Clemson Extension Training Master Gardener Community Volunteers!

August 26, 2022

Our Master Gardener Volunteer training course is off to an excellent start. The Master Gardener program trains citizens who want to give back to their community by delivering horticultural education outreach and service to residents through various locally-offered programs. There are approximately 284,307 residents in Spartanburg County spread across 819 square miles in the Upstate of South Carolina. Due to county size and population, Clemson University Cooperative Extension in Spartanburg County relies on knowledgeable Master Gardeners to help meet the consumer horticulture needs of our residents. Students learn about soil conditioning, soil fertility, plant identification, weed management, stormwater runoff pollution, drainage mitigation, integrated pest management, and pesticide safety.

The Spartanburg Master Gardeners are involved in multiple projects around the county. Some include work with habitat for humanity, Hatcher Gardens, Spartanburg Community College, Spartanburg Farmers Market, The Landrum Farmers Market, and many others. The Spartanburg Master Gardener association, known as the Master Gardener Association of the Piedmont (MGAP), also runs a one-acre Plant-A-Row Garden, which provides over 15,000 lbs of quality produce to local soup kitchens and food pantries annually. To learn more about SC Master Gardeners, visit https://www.clemson.edu/extension/mg/. To learn more about the local association activities, please visit https://www.facebook.com/MstrGrdnr.

Master Gardener Students learning about soil conditioning and soil texture.

Master Gardener Students at the Spartanburg Community College Horticulture Pavilion learning about plant physiology and botany.

Master Gardener Students at the Spartanburg Community College Horticulture Pavilion learning about weed identification and management.