The complete organic gardening course! Participants will be able to follow the garden throughout the year.
A practical hands on course, participants will be expertly guided throughout the gardening year by attending one-day sessions every month.
A very practical course aimed at beginners who really want to start their own organic garden now. It is also possible to dip in and try one or two topics of your interest. Each course day contains both theoretical and practical information on growing organically
The course takes place at Carraig Dulra, Co Wicklow, but is being developed, supported and booked by The Organic Centre. See their course brochure online or in print. Price is per session; discounts are offered for 5 or more sessions.
As this is the second year at Carraig Dulra it should be noted that the gardens are still being developed, and there are basic facilities on site: compost toilets, and a heated yurt(canvas tent) for shelter and lectures. Visits to Wendy's established garden and her polytunnels will form part of the course.
The course takes place on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. Each day can be booked individually but preference will be given to people who book the complete course
Day 1: Introduction to Carraig Dúlra, digging in Green Manures, garden and fruit garden planning, rotation and ground preparation, lazy bed construction.
Day 2: Soil types, ph, early planting and tools.
Day 3: Compost, weed control, and companion planting, Spring planting, pricking out.
Day 4: Growing in polytunnels, pest and disease control.
Day 5: Growing culinary herbs (planting, sowing, propagation, harvesting and using). Some information on medicinal uses.
Day 6: Growing fruit: soft fruit, bush fruit, orchard design, planting.
Day 7: Filling the plate with beautiful salads. Sowing green manures also winter salads in tunnels, propagation from cuttings.
Day 8: Ground preparation for the following year, preparing new ground, autumn planting, seed saving, introduction to permaculture and forest gardening.
Day 9: Harvest Celebration/recipe swap (showing off the year's produce, participants bring some of theirs). Introduction to storing and preserving foods for the winter months.
Day 10: Fruit pruning, seeds and next years crop planning.
This course is administered by The Organic Centre, Leitrim. Please contact them directly to book it, or to cancel a booking.
Pricing is 90 for one session but discounts are offered for multiple sessions - see the course listing on The Organic Centre website for details.
suzie's experience - Garden Complete
Day 1: As promised by Hans at the Organic Centre the weather was fine for the course day. It had rained for several days and started again just as we went back in the Yurt for summing up.
The group created three lazy beds and got stuff in with great enthusiasm and even a little competition. Then everyone got a chance to plant some seeds indoors and out and learn about planning their own garden with crop rotation a focus.
Debbie our caterer produced another delicious organic lunch with Tuscan bean soup as favourite followed closely by to the roast squash soup.
We are looking forward to welcoming back some of the group with some new faces next time. Thanks to all who came and a special thanks to our helpers Ollie, Mark and Mike for getting a roof on the outdoor kitchen, Suzie's father John and his lazy bed expertise, also her sister Claire who kept the kettle at the ready. One thing we all learned was how much easier it is to do things especially garden organically with plenty of collective contributions.
