Workshops

VGN offers garden workshops on varying topics throughout the season.  The best way to keep in touch and hear about workshops as soon as they are announced is by following us on Instagram (@vtgardens) and by signing up for our monthly newsletter (scroll down to the footer of this webpage to join our mailing list).

If you are interested in nutrition education workshops, check out our Mobile Classroom webpage to learn about scheduling a visit from our Veducator van.

Succession Sowing for Continuous Harvests

When: Wednesday, June 25th from 4-7pm*
* Workshop from 4-6pm
* Greenhouse Orientation from 6-7pm

Location: Greenhouse at Landry Park, Winooski

Description: The summer solstice marks a seasonal shift to plan the remainder of the growing season. Our goal is to have a continuous harvest through late summer and into fall by transplanting and direct seeding multiple times. Midsummer is when we prepare to start seeds for our favorite fall crops that grow particularly well during the cool weather of autumn – radicchio, cauliflower, broccoli, fennel, endive, lettuce, cilantro, and scallions, among many others. If you are starting a garden later than you hoped, if flea beetles devoured your arugula in spring, or if you are curious to explore garden-scale season extension, then this workshop is for you!

Workshop: the first two hours (from 4-6pm) will focus on learning how to:

  • Calculate seeding dates and develop a succession sowing calendar for the months of July, August, and September
  • Select crop varieties best suited for fall harvests, such as butterhead lettuce, Treviso radicchio, and watermelon radish
  • Deal with midsummer challenges of high summer sun and pest pressure, and anticipate the challenges of diminishing daylight and first frosts in fall

Greenhouse Orientation: the last hour (from 6-7pm) is for participants interested in accessing table space in the Greenhouse at Landry Park to grow transplants for their own gardens. 

  • All greenhouse users sign an agreement waiver to follow best practices in the community greenhouse.
  • Greenhouse users are welcome to start seeds in trays on their own flexible schedule. Planting the seeds is up to you, then VGN tends to your trays until seedlings are ready to be transplanted in approximately 3-4 weeks.
  • VGN provides potting soil, a variety of trays and pots, soil blockers, and curated seed varieties best suited for fall harvests. 
  • VGN manages all watering needs, stocks all supplies, monitors for pests, and we keep the greenhouse tidy and welcoming for your seed starting pleasure.
  • The fee for accessing table space is based on the number of trays seeded. Each 1020 tray (the standard tray/flat size) is priced at $30. In other words, you could seed 20 Romanesco cauliflowers + 20 Chioggia radicchios + 10 sprouting broccolis to fill a 50-cell tray, and you would pay $30 for that one tray of 50 seedlings you take home.

Workshop Fee: $40
Scholarships are available for Winooski residents and individuals who identify as BIPOC, New American and/or immigrant. We are able to offer a limited number of scholarships as part of our fulfillment of a Northeast SARE grant supporting historically underserved farming communities. 

Registration: Please fill in a workshop registration form. You will see options to request a scholarship and an option to sign up for greenhouse table space.

Questions? Please email carolina@vtgardens.org 

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