Level: Beginner allotment-holders and gardeners

A step by step guide to handling your first growing season in an allotment or garden – from laying out your plot and sowing seeds to transplanting and caring for your plants. A crucial workshop for anyone wishing to develop their practical growing skills.

What the course covers:

• Plot design & layout
• Tools for the job
• Ideal crops for new ground
• Fertility-building
• Specific requirements of particular crops
• Bed preparation
• Different methods of sowing
• Raising healthy seedlings
• Transplanting
• Caring for your crops

Practical workshop elements will vary according to seasonality.

What you will need on the day:

This course will be taught outdoors so please dress warmly and wear waterproof shoes and jackets. All tools and materials will be provided by the trainers. There are basic facilities on site including a compost toilet. Tea, coffee and snacks will be provided.

Trainers: Trainers from Whitehawk Community Food Project

About the site:

Whitehawk Community Food Project is a friendly, allotment-based organic gardening group. Volunteer days are Thursdays and Sundays 12pm-dusk and anyone who helps out on the allotment will be rewarded with fresh seasonal produce. This is a well-established site with beautiful sea views, polytunnels, orchard, and vegetable and herb gardens.

What previous participants on this Harvest training course said: "I enjoyed the practical element and being able to ask lots of questions... the course was hands on and the tutors were knowledgeable."

Pricing:

The suggested rate for this course is £20*.

To pay a lower rate please use the relevant discount code when booking:

£15 (PWYCTR)

£10 (LWHSCD)

£5 (HBHSCD)

Other donation (please choose ‘pay later’ when registering, we can take cheques or cash but we require a payment in advance to reserve your place on the course)

* In recognition of the current economic climate, and to ensure our courses are as widely accessible as possible, we are trialling a ‘pay what you can’ fee structure. Course places cost approximately £50 each, but are subsidised by our funding from the Big Lottery Fund.  Participants that are able to pay the full suggested price for the course help us to offer the lower rates to others (particularly those on low wages, full-time students or those in receipt of benefits) and to ensure we can continue to run courses in future once our Lottery funding ends in March 2013.

Why not check out the rest of our training programme or download the brochure(pdf)? If you're not sure which course is right for you, please just get in touch.