Program Delivery and COVID
This will be an in-person and in-classroom program. Depending on the situation with Covid, please be prepared to have some classes moved online via zoom or rescheduled. We hope to avoid this as much as we can, but participant and instructor safety is our number one priority and we will be following provincial guidelines to ensure this.
Pricing:
Registration Fee: $50
HCP Members: $565.00/Non-HCP Members: $720.00 (includes registration fee)
(Fees Include textbook & hand-outs)
Fees due by November 1, 2021
How to Register:
Registration will open in October 2022. Please add your name to the interest list to receive advanced notice of registration.
Program Schedule:
The schedule is tentative for the 2022 program and will be confirmed closer to the time.
All Sundays 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
January 23: Planning the Garden and Sowing Seeds
Instructor: Theresa Heinekey
- Garden location
- Sun and water requirements
- Bed design
- Planting plan (including for small spaces)
- Crop rotation
- Starting seeds
- Planting Plan
February 27: Building Healthy Soil
Instructor: Christina Nikolic
- Determining soil type
- Troubleshooting common issues
- Improving soil health and ecology
- Organic soil amendments
- Composting basics
March 27: The Spring Garden
Instructor: Theresa Heinekey
- Transplanting, hardening off & cold protection
- Intensive planting methods that produce the most in the smallest space.
- Containers, greenhouses, tunnels
- How to grow cabbage and onion family crops, lettuce and greens, carrots and other roots.
- Encouraging pollinators and supporting wildlife
April 10: Backyard Orchard I
Instructor: Ryan Senechal
- Tree fruit culture: planning and optimizing for less intensive inputs and sustainable yields
- Basic tree and shrub biology
- Introduction to training, pruning, and cultural practices
May 15: The Summer Garden
Instructor: Theresa Heinekey
- Summer seeding
- Plant supports
- Dealing with heat – watering & mulching
- How to grow tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, corn, beans, squash & cucumbers
June 12: Insects, Weeds & Diseases
Instructor: Linda Gilkeson
- Identifying common problems
- Preventing pest and disease problems
- Natural control methods and easy weed management
- How to attract beneficial insects
July 10: Planting for Winter and Basic Seed Saving
Instructor: Theresa Heinekey
- When to plant for successful winter crops
- Fitting crops into the summer garden
- Pollination basics; easy seed saving methods for common crops
- Growing resilient gardens in a changing climate, preventing crop disorders.
August 14 : Preserving the Harvest
Instructor: Rebecca Jen & Theresa Heinekey
- Curing and storing onions, winter squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes.
- Storing tree fruit
- Preserves
- Freezing and dehydrating as a way to store food
- How to contribute to community food production and contribute to local food security.
September 11: Backyard Orchard II
Instructor: Ryan Senechal
- Fruit tree/shrub establishment care
- Strategies for restorative pruning and training
- Pruning and training practice
October 23: Preparing for Winter and Review
Instructor: Theresa Heinekey
- Cloches, coldframes and winter covers; mulching & staking.
- Managing greenhouse & containers in winter.
- Cover cropping