How Does Your Garden Grow?

Rutgers Master Gardeners Class of 2024 was recognized during its recent graduation ceremony highlighting the students’ success with in-depth, hands-on training they received in horticulture from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey faculty and professional staff. Ocean County Commissioner Virginia E. Haines, liaison to Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Ocean County, congratulated the graduates on behalf of the Board of Commissioners and extended her appreciation to them for helping make Ocean County beautiful. Some basic topics covered during the training include plant biology, propagation, soil science, and disease and pest control. In exchange for the training, Rutgers Master Gardeners agree to volunteer a certain number of hours, working in their community in programs sponsored by Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) Cooperative Extension. The Rutgers Master Gardeners’ (RMG) course is a minimum of 60 hours of class time and 60 hours of volunteer time to become a Certified RMG. The most hours volunteered by a graduate this year was 169 hours- Janet Pakrul. Successful graduates of the training become Certified Rutgers Master Gardeners after they complete their volunteer service.