Growing organically is trying to grow in harmony with nature, without using synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides or other synthetic products. We will learn that an important ‘rule’ in organic gardening is feed the soil, not the plant. To feed the soil, we organic gardeners must return the resources our gardens consume by adding organic matter such as compost and or cover crops. We also allow for a certain level of pest damage to our plants and we will learn which bugs are beneficial, which are destructive, when they are likely to arrive and what we can do about them.
Tag Archives: pests
Mosquito Control
Registration required: http://offices.ext.vt.edu/arlington/programs/anr/offerings/registration/VCE_Arlington_ANR_Program_Registration.html
Creating Critter Proof Cages for your Garden
Learn how to create a critter proof cage for your garden to prevent critters, vandalism and theft from getting to your garden. We’ll learn by actually creating several critter proof cages. You’ll also receive an intro to powertools and carpentry as well. No skills reqiured.
Teacher
Josh Singer, as the DC Parks and Recreation (DPR) Community Garden Specialist, builds community gardens, urban farms and develops urban Ag. support systems such as an urban garden education series with over 100 urban Ag. classes a year, a garden toolshare, a 4 greenhouse seedling cooperative, and a community compost cooperative network serving over a 1000 active composters. Josh also is the co-founder and executive director of the 501c3 non-profit 3-acre garden park called Wangari Gardens, the founder of the DC Food Recovery Working Group and a co-founder of the DUGnetwork, DC’s Urban Ag and Food Security cooperative Network.
Dealing With Deer & Other Mammal Pests in Your Garden
Bambi may be cute, but he and his mother, cousins, and rest of the herd are very hungry and they would love to make a feast of your garden. This talk will cover proven and humane tactics for gardening with deer, rabbits, rats, groundhogs, and other creatures that are attracted to both edible and ornamental gardens.
Teacher Bio: Kathy Jentz is editor and publisher of Washington Gardener Magazine. A life-long gardener, Kathy believes that growing plants should be stress-free and enjoyable. Her philosophy is inspiration over perspiration.
Garden Pests and Disease
Through powerpoint and discussion, we will look at “pests” a little differently than most gardeners do: they are telling us that we are doing something wrong! Let’s dig deeper into truly organic and sustainable agriculture and learn to listen to what the “pests” and ecosystem are telling us. Sprays, whether organic or homemade, are not long-term solutions and can have undesirable side effects. We will start learning to identify all sorts of insects in the garden and learn how they work in order to better design our gardens to achieve balance amongst the wildlife, and still put food on our table! Finally, we will conclude with a visual review of common diseases too and what one can be done to prevent and manage them.
Teacher Bio:
Christian spent the last few years as Farm Manager at ECO City Farms, a few miles outside DC in Prince George’s County, MD. On this 1-acre urban farm (or “big garden”), the farm used organic methods, compost, and season extension tools to provide fresh vegetables, fruits, and sprouts to our 25-person CSA and farmers market. More importantly, as a non-profit educational organization, is the mission to help urban communities use agriculture to positively develop their communities.
