Course Tutor: Roisin Cotter

1. Introduction to Organic Growing and overview of agricultural and environmental issues today
2. Seeds - best seeds for your garden, organic seed suppliers, how to save your own seeds at home, Open Pollinated & F1 seeds, free seeds to take home 
3. How to prepare and care for your soil, what materials to add, how to build a No Dig Bed and create a stale seed bed, Green Manures & how to use them
4. Different types of compost, seed sowing techniques and downfalls, keeping a planting diary,  sowing times, planting out and potting on seedlings
5. The Vegetable Families and Crop Rotation, what soil conditions are required for different crops, common diseases within the various Vegetable Families and how to control them, how to make your own organic feeds
6. How to make your own compost at home, best composting systems, ingredients for good compost, building a compost heap, wormeries
7. Pest control, crop protection, companion planting, how to attract beneficial insects into your garden, improving biodiversity and sustainability in your garden and local area
8. Herbs and their uses, how to grow and use a selection of herbs, using wild edible plants and edible flowers