Greentree Naturals plans organic gardening workshops
For gardeners who want an on-site categorical hands-on garden-building experience, Greentree Naturals’ creators/stewards Diane Green and Tom Sadoski are once again offering their farm/gardens as the “classroom” for every facet of gardening. Scheduled for every other Monday beginning on May 8, sessions will cover all aspects of organic production and management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony in a rural farm and garden setting at 2003 Rapid Lightening Road, outside of Sandpoint
Workshops take place on the deck and in the gardens, rain or shine, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with the following dates/topics scheduled.
May 8 — Seed Starting: Gain a solid understanding of seed starting and in so doing create the best environment for seedlings to thrive.
Learn about what crops should be direct sown and why; review optimal environmental considerations for seed germination; preparation of seed bed; seeding methods; seed depth and seedling care.
May 22 — Planning Your Organic Garden: Discussions of preparing the soil for planting; direct seeding and transplanting; companion planting; planting for beneficial insect habitat; intercropping and crop rotation; planning for seed saving; record keeping, garden maps and succession planting are all a part of planning for a successful harvest.*
June 5 — Fertilizing Organically: Fertile soil is the first step in increasing yields, learn to examine your soil and its needs; learn how to amend your soil and improve its structure; review organic amendments, compost, manures, organic matter and foliar feeding; learn about cover cropping to replenish the soil and how to take a soil sample.
Participants will test soil from their own garden to determine basic NPK and receive a composting chart.
June 19 — Natural Weed Control: On any organic garden or farm particularly newly cultivated ground, it is likely that weed control commands a major part of the gardeners’ time over the course of the season.
We will look at using different types of organic mulches and weed prevention strategies used to control unwanted plants.
July 10 — Natural Pest Control: In a diverse eco-system pest populations are regulated naturally.
Learn to assess pro-active control practices that minimize harm to pollinators and beneficial insects; learn about insect identification, natural pest formulas, and plant-pest relationships for natural pest control. Learn how to make your own insect traps sand natural insect sprays.
July 24 — Harvesting the Bounty: After putting a lot of time and effort into successfully growing your crops, you want to make sure you are harvesting at the correct time for peak flavor and good storage.
Discover techniques for harvesting optimal yields for vegetables, herbs, cut flowers and best practices for post-harvest handling to assure food safety guidelines are met.
August 7 — Seed Saving: You can save vegetable, herb and flower seeds from your garden to plant next year. Seed saving involves selecting suitable plants from which to save seed, harvesting seeds at the right time, and storing them properly over the winter. We will also discuss hand pollination, seed cleaning and storage.
To find out more or to reserve a spot for individual sessions ($25) or the entire series (10% discount), email diane@greentreenaturals.com or call 208-263-8957.
Class size is limited and all of the workshops require pre-registration.
* If you are unable to attend this workshop, check out the “Planning the Garden Workshop” on CD available for sale at www.greentreenaturals.com.