Great soil is critical to successful gardening. Discover how soils are created and understand how ecosystems evolve over time. Bring along a soil sample for us to analyse together as we explore different soil types. Discuss how different soil types can impact your gardening, and how to improve your soil.

Understand how nature manages soil and ecosystems, and learn to apply this knowledge to your garden. This may be through using weeds as soil indicators (avoid the need for expensive soil tests) or through designing a garden landscape that mimics nature and is therefore low maintenance.

Learn about the theory behind Edible Forest Gardens and understand how preparing soil for planting fruit trees is different to the preparation for veggie patch planting.

Topics:

The Importance of Soil and soil Types
Ecological Succession in Nature
Using Weeds as Indicators of Soil Health
Edible Forest Gardening
Preparing Soil for Veggie Patches and Orchards
Weed Control Methods

This workshop in the Science of Edible Gardening Series, looks at soil and natural ecosystems when planning gardening activities. It involves a combination of theory in a classroom setting, demonstrations and hands-on practical activities including:

Exploring our six acre property to identify different stages of ecological succession
Looking at weeds and how they can be used as indicators
Basic soil testing methods (BYO soil sample)

By the end of the class you will have a greater understanding of ecological succession. This underpinning knowledge is important for all aspects of gardening. You’ll never look at ‘weeds’ the same way again!

What to Bring:

Enthusiasm for learning
Your lunch
Water bottle
Notepad and Pen
Closed toed, practical shoes (consider bringing gumboots)
Appropriate Clothing as Kyneton can get very cold and wet in spring
A soil sample from your garden (further details will be sent via email about this prior to the event)

The Science of Edible Gardening Workshop Series

This event is being run as part of The Science of Edible Gardening Workshop Series from Leaf, Root & Fruit. The series has been designed to give you an overview of how plants grow and interact with the environment. This understanding makes decision making, planning and garden maintenance straightforward. Observation and understanding of natural ecosystems and phenomena can help you to be a more successful and fulfilled gardener.

Each workshop is based around a theme that will integrate into the entire series. There will be minimal repetition of content across each event, although certain important ideas will be revisited from time to time. We anticipate most attendees will complete the complete series. However, you can book in for each workshop individually to pick and choose the ones relevant to you.

The 8 workshop topics are:

Nutrients and Fertilizers: Growing Nutrient Dense Food (Held each March)
Population Ecology: Pests and How to Control Them (Held each April)
Reproductive Genetics: Seed Saving, Grafting and Pollination (Held each May)
Plant Physiology: Pruning and Plant Manipulation (Held each June)
Seasonality and Timing: Environmental Gardening Influences (Held each July)
Carbon and Nitrogen Cycles: The Science of Compost (Held each August)
Ecological Succession and Soil: Edible Forest Gardens and Weed Control (Held each September)
Photosynthesis: Irrigation, Rainwater Tanks and Sunlight (Held each November)

See our dedicated web page for more information on The Science of Edible Gardening workshop series:

https://www.leafrootfruit.com.au/science-of-edible-gardening-workshop-class/

Ecological Succession: Edible Forest Gardens & Weed Control (as part of The Science of Edible Gardening Series)