PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE

[pizzamomma]

Does anyone know of any courses where I can gain practical experience?

Yes this is a great site and since joining havent posted much but have looked through and got some of my questions answered. Problem is I am such a newbie and looking at my garden which has now been cleared and you can finally see the end I am full of ideas and dreams. Problem is I don't really know if they are practical. Yes I've bought the books and ordered my seed catalogues, but wot I really need is some practical expertise. I have been looking at the day courses at the Farm in Hackney East London, and also at the agricultural college at Writtle in Essex but boy they seem expensive. Does anyone know of a slightly "cheaper" way of gaining this experience. Just discussions and learning from like minded people like yourselves and yes I know I can always ask here but I am afraid of boring you all to death.
I am also interested in keeping chicks but again the only time I have seen them is in books, on the TV or as I drive past a farm - I have no practical experience at all and my worry is would I be able to pick them up, would I be able to clip their wings. Reading the book, yes I have no qualms. If anyone has any ideas I would greatly appreciate them. We have a motorhome so travelling and accomodation would not be much of a problem, just thought I'd asked if anyone could recommend anything.

[Shirley]

Hiya

Please DO ask questions here, and don't be afraid of boring us to death because you won't! The good thing about asking questions here is that any answers are shared too and so we all learn.

If you've got transport and accommodation then you could maybe even volunteer on some of the wwooffing sites etc. I am sure that there are opportunities out there for UK places as well as overseas. http://www.wwoof.org.uk/home.html

[Annpan]

Lots of us are in the same boat Pizzamomma, please don't hesitate for one second about asking us all the questions, I dare say we have all asked odd questions in the past, remember there is no such thing as a stupid question, just stupid answers.

Most of the course I have seen are w-w-w-a-a-a-y-y-y overpriced and there is no chance on earth we could afford them, woofing would be an option, or maybe there is an other isher near you who you could visit. I know we learned a lot by visiting the ishers in Aberdeenshire.

[oldfella]

Pizzamomma, Just join the club and welcome to the world of trial and error, turn the soil stick in a seed/plant and nine case out of ten it will grow so go from there, chickens are like kids give them them a warm and comfortable home and a safe environment, with a little love and you wont need to clip their wings. Trust yourselve and ask questions of these good and may I say very knowledgeable folk, and save your money, the Andys and the Annpans, Ina's, have probably been there, done that, and will give better advice than most books and course's that you find advertised. To all you other folk out there who have been there, and done that, I must apologize, for not mentioning your names but there so many of you, and my typing finger is not up to it. Love to you all.

[snapdragon]

. Does anyone know of a slightly "cheaper" way of gaining this experience. ............

1. give it a go - plant seeds - it's not going to jump up and bite you
2. Ask here you will get straightforward answers to questions and loads of encouragement
3. Remember there's no such thing as a stupid question if you need to know the answer
4. If you really feel you need some practical learning then look for where your nearest allotments are and go for a walk round and watch and talk to the allotmenteers

[Clara]

Just do it! being a really academic minded impractical person, I love the lessons that this kind of stuff as taught me - that not everything can be learnt from a book and that this is a lifetimes work and not something that is going to be perfect, first, second or fifth time around. You have to get a feel for your site, your soil and your climate, books are a good guide, but intuition rules and you'll be surprised how quickly these things come when you get out of the mindset of there being a "right" way. It's very empowering when you learn something like this, because the knowledge is yours and not given to you.

[Thomzo]

Hi Pizzamomma
If there is an allotment site near you? You could ask there if anybody needs any help in exchange for sharing their experience with you. I would imagine that some of the older people might appreciate someone to help them with the heavy work occasionally in exchange for hints and tips. Alternatively, why not see if there is a gardening club in your area? There are bound to be people there who can help and advise in a more practical way.

Trial and error is alright but it takes a lot of time. I don't blame you for trying to get a head start.

As for the chickens, can you get yourself here to Swindon? There is a chicken school here. I've not been myself but their website is www.henporium.co.uk.

Cheers
Zoe

[Rod in Japan]

stick in a seed/plant and nine case out of ten it will grow

Gosh, that's a bit optimistic isn't it? Don't want to raise expectations too high at the beginning. I'd make that a 'five, going on six cases out of ten'.

Definitely the 'just do it' approach has a lot to recommend it, especially when combined with reading books that take your fancy.

[happy place]

i have to agree with old fella make hole shove seed in and 9 out of 10 it will grow possibly not wot you expected but something will grow and remember a weed is just a plant in the wrong place.
good luck and good growing

[ina]

Does anyone know of any courses where I can gain practical experience?

It helps if you add your location - in your profile, I mean - you may have told us about in in one of your posts, but it would be a lot of hassle trying to find that... No good telling you about cheap courses in Scotland if you live in Cornwall!

[Green Aura]

Seed packets usually come with some sort of instructions. Just remember that the whole purpose of a seed is to grow and produce a plant - so as long as you follow the instructions reasonably well you should get some return for your effort. They require food (manure, seaweed or fertiliser ) water and sunlight. And that's pretty much it. Weed them to stop the weeds nicking the food, water and sunlight and there you go.
Stick to simple and quick-growing things for a little while, then go for it.

[Green Aura]

Sorry, forgot to mention that the cost of a course will provide you with an awful lot of seeds - probably enough to feed you for years. The alternative of buying, or begging from gardening folk, will cost a couple of quid. And no course is going to teach you what to put where in your garden better than you can find out with trial and error, and at least you'll get to eat the results while you're finding out.

[Jandra]

I agree with all of the above. If you are afraid to make mistakes, you'll end up paralysed (been there, done that) and now that I have a whole 3 seasons of allotmenteering (no less!) under my belt I can only conclude that you just have to get started. Don't expect everything to be perfect! As long as you plant and sow a variety of plants, follow instructions of book or seed package and use common sense, you'll always get some successes.

And you'll be surprised how much the knowledge you found in the books will help you. When you're actually doing it, it makes so much more sense than when you're reading.

The chickens are a different story. You'll be responsible for living, feeling and (limited) thinking creatures and I think it would be a good idea to, at least, meet up with someone who has chickens and try to get a bit of a feeling for how it is.

Good luck, Jandra

[pizzamomma]

well thanks for all your input.
I am very reassured that you will all take the time and trouble to give me advice when sought.

Watch this space.

And thanks for your help in advance

[ina]

And thanks for your help in advance

We'll tell you about all the mistakes we made... So you can avoid them! But honestly, everybody has to make their own. And nobody has so far been able to tell me why on earth I can't seem to grow kohlrabi...