Relatively new to urban farming, and looking to demystify the subject of soil? Through this talk, learn soil basics and what your plants need to thrive instead of just survive. We will cover what you need to know to gain confidence in growing healthy edible plants, so join us!
Date & Time: 15 April 2017, 10:30am – 12:00pm Venue: NONG at HortPark (33 Hyderabad Road (off Alexandra Rd), Beside the lawn Cost: $39 per person, with limited spaces available, so booking is essential RSVP: Sign up here!
What you will learn in this session:
– Different types of soil
– Physical needs of plants
– Nutrient requirements of plants
– Fertilisation
– Tips on growing seedlings
[To learn about soil amendments and mixing your own soil, please join us for the intermediate soil workshop on a later date]
You might recognise Mr Tang (pictured above) from a previous post. I had been wondering what he’s been up to, and interested to catch up after his two month stay in Taiwan. I found out that he had been working on different gardens, and he invited Chun Yeow and I to check out his garden project in the west of Singapore.
It’s a rather spacious plot of land, and the owners already have established trees of durian, rambutan, pomelo, mulberry, banana and I thought I saw a couple of loquat trees. Great bones to create a food forest! Mr Tang has planted chilli, okra, eggplants, pigeon pea, ginger, among others. He shared that wild chickens have been digging up his seedlings and snails have been a problem too, but he’s certainly enjoying himself.
This month, I am holding two soil workshops at NONG at Hort Park. I have split my workshop into two separate sessions after receiving feedback from participants that they experienced information overload. To find out more, please see the event descriptions below.
Soil Class (Basic Level) by The Tender Gardener
Relatively new to urban farming, and looking to demystify the subject of soil? Learn soil basics and what your plants need to thrive instead of just survive. We will cover what you need to know to gain confidence in growing healthy edible plants, so join us!
Date & Time: 18 February 2017, 10:30am – 12nn Venue: NÓNG at HortPark (33 Hyderabad Rd (Off Alexandra Road), #01-01 (Beside the Lawn), Singapore 119578) Cost: $39 per person, with limited spaces available, so booking is essential Registration: Reserve your seat here
What you will learn in this session:
– Different types of soil
– Physical needs of plants
– Nutrient requirements of plants
– Fertilisation
– Tips on growing seedlings
.
Soil Mixing Workshop (Intermediate Level) by The Tender Gardener
Do you already understand the basics of soil but wish to learn to make your own seed raising mix and potting mix? There are many recipes out there, but it also depends on what you’re growing. Hear about the variations of soil mixes and participate in this hands-on soil mixing workshop. We will also talk about soil amendments, including compost.
Date & Time: 25 February 2017, 10:30am – 12nn Venue: NÓNG at HortPark (33 Hyderabad Rd (Off Alexandra Road), #01-01 (Beside the Lawn), Singapore 119578) Cost: $55 per person, with limited spaces available, so booking is essential Registration: Reserve your seat here
What you will learn in this session:
– What soil amendments are
– How soil amendments can improve your soil
– How to mix your own seed raising mix and potting mix
What you will take home:
– A list of seed raising and potting mix recipes
– Notes from our workshop
– Seed raising mix sample
– Potting mix sample
WASABI Creation is primarily a consultancy bridging Japan and Singapore in areas of business and cultural exchange, but they also organise some interesting events. This one especially piqued my interest because it’s about farming and agricultural techniques – and Japan. Also I’ve sampled Chitose Agriculture Initiative’s produce before, and I found it very sweet and delicious.
According to the event write up, the speaker, Mr Kengo Fukui will cover the following:
Interesting trends and stories about agriculture in Japan
Introduce the “Farm-to-Table” concept, where each prefecture creates their own vegetable and fruits brand
Secrets of how famers in Japan can produce one of the best quality fruits and vegetable in the world
His observations in Singapore on Organic, Urban farming
Problems of agriculture & biotechnology in Singapore and SEA and experiences from their own farming in Cameron Highlands
This company’s philosophy and the latest biotechnology its has developed in bringing high quality produces from Japan to Southeast Asia and the rest of the world
This talk is happening next week and I’ve already booked my seat. The organiser, Tong, was kind enough to extend a special discount to urban farmers, so instead of the very early bird price of $40 or full ticket price of $50, pay $35 when you email him at hi@wasabicreation.com with the subject header “The Tender Gardener group discount“, remember to include your name and company name. The price includes refreshments of beer and wine, and there will be some Japanese food at the event, including onigiri, as well as fruit and veg tasting. To view the full event write up, see here!
