #131, Plant Structures: Cells, Tissues and Structures
• #132, Plant Structures: Roots
• #133, Plant Structures: Stems
• #134, Plant Structures: Leaves
• #135, Plant Structures: Flowers
• #136, Plant Structures: Fruit
• #137, Plant Structures: Seeds
• #141, Plant Physiology: Photosynthesis, Transpiration, and Respiration
• #142, Plant Growth Factors: Light
• #143, Plant Growth Factors: Temperature
• #144, Plant Growth Factors: Water
• #145, Plant Growth Factors: Plant Hormones

BOTANY SECTION [pdf]

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170 – Identifying Trees and Shrubs

• #170, Reference and Review Material: Identifying Trees and Shrubs
• #171, Identifying Trees and Shrubs
• #172, Identifying Conifers
• #173, Identifying Broadleaf Flowering Trees and Shrubs
• #177, Key to Identifying Common Landscape Trees of Colorado

IDENTIFYING TREES & SHRUBS SECTION [pdf]

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210 – Soils Fertilizers and Soil Amendments

• #210, Reference and Review Material: Soils, Fertilizers, and Soil Amendments
• #211, Introduction to Soil
• #212, The Living Soil
• #213, Managing Soil Tilth: Texture, Structure, and Pore Space
• #214, Estimating Soil Texture: Sandy, Loamy, or Clayey
• #215, Soil Compaction
• #218, Earthworms
• #219, Soil Drainage
• #221, Soil Tests
• #222, Soil pH
• #223, Iron Chlorosis of Woody Plants
• #224, Saline Soils
• #231, Plant Nutrition
• #232, Understanding Fertilizers
• #233, Calculating Fertilizer Application Rates
• #234, Organic Fertilizers
• #241, Soil Amendments
• #242, Using Manure in Colorado Gardens
• #243, Using Compost in Colorado Gardens
• #244, Cover Crops and Green Manure Crops
• #245, Mulching
• #246, Making Compost
• #251, Asking Effective Questions About Soils

SOILS, FERTILIZERS, & SOIL AMENDMENTS SECTION [pdf]

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#260 – Irrigation Management

• #260, Reference and Review Material: Irrigation Management
• #261, Colorado’s Water Situation
• #262, Water Movement Through the Landscape
• #263, Understanding Irrigation Management Factors
• #264, Irrigation Equipment
• #265, Methods to Schedule Home Lawn Irrigation
• #266, Converting Inches to Minutes
• #267, Watering Efficiently
• #268, Irrigation Management: In-Ground Sprinkler System Checkup

IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT SECTION [pdf]

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310 – Entomology and Identifying Insects

• #310, Reference and Review Material: Identifying Insects
• #311, Taxonomy of Arthropods: Insects and Insect Relatives
• #312, Insect Anatomy and Growth
• #313, Insect Orders
• #314, Key 1 – Key to Insects Associated With Gardening
• #315, Key 2 – Key to Insect Orders

ENTOMOLOGY SECTION [pdf]

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330 – Plant Pathology

• #330, Reference and Review Material: Plant Pathology
• #331, Plant Pathology

PLANT PLANTOLOGY SECTION [pdf]

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350 – Weed Management

• #350, Reference and Review Material: Weed Management
• #351, Weed Management
• #352, Weed Descriptions
• #353, Weeds Associated with Specific Environments and Cultural Conditions
• Additional Resources:
  • Useful Weed ID Resources for Master Gardeners
  • Weed Management for the Home Lawn
  • Indicator Weeds
  • Vegetable Garden Weed Management
  • Natural Herbicides for Landscape Weed Management

WEED MANAGEMENT SECTION [pdf]

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410 – Water Wise Landscape Design

• #410, Reference and Review Material: Water-Wise Landscape Design
• #411, Water-Wise Landscape Design: Steps
• #412, Water-Wise Landscape Design: Selecting Turf Options
• #413, Water-Wise Landscape Design: Principles of Landscape Design

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510 – Herbaceous Plants

• #510, Reference and Review Material: Herbaceous Plants
• #511, Colorado Plant Ecosystems
• #512, Herbaceous Plants: Right Plant, Right Place

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550 – Lawn Care – Turfgrass Management

• #550, Reference and Review Material: Turfgrass Management
• #551, Basic Turf Management
• #552, Broadleaf Weed Control in Lawns
• #553, Dog Urine Damage on Lawns: Causes, Cures, and Prevention
• #554, Earthworms and Nightcrawlers in the Home Lawn
• #561, Turfgrass Species Selection Guidelines
• #562, Best Turf Varieties
• #563, Hybrid (Kentucky X Texas) Bluegrass
• #564, Fine Fescues for Lawns
• #565, Buffalograss Lawns
• #566, Sources of Grass Seed, Sod, and Plugs for Colorado Lawns

LAWN CARE & TURFGRASS SECTION [pdf]

Additional Resources:

• Sprinkler Types for Lawn Irrigation
• Lawn Watering Guide
• Irrigation Audit
• Should you move over to clover?

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580 – Native Plants

• #580, Reference and Review Material: Native Plants
• #581, Native Grasses
• #582, Native Plant Reference
• #583, Sources of Colorado Native Plants

NATIVE PLANTS SECTION [pdf]

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610 The Science of Pruning

• #610, Reference and Review Material: The Science of Pruning
• #611, Tree Growth and Decay
• #612, Pruning Cuts
• #613, Structural Pruning of Young Shade Trees
• #615, Pruning Maturing Shade Trees
• #616, Pruning Flowering Shrubs
• #617, Pruning Evergreens

THE SCIENCE OF PRUNING SECTION [pdf]

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630 The Science of Planting Trees

• #630, Reference and Review Material: Tree Planting
• #631, Tree Placement: Right Plant, Right Place
• #632, Tree Selection: Right Plant, Right Place
• #633, The Science of Planting Trees
• #634, Tree Staking and Underground Stabilization
• #635, Care of Recently Planted Trees
• #636, Tree Planting Steps

TREE PLANTING SECTION [pdf]

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650 – Tree Care

• #651, Fertilizing Shade Trees
• #652, Tree Preservation During Construction
• #653, Wrapping Trees for Winter
• #654, Staking Trees
• #655, Dealing with Leaves in the Landscape
• #656, Herbicide Use Around the Landscape
• #657, Watering Mature Shade Trees
• #658, Mulching Trees
• #659, Understanding Tree Roots

TREE CARE SECTION [pdf]

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710 – Vegetables & Herbs

• #710, Reference and Review Material: Vegetables
• #711, Vegetable Gardens: Soil Management and Fertilization
• #712, Sample Vegetable Garden Seed Catalogs
• #713, Block Style Layout in Raised Bed Vegetable Gardens
• #714, Irrigating the Vegetable Garden
• #715, Mulches for the Vegetable Garden
• #716, Water Conservation in the Vegetable Garden
• #717, Growing Tomatoes
• #718, Tomato Early Blight
• #719, Vegetable Garden Hints
• #720, Vegetable Planting Guide
• #721, Sample Planting Guide for Raised-Bed Garden
• #722, Frost Protection and Extending the Growing Season
• #723, Growing Vegetable in a Hobby Greenhouse
• #724, Vegetable Gardening in Containers
• #731, Herb Gardening

VEGETABLES SECTION [pdf]

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740 – Climate Summaries & Frost Dates

• #741, Climate Summary: Boulder and Longmont
• #742, Climate Summary: Castle Rock, Littleton and Parker
• #743, Climate Summary: Colorado Springs
• #744, Climate Summary: Dillon
• #745, Climate Summary: Eagle and Glenwood Springs
• #746, Climate Summary: Fort Collins, Greeley and Estes Park
• #757, Climate Summary: Gilpin
• #747, Climate Summary: Gunnison
• #748, Climate Summary: Northeast Colorado
• #749, Climate Summary: Northwest Colorado
• #750, Climate Summary: Southwest Colorado
• #751, Climate Summary: Pueblo
• #752, Climate Summary: Salida and Buena Vista
• #753, Climate Summary: Norwood and Telluride
• #754, Climate Summary: San Luis Valley
• #755, Climate Summary: Canon City
• #756, Climate Summary and Planting Dates: Tri River Area

CLIMATE SUMMARIES & FROST DATES SECTION [pdf]

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760 – Small Fruits

• #760, Reference and Review Material: Small Fruits
• #761, Growing Raspberries in Colorado Gardens
• #762, Growing Blackberries in Colorado Gardens
• #763, Growing Strawberries in Colorado Gardens
• #764, Growing Grapes in Colorado Gardens

SMALL FRUITS SECTION [pdf]

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770 – Tree Fruit

• #770, Reference and Review Material: Tree Fruit
• #771, Growing Tree Fruit in the Home Garden

TREE FRUIT SECTION [pdf]

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