Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Master Gardener YouTube Channel

This is an FYI on a new series of videos we have produced:

Over the past year, the Office of the State Master Gardener Coordinator has been hard at work developing material and content for our program! 

The newest addition to the library on our YouTube Channel is a series of how-to videos on plant propagation featuring: seeding, transplantinggrafting, air layering, tomato grafting, and plant division, each filmed in the Virginia Tech greenhouses.  Each video is about three to five minutes in length and goes step-by-step into how each method is used as well as tips for making sure your plant propagates.  You can visit our channel here!

These video are also featured in our new online training modules, and there are more to come!  Feel free to share!

Downloadable EMG Intern Name Badges Available

Downloadable EMG Intern Name badges available on the Coordinator side of the website!  We have three name badge templates that can be downloaded and printed locally for your EMG Interns if you would like.  They are found on the Coordinator side of the website, and if you are interested, please ask your Coordinator to log in and take a look at them!

Save the Date: 2017 Gardening in the Northern Neck Seminar - March 25, 2017


2017 New River Valley Master Gardener Training Class - Blacksburg, VA, February 28 - May 11



Are you looking for a way to improve your community through volunteer service?  Do you have an interest in horticulture?   Do you enjoy sharing your knowledge?  If the answer to all of these questions is yes, being an Extension Master Gardener may be right for you!

Virginia Cooperative Extension is now accepting applications for the
2017 New River Valley Master Gardener Training Program!

Applicants must be able to attend a 60-hour Training Course and complete 50 hours of volunteer service with Virginia Cooperative Extension during their first year.

The Training Course will be held March-May 2017 on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 1:00PM – 4:00PM at the Hahn Horticulture Pavilion at Virginia Tech. Students will get an equivalent of 3 college credits worth of knowledge from classes taught by Virginia Tech professors and Virginia Cooperative Extension Agents.  The course provides a thorough understanding of all areas in horticulture and includes the following topics: 

Topics covered in the course include:

Botany           
Entomology   
Indoor Foliage
Annuals
Perennials
Risk Management
Trees and Shrubs
Abiotic Plant Stress
Fruits
Plant Pathology
Urban Forestry/Pruning 
Landscape Design
Propagation
Vegetables
Pesticide Use & Safety
Water Quality

The cost for the 60-hour course is $150.00, which covers the Virginia Master Gardener Handbook textbook and other training materials.

Upon completion of the Training Course, students will be considered interns and will begin a 50-hour internship designed to provide practical hands-on learning under guidance of experienced Extension Master Gardeners.

There are many on-going Master Gardener projects in the NRV that help others learn and use sustainable gardening and landscape practices, teach youth gardening skills, provide food for those in need while teaching them how to grow their own, assist community members through horticultural therapy, and more. Master Gardening is a fantastic way to volunteer. The skills you learn during the Extension Master Gardener Training Course will help you not only in your own gardens but when assisting others as well.  We hope you will consider joining this exciting, fun, and educational group who don’t mind getting their hands dirty to support the community!

Contact the New River Valley Master Gardener Coordinator at the Montgomery County Extension Office for more information or to obtain an application!
Applications are due by December 19, 2016.

Boxwood Blight and Holiday Decorations - December



Upcoming EMG Webinar: Thursday, December 15 at 10:00 AM


Hi All! 
This is a reminder for the upcoming EMG Open Forum WebEx next week on December 15, Thursday, at 10:00 to 11:00 AM.   Please feel free to share this with anyone who would be interested.  To join, simply click on the yellow highlighted link ( join the meeting) below 10 minutes before the starting time.  If a password is needed, it is also highlighted below.

You are invited to join the State EMG Coordinator's Office as we discuss frequent questions that were submitted during the Leadership Development Training in October.  We will also have an open forum for questions from listeners during this time. 
If you have questions you would like us to answer during this time, please feel free to send them to freeborn@vt.edu or dclose@vt.edu ahead of time.
Thanks, and looking forward to "seeing" you there!
The State EMG Coordinator's Office 


 EMG Open Forum

Thursday, December 15, 2016
10:00 am  |  Eastern Standard Time (New York, GMT-05:00)  |  1 hr 30 mins
Meeting number (access code): 644 316 700
Meeting password: openforum