Two smiling UC Master Gardeners standing behind a circular ofrenda table brightly decorated with a Mexican blanket and orange flowers. In the background are San DIego County Operations Center buildings.
A UC Master Gardener smiling while sitting in a wheelchair next to two other smiling people, one also wearing a blue Master Gardener t-shirt. There is a white tent canopy in the background and they are outdoors at a public event,
Four smiling adults and one child with their arms around each other. In the background are UC Master Gardener Program of San Diego tent canopies and palm trees.

Photo credits: MGASDC

How do I become a UC Master Gardener?

UC Master Gardeners are volunteers who are trained and certified by the University of California.  Training classes are usually offered every two years in San Diego County. Our next class will begin January, 2027. 

The training course is a series of about 19 classes that meet from January into June.  There is a class fee to cover textbooks and other expenses.  Classes will be held at the County Operations Center on Overland Ave. in San Diego.  The classes provide a basic introduction to horticulture and pest management.  Topics include taxonomy, soils and fertilizers, irrigation, entomology, plant pathology, weed management, vertebrate pests and the culture of vegetables, fruit trees and woody ornamentals.  Students who successfully complete the training course and pass a final exam (with a score of 70%) become UC Master Gardener volunteers. 

UC Master Gardener volunteers help the University of California provide county residents with research based information in the areas of home gardening, noncommercial horticulture and pest management. New UC Master Gardeners agree to complete at least 50 hours of volunteer service in approved activities within one year of being certified.  After the first year, veteran UC Master Gardeners agree to complete 25 hours of volunteer service and 12 hours of continuing education annually to remain active in the program.