Commercial Organic Vegetable Growing

Successfully farm organic vegetables! The demand for organically grown vegetables is currently a major growth area in commercial horticulture. This course is a good starting point in learning all aspects of organic vegetable production.

There are 12 lessons:

1. Introduction:
   • The origins of organic farming, and the certification process involved with organic production. Understand the scientific naming system of plants in this lesson to develop a knowing of where plant names come from;
2. Cultivation and Planting:
   • Understand the role of organic growing in vegetable production and different methods for this;
3. Soils and Nutrition:
   • Understand the physical and chemical properties of soils and how they affect plant growth;
4. Soil Management:
   
   • Compost, green manure crops, and the basis of all plant health.;
5. Review of Major Vegetable Varieties:
   • A-Z of common vegetable varieties and their growing requirements;
6. Pests and Disease:
   • Undertanding pest and disease problems, Intergrated Pest Management system and common pest solutions the organic way;
7. Seed:
   • How to collect, and germinate your own seeds;
8. Greenhouse Growing:
   • The various methods of growing in greenhouses and how to manage them;
9. Lesser Grown Varieties and Herbs:
   • Have a look at some of the herbs you can grow and also some of the vegetables that are not grown as often but are still useful;
10. Irrigation:
    • Types of irrigation and the methods of use;
11. Mulching:
    • Types of mulch and the benefits of using it;
12. Harvesting and Marketing:
    • Different methods for harvesting, storing and marketing your fresh organic produce;

Learning Goals: Commercial Organic Vegetable Growing VHT241

• Discuss general horticulture and plant taxonomy principles
• Describe a range of cultivation and planting techniques
• Explain soil properties, and their relationship to organic plant production
• Diagnose basic soil nutrient deficiencies
• Discus major and minor commercial vegetable varieties
• Describe a variety of pest and disease management principles
• Explain the use of seed in commercial organic agriculture, including storage, viability, germination, genetic purity, and hybridisation
• Discuss the principles of greenhouse growing
• Describe a variety of irrigation methods suitable for organic vegetable production
• Explain organic weed control methods
• Explain issues relating to harvesting and marketing of vegetables

This course is taught by:

Katie Freeth
BSc. (Hons) Horticulture, (University of Bath); RHS General Examination; FI Hort; MIfpra.

An experienced and professional horticulturist with extensive management skills gained internationally; experienced in landscape management, staff supervision and management, written and oral communication, horticultural knowledge and application, supported by organisational and administrative skills and attention to detail.

Katie brings 20 years experience in Horticulture and is an accomplished lecturer, horticulture consultant and freelance writer. Katie is a judge for the International Awards for Liveable Communities in the Whole City Category.
Katie also worked for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in France for approx 5 years first as a Sector Manager and then as an Area Manager; management of the cemeteries, peripatetic teams of gardeners (UK & French nationality) for the constructed cemeteries and memorials and static French nationality gardeners for small town/village plots.

Susan Stephenson
BSc in Applied Plant Biology (Botany) Univ. London 1983.
City and guilds: Garden Centre Management, Management and Interior Decor (1984)
Management qualifications in training with retail store. Diploma in Hort level 2 (RHS General) Distinction.

Susan Stephenson is a passionate and experienced horticulturist and garden designer. She has authored three books, lectures at 2 Further and Higher Education Colleges, teaching people of all ages and backgrounds about the wonders of plants and garden design, and tutors many students by correspondence from all over the world.

Susan studied botany at Royal Holloway College (Univ of London) and worked in the trading industry before returning to her first love plants and garden design. She is therefore, well placed to combine business knowledge with horticulture and design skills. Her experience is wide and varied and she has designed gardens for families and individuals. Susan is a mentor for garden designers who are just starting out, offering her support and advice and she also writes, delivers and assesses courses for colleges, introducing and encouraging people into horticulture and garden design.

Susan is a Professional Associate and exam moderator and holds the RHS General with Distinction. She continues to actively learn about horticulture and plants and (as her students will tell you) remains passionate and interested in design and horticulture.

She also supervised the Area Arboriculture Team and was Exhumations Officer€“ in charge of collecting discovered remains and arranging identification (if poss) and interment of same.

Practicals:

• Compile reference lists of vegetable varieties, industry contacts, organic fertilisers and pest control products, etc.
• Evaluate the merits and deficiencies of agricultural equipment and products
• Build a no-dig garden and monitor its progress
• Classify soils
• Evaluate the role of soil organisms
• Identify nutrient deficiencies such as nitrogen deficiency
• Build composts
• Evaluate seed sources and plant varieties
• Perform sowing and germination trials
• Evaluate the merits and deficiencies of greenhouse growing
• Evaluate the principles of irrigation
• Perform mulching trials
• Evaluate pricing, packaging and presentation of retail vegetables

Organic Vegetable Growers.

None.

Organic Vegetable Growers.