master gardeners

macrocarpa

macrocarpa

Branched out member
Location
Midwest
This is something that has irritated me for a while, master gardeners. Every time I run into one they always know more about trees than me and they always talk about cutting trees back like a damn rose bush. I don't pretend to know more than them about growing flowers, thyme and rosemary, so why the f%$# do they do that $#@%.

Anyone else run into this irritating breed?
 
MG's more often become MG's for personal satisfaction, seldom for professional development.

Therefore, their credential is more "personal" and ego-serving.

I've met some wonderful MG's in Florida who were awesome to collaborate with after the hurricanes of 2005-2006.

Then again, I've met some in VT that I just said, "thanX but no thanX" to.

It is the same way with CA's some do it for Ego some do it as a means of providing a better product. When you meet one or the other you catch on pretty quick to their original motive.
 
I think the Master Gardener program is a good one and I get lots of referals from Master Gardeners.
 
Ya, I agree it is a good program and related to our field. I guess I have just had several run inns recently where MG's argued with me about proper pruning and tried to get me to basically top their trees. So I unleashed some frustration and was hoping for someone to say "ya they annoy me too sometimes".
 
[ QUOTE ]
MG's more often become MG's for personal satisfaction, seldom for professional development.

Therefore, their credential is more "personal" and ego-serving.


[/ QUOTE ]

Good observation and logic Rick. I too have noticed this pattern.

After one estimate with a MG she actually started to ask questions. When it came down to it, she had no idea of a thinning cut or reductiion cut were. She had no idea of where to make a collar cut either.

However, her personality was no where like the majority. She actually admitted she didn't know of or how to administer any sort of thinning or reduction cuts.

She's now a very good customer.

We got to be patient with them.
smirk.gif
 
I've been told that in WI the MG program is a voluntary operation, and they are not allowed to use the title for promotional purposes. So it is more for public gardens and enthusiasts then professional gardeners.

I've seen them on TV landscape shows say "don't be afraid to limb up your trees!" Leaving big trunk wounds that will never close up well. Many times a heavy, but judicious thinning would have solved the problem.

With the nature of the program it is not very technical, or scientific. It probably would not be considered a true certificate course at a vocational college.

As with any person, you need to learn to read the personality to so you can get a foot in the door with demonstration and passing on knowledge.

"Oh, neat, Let me show you how I do it." "Here is a way you can incorporate the branch in the desgin." "You could use those surface roots as a demarcation for garden sections, accentuate the beautiful transition of root to to stem in the flair!"

Often if you try to show enthusiasm and fascination you can turn it into a discussion vs a monologue. Many MS's are somewhat pedantic, and once they find that we are both dedicated horticulturalists they tend to listen to what I have to say.
 
I'm a Vermont Certified Horticulturist, in addition to a Certified Arborist, so I can relate to this. I worked in a retail garden center for years-many master gardeners I met were great, and some would come in and ask questions just to quiz me, and some would even stand around and argue. It's a lot like life in general, they are only standing out more to us because they are in our field. I bet plumbers get some of this too.

If anyone ever asked me the difference between being a cert. hort./arborist and a master gardener, I would just explain that I was the one the master gardener would call with a question they had.
 
I work at a public entertainment venue where master gardeners are allowed to complete their volunteer hours sitting at a table and talking to visitors about gardening.

My experience is that the title "Master" is the biggest problem. Many of these gardeners want to argue about trees, fertilization, etc... I'd love to see more efforts from the program to teach basic tree care.

I have met a few who recognized how little they truly learned throught he program and were interested in continuing to grow.

Dave
 
Like any program the grads are only as good as the teachers and the syllabus. Look at who is the top of the line for the MG program. Is their background hort, agronomy, arbo, forestry or ???.

Somewhere in any program the students need to learn that it is perfectly fine to not know all of the answers. Too often curriculums shuffle people along and have them think that they know it all. Humility should be a part of learning.
 
Every year we have a "Buckthorn Buster" day where people come out and try to get rid of the "bad invasive". Every year it's the master gardeners who stand around and act like hot shots who can't get dirty with the volunteers! I feel your frustrations with them!!!!!!
 
They are indeed very annoying I used to work with a few of them. I think it is a worthwhile program entered into by primarily people who are either enthusiasts or wish to be able to tell people well "I AM A MASTER GARDENER AFTER ALL" A label they can self apply as they never entered into a trade, or were able to call themselves anything.
 
The most Master Gardeners I worked for was in southern Oregon, when we lived there for 3 years near Medford.

Most of them were just curious about a few things I planned to do for their trees, and simply wanted an estimate.

The word of mouth referrals from them was excellent.

The ones I worked for never criticized anything and were always happy with the results.
 
I am a graduate of the MG course offered at URI, and let me tell you, it is pretty intensive, in fact it is TMI for someone not versed in gardening/plants/soil, etc. It is 16 classes, one a week for 16 weeks, with a different subject each week, including plant pathology, biology, entomology, soil science, proper plant selection, etc. Here at URI we had some great instructors, several of whom are in or closely involved with our industry here in RI. Two business owners (one tree biz, one more of a holistic landscape biz focusing on evergreens), one professor who works closely with DEM and is renowned as a tree guru around here, and another fellow who is a nurseryman specializing in grafting and generating new cultivars. There were a few other professors who lectured that I could credit as well, but suffice to say, it was worth the price of attendance. Better than alot of the stuff I see at conferences and shows, even.

The program is LOADED with good info, but slightly poisoned with a bit of dogma and alot of egos. I personally got alot out of it, but since I don't participate in 'Master Gardener' sanctioned CEU's (they're kinda like, exclusive), I can no longer call myself a Master Gardener, which is just fine by me. On my website, I note that I am a grad of the program, but that's all the mention I give it.

So I simultaneously defend and criticize the program, how do you like that?

-Tom
 
I feel better that others have experienced the inflated ego's from SOME MG credential holders. Seems to be the 1st thing they tell me "i'm a MG".

I suppose even further steriotyping wouldn't hurt much: It seems to be know it all 50-60 year old women MG's that are the most matriarchal, I feel for their husbands.

I had one ask me to top her magnolias, another ask me to top her silver maples, another bradford pears, one argued with me that a pin oak was a northern red oak, another called a crimson king a walnut (in the winter time) and the rest just left me with a $#1tty attitude that only a lager could sooth. And I never get referals from them, probably because I lectured them (softly) about what topping was compared to proper pruning.

Maybe the area I am living in is living up to its steriotype? What comes to your minds when you think of northeast TN?

Tom, sounds like RI has a good staff of MG facilitators, I'll still seek your advise even though you are an MG.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Tom, sounds like RI has a good staff of MG facilitators, I'll still seek your advise even though you are an MG.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought I told you, I'm not a Master Gardener, I am only a humble graduate of the program hahahaha.

I completely agree with the previous posts about egos and know-it-alls, we got plenty of 'em up here. The program is still good, though... It's just some of the people that suck.

I think for some reason the whole idea of being a Master Gardener is attractive to 50-something housewives with little better to do. Therein lies the problem.

-Tom
 
My wife and Mother were both Master gardeners. My wife has a degree in horticulture and worked in a couple different greenhouses. My Mother owned and operated a greenhouse.

One of the guys at the Cooperative Extension used to buy plants at my Mother's greenhouse and as a result got both her and my wife involved in the Master Gardening program.

It was associated with the Cornell Cooperative Extension. They had demonstration gardens etc. They became Master Gardeners to increase their personal knowledge and help in her business. Also as a public service to the community. Both would volunteer time answering phone questions from the public for the Cooperative Extension.

Any knowledge they conveyed to anyone had to do with gardening. Specifically bedding plants,flowers and vegetables. Nothing about trees. Just our experience here with it. Anyway she got a kick out of the comments.
 
". I'd love to see more efforts from the program to teach basic tree care."

They have to learn it first. ;)

I teach MGs and find most bright and open-minded. App, maybe you are right that your anti-topping lecturing is what gets their attitude up.

The core issue with the program is that it is an arm of the univerity, and charged with spreading university info. But they are open to ISA info when they see it is credible.

Like Tom I'm a grad (class of '92) but did not keep up the ceus. wish i had.
 
Also an old section head in Ireland working for the forestry board did pretty much the same thing with his CA.

Me and the crew showed up at the worksite, we knew it was ominous because we couldn't get the truck anywhere near the tree.
When we got to the tree a common beech (Fagus sylvatica) it had a crack circumnavigating a quarter of the radius of the buttress roots which then went vertical for six to eight feet and you could get your hand inside of it.
I told him we wouldn't be climbing it until the general foreman came down and inspected the tree.
He promptly whipped out his ISA card and said "this gives me right to decide what is safe and what is not"
He flashed that thing at every oppurtunity he had stating he was an arborist. Truth be told he was an old forestry mechanic.
 
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