Romaine Calm and Garden On
Do you want to learn more about gardening but have a limited budget? This course is for you.
Are you new to gardening and not sure where to begin? This course is for you.
Are you an experienced gardener looking for evidence-based information including disease and pest management? This course is for you.
Romaine Calm and Garden On is a 12-session gardening series, designed to give beginning gardeners on a budget the skills they need to successfully grow fresh vegetables. Experienced gardeners will also gain new perspectives to add to their toolkit of knowledge. This class is a self study, with recorded videos and posted resources below.
Participants will learn how to:
- Choose appropriate garden crops and cultivated varieties
- Plan a garden
- Improve soil health including composting and fertilizing
- Planting techniques
- Insect, disease, weed, and wildlife management techniques
- Find and use university research-based resources
Questions? Email Janell Wehr at janell.wehr@wisc.edu
Session 1: Choosing the right site and varieties
In this interactive web class, participants learned the required site considerations for gardens, as well as steps needed to create a planting plan. We covered which crops and cultivars are best suited for Wisconsin gardens, choosing crops that are cost effective, and how to determine the best time to plant. We’ll also discover 4 techniques for building planting beds.
Handouts for the Session 1:
Session 2: Map it out! Making planting maps
In this interactive web class, participants learned how crop rotation can reduce diseases and pests while improving soil health. They also learned how to apply their garden plan to their garden map, keeping mind spacing, heights, and successive, sequential, and crop rotation techniques.
Handouts for the Session 2:
Session 3: From the ground up! Soil, compost, and fertilizer
In this interactive web-based class, participants learned the basics of soil texture and how pH affects nutrient availability in the soil. We also covered the benefits of adding compost to sandy and clay soils, and how to get started with composting this spring. We’ll also learn about fertilizers and how primary nutrients (NPK) affect plant growth.
Handouts for the Session 3:
Session 4: Dig in! Planting the garden
In this interactive web-based class, we took the mystery out of deciding which seeds to start indoors, when to plant seeds indoors, and techniques to sowing seeds outdoors. We also covered key factors you need to consider when adding transplants to your garden.
Recorded program coming soon!
Handouts for the Session 4:
Session 5: Small garden, big harvest!
This session’s topic is gardening in small spaces. We covered choosing the most appropriate varieties, containers, and growing media, as well as proper watering and fertilizing. We also learned specific techniques for intensive planting, container, square foot, straw bale, and vertical gardening.
Handouts for the Session 5:
Session 6: Intro to pest management
In this session, we covered the concepts and components of integrated pest management. Participants learned a variety of pest management methods and when to use chemical management techniques. Participants compared synthetic and organic chemical products, understand signal words on pesticide labels, and learn the importance of reading pesticide labels.
Handouts for Session 6:
Session 7: Bug off! Insect management
In this session, we apply our pest management skills to insects. Participants will learn why knowing an insect’s life cycle is important to pest management, connect types of insect damage to different insect mouthparts, and distinguish between beneficial and harmful insects. Participants will also learn how to connect to UW-Madison Extension resources for insect identification.
Recorded program coming soon!
Handouts for Session 7:
Session 8: Break the cycle! Effective disease management
In this session, we applied our pest management skills to diseases. Participants learned about the five major causes of plant diseases, the three factors required for disease and how to use this knowledge in disease management. Learn how to differentiate a disease sign and a disease symptom. We made the connection between improper watering techniques and diseases. Participants also learned how to connect with UW-Madison Extension resources for disease diagnosis.
Recorded program coming soon!
Session 9: Managing weeds in the garden
In this session, we applied our pest management skills to weeds. Participants learned characteristics of weeds, and weed management methods. They also learned how to apply these methods to different types of weeds based on their lifecycle or classification. Participants learned how to effectively use herbicides when appropriate.
Session 10: Protecting plants from wildlife and weather
In this session, we learned how to protect our gardens from wildlife and weather. Participants learned how to apply wildlife management concepts of randomness and diversity, as well as specific management techniques to protect plants from wildlife and extend the growing season. Recorded program coming soon!
Session 11: Fall primer: Harvest, clean-up, and your wellbeing
In this session, we covered safe harvest and storage of garden vegetables and how to prepare their garden beds for winter. We’ll also learn how gardening can improve our health. Recorded program coming soon!
Session 12: Your UW-Madison Resources
In this session, we discovered UW-Madison resources available to support your gardening success. We also had an opportunity to answer questions on gardening topics covered in this series. Recorded program coming soon!
