ProHort, short for Professional Horticulture, is research-driven education for individuals in the tree, lawn, landscape maintenance, and garden center industries, as well as anyone who wants to hone her/his skills in the areas of botany, insects, soils, landscape design, plant disease, trees, wildlife damage management, turfgrass, and Integrated Pest Management (IPM). While people participating in ProHort education train right alongside Nebraska Extension Master Gardeners, there is no volunteer component associated with ProHort education nor do people have to apply to participate.
Classes begin on Wednesday, March 6 at Dodge County Extension, 1206 West 23rd Street in Fremont and continue for an additional five consecutive Wednesdays, culminating in a diagnostic lab on Wednesday, June 5. Altogether, thirteen topics are covered during the course, with a new topic each morning and moving to a different topic in the afternoon.
Classes are taught by educators from Nebraska Extension, as well as the Nebraska Forest Service. Classes qualify for continuing education units (CEUs) required for re-certification with the Nebraska Arborists Association and the International Society of Arboriculture.
Those wishing to participate in ProHort Education have two options—classes are offered as stand-alone training sessions at a per-topic cost or they may opt to attend the entire course, which is a savings over the cumulative per-topic cost. The ProHort handbook is provided to those attending the full course.
More information and registration information may be found on the Nebraska Extension in Dodge County Facebook page or by contacting me at 402.727.2775.
