Maine Horticulture Learning Standards

Updated 4.12.23

Module 1

Note: Module 1 is different for each training program. Modules 2 – 5 are the same for all training programs. 

Maine Horticulture Apprentice Training Module 1: Course Orientation and Introduction to the Industry

  • Professional Resources & Skills: 
    • Types of careers in the Maine horticulture industry
    • Relevant resources and professional organizations for Maine horticulture professionals
    • Best practices for offering excellent service to customers, employers and colleagues
  • Horticulture Apprenticeship: demonstrate proficiency* in at least 5 of the following areas (*Proficient = can work independently without supervision to complete this task):
  • watering/irrigation
  • pest management (insects, diseases, weeds)
  • plant management (pruning, division, fertilizer application, etc.)
  • customer service
  • planting and/or seeding
  • plant selection and design
  • safe and proper use of equipment (hand tools, mowers, trimmers, tiller, etc.)
  • monitoring for plants and pests (insects, diseases, weeds)
  • educational outreach

Master Gardener Volunteer Training Module 1: Orientation and Volunteerism

Volunteerism

  • The mission, program breadth and funding sources of the University of Maine  Cooperative Extension
  • How and where the Master Gardener Volunteers program originated
  • Maine Master Gardener Volunteers Program policies
  • The “hows” and “whys” of reporting volunteer hours and activities
  • The process and requirements of annual re-enrollment
  • Tips for effective communication with fellow volunteers, clients, and Extension office  staff
  • How to minimize risk when working with youth, elderly and other vulnerable populations
  • Potential Master Gardener Volunteer projects in your area

Food Systems and Food Security

  • The impacts of food insecurity in Maine and how Maine ranks in New England
  • The current understanding about food waste and steps that can be taken individually and state-wide to minimize the food waste stream
  • The challenges of providing fresh produce to hungry residents via food pantries and emergency food and meal sites
  • The components of a food system and your role(s) in it as a consumer and perhaps as a producer, server, processor and/or distributor
  • How University of Maine Cooperative Extension supports and is part of the Maine Food System
  • How to actively involve yourself in the food system 
  • How to become more involved in the Maine Harvest for Hunger Program or another local food security program
  • The Food Recovery Hierarchy and its components 
  • How to distinguish between food security, food justice, and food sovereignty

Maine Gardener Training Module 1: Course Orientation and Horticulture Resources 

  • Become familiar with the breadth of horticulture resources available
  • Learn how to search for and identify reliable sources of information 

Module 2: Foundations of Horticulture

Ecology

  • Define natural communities and ecosystems
  • Explain the importance of biodiversity and how it supports healthy and robust ecosystems
  • Understand the impact of habitat loss and fragmentation
  • Understand the basics of climate change and tangible efforts gardeners can make to reduce its impact on their local communities
  • Explain key observation skills that can inform sustainable gardening practices
  • Understand the impact of invasive species on the Maine landscape
  • Define phenology

Botany

  • The binomial system (Genus species) of plant nomenclature
  • Meaning of the terms hybrid, open-pollinated, variety and cultivar
  • Plant parts (roots, stems, buds, leaves, flowers and fruits) and their functions
  • Be aware of how a plant is identified – ie. using a dichotomous key
  • Plant growth, development and differentiation
  • The processes of photosynthesis, respiration and transpiration in plants
  • Major environmental factors that influence plant growth, development and phenology (spacing, nutrients, light, day length, water, temperature)

Propagation

  • The basic techniques and reasons for vegetative (asexual) propagation of plants including division, layering, cuttings and grafting
  • The basic techniques and reasons for seedage (sexual) propagation of plants
  • The parts of a seed and the environmental factors necessary for germination and growing on
  • Potential seedling diseases
  • An understanding of the role that containers, growing medium and fertilization play in plant propagation
  • The processes of hardening off and transplanting seedlings
  • The basics of seed saving and storage

Soils and Composting

  • Soil Quality
    • Composition of soil: four components and how they impact plant growth
    • Soil texture, its impact on gardening and if you can alter it
    • Soil structure and how management practices can impact it
    • Beyond the root zone: what other soil characteristics may impact your garden
  • Address soil fertility and pH
    • How to take a soil test
    • Reading the soil test
      • Understanding pH
      • When and how to adjust pH
      • Macro and micronutrients 
      • When and how to fertilize
      • Cation exchange capacity, lead and organic matter
      • Troubleshooting soil issues
        • Soil texture issues (too dry or wet)
        • Adding organic matter
          • Cover crop
          • Composting
            • Basics of the composting process
            • How to troubleshoot and correct home composting problems
            • The characteristics of and uses of finished compost
        • Imported soil and amendments
          • Buying in soil
          • Container growing

Module 3: Food Production 

Vegetable Gardening

  • Garden site selection 
  • Factors to consider when planning a vegetable garden
  • How to read seed packets and catalogs
  • Cool-season vs. warm-season crops
  • Crop families and specific growing information 
  • Techniques for extending the garden season
  • Basics of crop rotation

Garden Maintenance and Food Safety

  • Basics of weed management and familiarity with identification resources 
  • Plant water needs, identify soil moisture level and understand options for water distribution methods.
  • Appropriate mulch materials for various uses, be able to calculate quantities and understand the benefits of mulch.
  • Manual and mechanized tools options, selecting appropriate tools for different situations, tools maintenance and ergonomic tools.
  • Paper and electronic record keeping methods, including apps and what to keep track of.
  • Basics of adaptive gardening techniques and options.
  • Food safety for a safe harvest
  • How to harvest and properly store common vegetable crops
  • Food safety practices used in preparing fresh foods for consumption

Small Fruits

  • The critical components of a suitable site for growing small fruits
  • Fundamentals of growing strawberries; proper planting, early care, winter production and renovation strawberry beds; characteristics of recommended varieties
  • Fundamentals of growing raspberries and blackberries; proper planting, early care, trellising and pruning of brambles; characteristics of recommended varieties
  • Fundamentals of growing highbush blueberries; special soil needs, proper planting, early care and pruning; characteristics of recommended varieties
  • Types of pruning cuts (heading and thinning) and how plants respond
  • Why currants and gooseberries (Ribes family) are illegal to import and grow in parts of Maine
  • Fundamentals of growing other small fruits such as grapes, elderberries, etc.: proper planting, early care; characteristics of recommended varieties

Tree Fruits

  • The critical components of a suitable site for growing fruit trees in the home landscape
  • The different species of fruit trees commonly grown in Maine and the challenges associated with growing each type
  • Strengths and weaknesses of each species in order to select fruit trees that match expectations
  • Why and when fruit trees are commonly grafted
  • The difference between dwarf, semi-dwarf and standard sized fruit trees
  • Reasons why rootstocks are used in tree fruit production
  • Basic principles and purposes for pruning different kinds of fruit trees
    • Types of pruning cuts (heading and thinning) and how

Module 4: Garden Pests and Diseases 

Prevention 

  • Practices for a healthy garden 
  • The role of invertebrates as pests and beneficials 
  • How to attract beneficial organisms 
  • Resources available for dealing with vertebrate pests 

Identification 

Identifying Plant Diseases

  • Understand the process of plant diagnostics
  • Understand how a healthy plant functions
  • Describe what a plant disease is
  • The difference between biotic and abiotic diseases
  • Common causes of abiotic diseases 
  • The living organisms that cause biotic diseases 
  • The five essential steps for coming to a proper diagnosis
  • How to identify disease symptoms and signs and common examples of each 
  • Key questions to ask for disease diagnosis
  • The factors necessary for plant diseases to occur (the disease triangle)
  • How to collect and package diseased plant samples for shipment to the Pest Management Lab for diagnosis

Identifying invertebrate pests

  • Relevant invertebrate groups 
  • Distinguishing between juvenile and adult life stages
  • Mouthparts and typical damage
  • Common arthropod pests of Maine gardens
  • Tick Lab resources 
  • Invasive insects and their threat to the Maine Landscape
  • Submitting samples for identification 

Management 

  • Who needs a pesticide license 
  • Principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
  • Understand setting thresholds for pest damage
  • Cultural, mechanical and biological control options for insects and diseases
  • What qualifies as a pesticide 
  • The legal issues and potential risks from using homemade pesticides 
  • Factors relevant to selecting pesticides
  • Appropriate sources of information when selected pesticides 
  • How to read, understand and follow a pesticide label
  • How to assess the risks vs. the benefits of pesticide use
  • How to minimize pesticide exposure to humans
  • Protecting pollinators when using pesticides 
  • How to reduce pesticide exposure to the environment
  • What to do in the event of a pesticide spill or poisoning 
  • How to properly store, secure and dispose of pesticides

Module 5: Maine Landscape & Designs

Plants for the Maine Landscape

  • Offer examples of plants and plant combinations that are suitable for Maine gardens and functional in terms of promoting biodiversity
  • Be able to recommend native woody and herbaceous plants appropriate for different landscape conditions, including the following:
    • Sunny, well drained landscape
    • Shady, woodland landscape
    • Seasonally flooded landscape
    • Coastal, lakeside or alpine landscape
  • Explain the what a native plant is and the benefits of native plants
  • Describe how gardeners can support pollinators and other wildlife in their landscape
  • Read the natural landscape in order to seek inspiration and make decisions about selecting plants that mimic similar natural communities

Landscape Design and Maintenance

  • Landscape Design, including how to:
    • Plot Your Property
    • Analyze Your Property
    • Brainstorm ideas
    • Create a Bubble Design
    • Develop a Detailed Design
    • Select your Plants
    • Keep Your Plan Maine-Friendly 
    • Landscape Maintenance 
    • Selecting and planting trees and shrubs 
    • Planting perennials 
    • Pruning woody landscape plants
    • Seasonal maintenance (mulching, deadheading, watering, fertilizing, dividing, pollinator friendly maintenance)
    • Sustainable lawns and lawn alternatives  

Professional Resources & Skills (for Maine Horticulture Apprenticeship Training participants only)

  • Types of careers in the Maine horticulture industry
  • Relevant resources and professional organizations for Maine horticulture professionals
  • Best practices for offering excellent service to customers, employers and colleagues

and demonstrate proficiency* in at least 5 of the following areas:

  • watering/irrigation
  • pest management (insects, diseases, weeds)
  • plant management (pruning, division, fertilizer application, etc.)
  • customer service
  • planting and/or seeding
  • plant selection and design
  • safe and proper use of equipment (hand tools, mowers, trimmers, tiller, etc.)
  • monitoring for plants and pests (insects, diseases, weeds)
  • educational outreach

*Proficient = can work independently without supervision to complete this task