To have a super productive garden is to do a lot of small things very well. Come and sharpen your skills in this comprehensive workshop with Yotam Kay (Pakaraka Permaculture), aimed for experienced gardeners. We will cover many essential topics that will help you grow an even more productive garden, that is capable of feeding you and your family throughout the year.

Whether you've been growing for 2 or 3 seasons, or 10, there will be loads to learn from Yotam's experience as a professional grower. Bring all of your vegetable gardening questions with you!

We will cover topics including (but not necessarily limited to):

• Basic principles in organic gardening: soil health, building and maintaining a high level of fertility.
• Considerations in choosing the best location for your garden.
• Staring a new garden using no-dig methods, including; converting a lawn into a garden, garden bed designs, in-ground beds and raised beds.
• Recommended tools.
• Propagating your own plants and growing healthy seedlings.
• Growing microgreens.
• Direct seeding in the garden.
• How to plant in the garden.
• Plant care and getting the most out of your garden.
• Weeding strategies.
• Watering systems.
• Crop planning for a four-season harvest.
• Companion planting and crop rotation.
• Plant health and managing pests and diseases.

A notebook and pen are essential for taking notes! Yotam will also provide a comprehensive handout to accompany your experience.

Organic morning and afternoon tea will be provided.

Please bring a plate to share for a potluck lunch!

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Frequently asked question regarding this workshop:

"Is this the right workshop one for me, or should I join the Beginner Home Gardening workshop? The topics look very similar...."

Pakaraka Permaculture's answer:

In this workshop, we go deep into the technical aspects of vegetable growing. Unless you have a full season or more of experience growing vegetables, it might be an overwhelming amount of information to take in. In the Beginner workshop, we start with the basics and cover them in-depth, so if you are just starting your gardening journey then the Beginner session will be the better fit for you.

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Yotam Kay is the master gardener of Pakaraka Permaculture, a 1/4 acre organic market garden in Thames, growing 10,000kg of top quality veggies seasonally since 2014. Yotam loves growing plants and sharing his passion for it.

Yotam holds a diploma in Permaculture Design, and has been an active teacher since 2005. He has worked on a wide range of projects prior to establishing Pakaraka Permaculture -- from leading community garden projects, to establishing food gardens and sustainability programs in schools, and managing commercial organic gardens around New Zealand.

Pakaraka Permaculture is publishing a celebrated new book, 'The Abundant Garden'. This practical guide to growing a regenerative home garden has simple, reliable strategies and techniques to help maximise your ability to feed yourself and share the abundance with those around you. For more information, visit pakarakafarm.co.nz