Understanding Soils – over three Saturdays

Soil components and dynamics can seem complex, however soil is a critical element to understand if you want to grow nutritious food, successful plants, vibrant trees and healthy livestock.   If you also want to cut down on buying and hauling soil amendments, spending hours weeding, hoeing, and digging, this comprehensive course will make all the difference in helping you get your soils into a healthy, sustainable cycle.  

Tutor Kazel Cass excels at sharing complex topics in a clear, accurate and accessible style.  She’ll lead us in this comprehensive 

15-hour look at soils over three Saturdays: 5 May, 9 June and 7 July, $140 total for the three days.  Soil “beginners” are welcome as well as those of you who would like a “soil” refresher to fill in any gaps in your knowledge.

This is an excellent opportunity to learn about your specific soil by bringing along samples from your property.

If you have a soil test you can bring that along too. By the end of this course you’ll know what all those chemical abbreviations and numbers actually mean and what you might do about them!

Topics covered will include:

• Why soil texture matters, and how to identify soil types easily.
• Reading the soil profile.
• Learning what weeds can tell you about the soil.
• Monitoring the health of the soil.
• Using S-Map to identify NZ mapped soil types to be able to research different soils without a sample or test.
• How to take a soil test sample, understanding Soil Test results and how to interpret and take appropriate actions.
• The Soil Food Web – what is it, how to support it and enhance plant health and production.
• pH scale. Testing, interpretation and subsequent actions.
• The solution sol can offer to climate change – storing carbon in the soil.
• Humus, the essential ingredient.
• Importance of covered soil, minimising digging and soil disturbance.
• Soil amendments: compost, vermicast, compost teas, ocean products.

The minimum number for the course to go ahead is six, and at 20, we will start a waiting list.

Laptops will be useful for the S-Map session, but not essential for each student.

You’ll receive an email with further details, directions, what to bring, etc. upon registration.