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.

We will cover the following topics:

• Basic principles in organic gardening: soil health and fertility.
• Considerations in choosing the best location for your garden, including pest proofing.
• Starting a new garden; Converting a lawn into a garden, creating garden beds & and building raised beds.
• Recommended tools.
• How to make great compost.
• How to use compost and other fertilizers.
• Propagating your own plants; how to grow healthy seedlings.
• Direct seeding in the garden.
• How to plant in the garden.
• Trellising and crop support.
• Weeding strategies.
• Watering your garden.
• Companion planting & crop rotation.
• Saving seeds.
• Your small greenhouse.
• Detailed information on how to grow: potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, courgettes, pumpkins, lettuce, broccoli, radish, peas, beans, onions, garlic, kumara, corn, strawberries and a few herbs.
• Growing year-round for a 4 season harvest.

Organic morning and afternoon tea will be provided. Please bring a plate to share for a potluck lunch.

--

Yotam Kay is the master gardener of Pakaraka Permaculture, 1/4 acre organic market garden in Thames, growing 10,000kg of top quality veggies seasonally! 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.

Yotam had been working on a wide range of projects before establishing Pakaraka Permaculture in 2014; from leading community garden projects, and establishing food gardens & sustainability programs in schools, to managing commercial organic gardens in New Zealand.