An Introduction to Organic Vegetable Gardening
Are you interested in growing your own fruit and vegetables? Have you recently taken on an allotment or thought about creating a vegetable plot in your garden? This introductory course will give you a grounding in all you need to know to get started growing your own food. In eight separate modules, you’ll be given all the relevant practical information and an insight into plenty of useful techniques. Module 1) Getting Started 2) Soil 3) Compost 4) Planning 5) Seeds and Propagation 6) Weeds 7) Plant Care 8) Harvest and Storage Content How to assess whether a site is suitable for cultivation; designing the layout of the plot for maximum efficiency; how to get things right at the start and what to consider . What is soil, and what does it contain? Different soil types and how they influence growing; fertility and how to improve the soil. Why and how do we make compost? How do we use compost? Composting demystified! Choosing what to grow and when to grow it; designing a crop rotation; making the most of the space available. Seeds, what they are and what to do with them; practice in a variety of sowing techniques; knowing which to use when; pricking out, potting on and raising young plants. What IS a weed? Identification of weeds; how to deal with weeds (and learning to love them!); beneficial weeds and their uses. All aspects of good husbandry: identifying pest and diseases and preventing them; crop protection; watering. How to ensure a twelve-month harvest from the garden; knowing what to harvest when; storage and preservation techniques.
Plus the option of visits to two local sites of interest, demonstrating commercial scale composting and propagation facilities. The course can be delivered at the Bridgend Allotments, or - for community gardening groups - wherever you’re going to be growing. For further information contact Rob Ford on 07789 650878 or at robert.ford@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk