Master Gardener Certification

The Master Gardener program is a University of Hawaii program, offered through the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.

To become a Certified Master Gardener, you must:

• pass the training program with a 70% or better cumulative test score
• volunteer a minimum of 40 hours in a one year period with 20 hours on the Helpline and 20 additional hours in any approved Master Gardener activity.

To be Re-Certified as a Master Gardener, you must:

• complete 30 hours of volunteer service, with a minimum of 12 hours on the Helpline each year

Answers to questions you might have

• Hours are counted from April 15 to April 14 of the following year.
• You are responsible for writing down the hours that you volunteer on the sign-in sheet. We cannot give you credit for hours that you worked but forgot to record.
• Most activities now count toward certification and re-certification, including meetings, field trips, and community outreach as well as Helpline work.
• We cannot give credit toward certification for non-Master Gardener activities.
• There are three exams given during the training program. Most people find that they pass the exams with no problem if they study what was covered in the class.
• If you are worried about not passing with 70% or more, make an effort to learn the extra credit material, often plant identification. This is good practice for you anyway.

Hawaii Island Master Gardeners