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February 2021
Summer Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop
It’s a commonly held misconception that fruit trees are best pruned in winter. In most instances fruit trees should actually be pruned in summer (it’s why we don’t offer fruit tree pruning classes during winter). Our Summer Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop will give you the confidence to plan and undertake pruning and training of your fruit trees. Summer pruning promotes fruit production rather than the excess foliage that winter pruning encourages. Summer pruning also helps your trees recover more quickly…
Find out more »March 2021
Nutrients & Fertilizers: Growing Nutrient Dense Foods (as part of The Science of Edible Gardening Series)
You are what you eat, and plants are no different. Nutrient dense food is healthier and tastier than plants grown with synthetic fertilisers. You are not imagining that veggies were tastier in the 60s and 70s … they actually were! Discover the importance of soil in growing nutrient dense food. Enjoy some tomato taste tests and understand how nutrient density is directly correlated to flavour. Learn some simple ways to increase the nutrient density of your food, and explore options…
Find out more »April 2021
Population Ecology: Pests & How to Control Them (as part of The Science of Edible Gardening Series)
Come on a mini-beast safari and learn more about the creatures, who may call your garden home! Pest control becomes easy when you change your perspective from having a garden to having an ecosystem. Develop understanding of population dynamics and pest predator interactions and how nature corrects imbalances. Look at how common pests can be managed with minimal effort. Improve the resilience of your garden through making a few small changes or implementing a simple project or two. Explore how…
Find out more »May 2021
Reproductive Genetics: Seed Saving & Pollination (as part of The Science of Edible Gardening Series)
Plant reproduction is essential to our food production systems. Plants produce tasty apples or tomatoes to reproduce themselves, not so much as for us to eat. Delve into the world of pollination and understand why some plants need cross pollinators and others are self-fertile. Understand vegetative methods of plant propagation, including different types of cuttings. Learn how to graft fruit trees and how to choose the right rootstock. Explore seed saving, and the difference between hybrid, heirloom and GMO seed.…
Find out more »June 2021
Backyard Orchards: Design, Implement and Maintain
Learn how to design, implement and maintain your backyard orchard. This workshop is suited to anyone looking to grow fruit in courtyards, backyards or larger acreages. You’ll come away with an overview of what’s important (and what’s not!) when planting and maintaining a backyard orchard. This workshop will give you an introduction to: Fruit tree selection and why we use grafted trees Different types of fruit trees and how their requirements vary Orchard design considerations Espaliers Edible Forest Gardens Soil…
Find out more »Plant Physiology: Pruning & Plant Manipulation (as part of The Science of Edible Gardening Series)
Understanding that the underlying principles of plant physiology can make all the difference to the activities we perform in the garden. Knowing the function of apical meristems and how they relate to pruning, will finally give you the confidence to tackle those fruit trees. We will explore the functions of the cambium layer, bark and heartwood to discover how they relate to grafting, plant health and diseases. This workshop in the Science of Edible Gardening Series, looks at plant structures…
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