Our Mission
The Mission of the University of Hawai‘i Master Gardener Program is to provide the public with unbiased, research based information and sustainable management practices in tropical horticulture suitable for home gardens, local landscapes, urban environments and the community. The Master Gardener program is an educational outreach program administered by the University of Hawai‘i Cooperative Extension Service.
The next Master Gardener Volunteer Training is offered February 4 through April 24, 2026.
Application deadline is Friday, December 19, 2025. Enrollment is limited.
This year we have TWO TRAINING OPTIONS, A or B:
OPTION A - Certified Master Gardener Volunteer: Do you want to be a fully certified Master Gardener and offer your volunteer time to help provide education to the public? You'll participate in online Webinars, in-person training, and field trips. On successful completion you'll be a certified Hawai'i Master Gardener and part of a dedicated group of West Hawai‘i volunteers.
The West Hawai‘i MG Volunteer Certification training program will continue in a hybrid format in 2026. Some classes will be held online, and some will be conducted in person:
1. West Hawai‘i-only classes, attended by trainees in the West Hawai‘i MG certification cohort only, will meet on six or seven Wednesday mornings (9am to 12pm) disbursed throughout the training period. Beginning February 4 and ending on April 22, these classes meet in person at the Kona Cooperative Extension office (UH-CTAHR) 79-7381 Mamalahoa Hwy, in Kainaliu.
2. Statewide online Zoom webinars on consecutive Friday mornings (9am start) from Feb. 13 through April 24 – and attended simultaneously by all MG training programs across the state. The webinars, 2 – 3 hours in length, will be recorded. You will need internet access with Zoom capability.
To obtain certified Master Gardener status and to be able to use that title, trainees must complete all three components of the Master Gardener Volunteer Training Program:
1.) Attend all classes and field trips of the MG Volunteer Training Program, unless previously approved to be absent by our Coordinator, Ty McDonald.
2.) Successfully complete the take-home exams with a passing grade within time limit set by coordinator. The first take-home exam must be completed with a passing grade within that time limit for you to continue with the remaining classes.
3.) Complete 40 volunteer hours as approved by the coordinator within 1 year of completing the MG Volunteer Training Program. To continue being certified as a Master Gardener, on-going service of 30 hours of volunteerism is required every year.
OPTION B - Non-Certified training: Do you want to take the Webinars only, for your personal education about home gardening in Hawai‘i? You'll be able to participate in the statewide online Webinars. The non-certified, Webinars-only option does not include in person classes and has no volunteerism component. The Friday webinars from Feb 13 through April 24 are recorded for viewing convenience.
- Application deadline is Friday, December 19, 2025. Enrollment is limited.
- The fee for either option is $250. After completing the online application, please follow the payment instructions provided below. Fees will not be deposited unless you are accepted into the program.
A.) To apply for the 2026 Certified Master Gardener Volunteer Training course, please click here.
B.) To apply for the 2026 Non-certified, Webinars-only Participant option, please click here.
PAYMENT: Send or bring the $250 fee (cash or check payable to: WHMGP) to Ty McDonald, Kona Cooperative Extension, 79-7381 Mamalahoa Hwy., Kealakekua, HI 96750.
What we do
Master Gardeners expand the outreach efforts of the Cooperative Extension Service by interacting with the gardening public in a variety of ways:
- Master Gardener Helpline
- Information booths at agricultural festivals and farmers’ markets
- Educational programs for gardening groups (school age to seniors)
- Sustainable Gardening presentations at the Kona Historical Society Living History Farm
- Growing plants like vanilla orchids in our nursery
- Selling UH seeds, fruit fly traps, lures & bait, and live plants at outreach events
- CTAHR Open House events
- Educational programs and field trips for Master Gardeners
- And more!
The Master Gardener Helpline
Helpline hours are Tuesday and Thursday from 9AM to noon.
West Hawai‘i Island Master Gardeners are trained volunteers who specialize in giving advice and assistance to home gardeners on pests, diseases, and cultivation of plants in Hawai‘i. Research-based horticultural information is provided primarily through the Master Gardener Helpline. Home gardeners can email questions and photos to konamg@hawaii.edu, call (808) 322-4893 during office hours and ask to speak to a Master Gardener, or drop by the office in person.
Vanilla Orchid Project
West Hawaiʻi Master Gardeners are growing vanilla orchids in our greenhouse. The Vanilla Orchid Team pollinate the orchids as they bloom, fertilize the plants, harvest and process the vanilla beans, and divide the plants as necessary. We sell some of the vanilla orchid plants at our outreach events.
Propagating Plants From Seeds Made Easy
With many people starting vegetable gardens for the very first time it’s important to understand the basics of propagating plants by seed. Visions of a bountiful harvest of fresh vegetables intoxicating the beginning gardener’s mind at planting may lead to sowing seed with merely a “wet it and forget it” consideration.
Avid gardeners of all ages and stages, from fuzzy neophytes to gnarled veterans, never lose their fascination with the seed germination process, where seeds sown beneath the soil surface later emerge, full of life, as new seedling plants capable of independent existence.
Three conditions must be met for successful germination. Click here for more