Teachers Guide to Organic Gardening

Typical 2 day workshop

Day 1

Practical for learner

Main Topic

Content

Introduction

Intro
Handout handout
Subjects to be covered over the 2 Saturdays
Annuals/Perennials
Veg families
o
Cabbage family
o
Tomato family
o
Pumpkin family
o
Bean/Pea family
o
Onion family
o
Carrot family
o
Mint family

Whiteboard (WB)

10

The garden
WB

12.5

10

Must haves
o
Eat a lot
o
Easy to grow, hard to grow
o
Shade plants
o
Storage life
o
Chemical
o
Money
The A & B Team
10 must have herbs

The garden
WB

12.5

22.5

WB
WB
The garden

35

40

30

45

20

1.15

10
15

1.35
1.45

10

Veggie types

The must
haves

Poisonous
plants
Botany
Propagating &
bed prep

Container
Gardening

Watering
Harvesting &
pruning

Seed saving

What plants need

Sunny/dry-Shady/wet plant types
Simple sow what when
o
Fast-slow growing
Sow DIRECT
o
Big seeds, root crop, tough leafy crop
o
Bed Prep
o
Sow seeds in bed

potato, garlic
Sow INDIRECT
o
Cabbage fam, fruit crop, soft leafy crop
o
Sow seeds in tray
o
Greenhouse light, air, heat, water
o
Hardening of
o
Transplanting
o
Thinning out
Cuttings
Uniqueness
Make wicking
o
Soil prep: Potting mix 70%; 30%
compost/castings
Planting
Placement
How to water Heavy, less often and morning.
Demonstrate pruning
o
Perennials
o
Annuals

Young or old leaves of leafy crop

Fruit, legume, root

Heirloom diversity, resilience, true to type
Choosing seed
Extracting dry seeds
Extracting wet seeds
Storing

Aid

Tim
e

WB, Handout

Me: Show seeds

Me: Add compost
Sow seeds in bed

Show seeds
Sow seeds in tray

Display
Transplant into garden
Get them to do
Me: Demonstrate

Me: Make using correct

materials incl.
screenings

Me: Plant, mulch, water

Me: Demonstrate
Me: Demonstrate

Me: Use secateurs

Me: Use fingers
Explain garlic and onion

Get them to do. Use

paper bag

O
Time

Me: Demonstrate. Use

tomatoes and sieve

Display
Total time:

2hr
10min

Day 2
Main Topic
Companion
planting &
pests

Content

Soil

Aid

Common pests
o
Cutter/suckers
o
Table of common pests and answers
o
Home remedy sprays
Methods
o
CP pests

SMELL & LOOK

Habitat, trap crops

1/3 flower

Insects and flowers

Crop rotation
o
CP plants

Structure

Shade, dry, wet, nutrients

Water indicators
Types
o
The perfect soil dark, moist, crumbly
o
Clay, loam, sand
o
pH

Conditioners
o
Nutrients (food)

Yellow leaves

Macro, micro, trace

o
Fertilisers

OM

Compost, worm,
manure

Tim
e

Go find some
WB
WB
Display or make??

WB
WB

WB
WB

Show our soil

Show our soil
Do test
Explain Lime, sulphur

The garden
WB & Handout

Have bucket with

elements
Look through telescope.
Me: Demonstrate how to
use

Crop rotation

Compost

Worms

Mulch

Granular, powder, liquid

Types

Why: Pests/nutrients
Heavy-low feeders
Green manure
Types
o
Hot, cold
Ingredients
o
1m3, BAGCW
o
C:N

o
Things not to add
Troubleshoot
o
Acid/Alkaline, smelly etc.
Types
o
Earth/compost, about worms
Products
Worm farms how they holistically work.
Swapping trays etc.
1st tray
o
Starting a tray
o
Managing one:

DOS and DONTS

Display, Me: Demonstrate

how to use

Mulch somewhere
WB
Handout
Show nitro-fixing bacteria

Display carbon and

nitrogen materials. Do
game
Make one?

Look through telescope

Display
Me: Demonstrate

Me: Demonstrate

WB

O Time

35

35

35

10

1.10

25

1.20

25

1.45

Preparing scraps. Kitchen

bucket

Troubleshooting
Harvesting castings
Total time

Key
Community
Primary Schools
Secondary Schools
Elderly
Disadvantage
Rehabilitation

Testimonials

Wills enthusiasm, knowledge, passion and patience with us was Inspiring!

Fantastic overview, well-structured and great for beginners. I learnt lots!
Very practical, great use of the plants and the garden

2hr
10min