The Horticulture Sections’s online Organic Gardening course is designed to help new gardeners get started and help experienced gardeners broaden their understanding of organic techniques for all kinds of gardens.
The course runs May 8 to June 25, 2017, and covers one topic each week. (See course outline below.) With a strong foundation in soil health and its impact on plant health, we then explore tried-and-true and cutting-edge techniques for all different kinds of garden plants including food plants, trees and shrubs and lawn.
Participants read assigned essays and book excerpts, participate in online group discussions with other students, complete reflective writing/design work and take part in some hands-on activities. Most students spend 3 to 4 hours each week with the content, though there are always ample resources and opportunity to do more.
Questions? Please contact the instructor, Fiona Doherty: fcd9@cornell.edu.
Course outline:
- Week 1:Introduction: What is Organic Gardening? Knowing Your Site.
- Week 2: Soil, Compost, and Mulch
- Week 3: Vegetables and Flowers: Site Design & Planning for the Season
- Week 4: Vegetables and Flowers: Early, Mid, Late Season Crops; Harvesting, Herbs
- Week 5: Maintenance & Managing Pests Organically
- Week 6: Trees, Shrubs, and Herbaceous Perennials: The Long-Term Landscape
- Optional Extra Readings: Advanced Topics for the Adventurous Gardener