Growing Organic Vegetables - 7 Class Series
Saturdays from February 22nd - May 24th, 10 am - 12 pm
Location: Houston Botanic Garden (1 Botanic Lane)
$65 (to cover cost of requried book)
Each Year Urban Harvest offers a course series providing all the basics of growing a wide variety of vegetables in our climate using organic methods. Dr. Bob Randall, author of Year Round Vegetables, Fruits and Flowers for Metro Houston, is one of the lead instructors, and instruction includes special guests with expertise in growing a variety of vegetables. The class will be held on Saturdays beginning on February 22nd, and end on May 24th . This year we have 30 scholarship slots available, however all participants will be asked to purchase a copy of book for this course, which can be purchased here. With 24 hours of classroom instruction, and 9 hours of hands-on instruction, this is one of the most comprehensive organic vegetable courses in Texas. Graduates who complete the course become certified Organic Vegetable Specialists and receive a certificate.
Course Topics Include:Class 1 - February 22nd
- The Organic Approach; Why it Works: Brief explanation Designing your vegetable garden using permaculture.
- Area Climate, Precipitation, Irrigation, Drainage & Raised Beds
Class 2 - March 8th
- Vegetable Garden Design; continued; Tools; Ponds, Bogs, water management
- Ecological Pest Control; Other Organic Pest Controls; Bed Rotation
Class 3 - March 22nd
- Soil Nutrients; Organic Matter, Organic Fertilizers Soil Food Webs
- Backyard Compost and Mulches; Purchased Mulches & Compost
Class 4 - April 12th
- Types of Vegetables; Rating Vegetables; Vegetable Seeds: Varieties, & Best Sources; Growing Organic Transplants; Planting seeds, sprouts and plants.
Class 5 - April 26th
- Vegetables, Temperatures, and Planting Zones; Planting Schedules; Tomatoes
- Weeds and Weeding; Bed Rotation All other nightshades, Bean & Pea Family; Sweet Potato Family; Mint Family; Miscellaneous Others. Donation Gardening.
Class 6 - May 10th
-All other nightshades, Bean & Pea Family; Sweet Potato Family; Mint Family, Miscellaneous Others. Donation Gardening.
Class 7 - May 24th
-Squash Family; Grain Family; Okra Family; Beet Family. Market Gardens & Farms.
(location for this day in particular will be at Bauer Education Center (1911 W. 34th Street))
Hands on training is available by looking at our list of community gardens on our website at www.urbanharvest.org homepage under Directory of Community Gardens. If you need further assistance contact Randall Mosman at randall@urbandharvest.org.
If you can, bring your own trowel, gloves, water bottle, and hat.
CLASSES: Before classes there will be a Q&A session where you can bring up topics related to the last class and the readings. There will also be a brief self-graded quiz based on the reading assigned and the previous class. If we are not too busy, you are welcome to ask questions before class, but not at the break or at the end.
ATTENDANCE POLICY: You need to attend 6 classes to be eligible for an “Organic Vegetable Specialist Certificate.” Please see that you check in each time. If you miss a class, you can make it up the following year when (and if) the class is offered. If you want your “Organic Vegetable Specialist Certificate”, it is very important that you be present.
CONTACT INSTRUCTORS: All class matters: Gary Edmondson gary@urbanharvest.org . Bob Randall YearRoundGardening@comcast.net
If you cannot attend the class as scheduled, there are no refunds or substitutions.
Registration will close 24 hours prior to most classes and 48 hours before all Sunday classes.
(After registration you will receive two emails, one is a receipt and the other will be sent 3 days prior to the class with event details that include location, parking, and contact information. Contact randall@urbanharvest.org for questions)
