Where to learn more about gardening/vegetable growing?

BeeTee

Member
Premium Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2019
Messages
17
Location
Wodonga, Victoria
Climate
Temperate (all seasons)
It would be fair to say that the membership here possesses an incredible volume of knowledge about gardening/horticulture etc and it makes me wonder how they gained that knowledge? I would love to improve my own knowledge but how do I go about doing that? Youtube and channels like Mark's are a fantastic resource and there is no end of book one can buy and of course I can learn by trial and error in my own garden. I guess my question is, is there some kind of TAFE course or similar that I could take? How about online courses/learning, is that a legitimate to gain the knowledge I seek?

All the very best to you all and I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and safe, happy and prosperous new year.

Brian.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DTK

ClissAT

Valued Member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Sep 27, 2015
Messages
1,842
Location
Pomona, Qld
Climate
Sub-Tropical
Brian, in times past one did a 4yr tafe course(trade) and came out at the end with a trade certificate, can't remember what it was called. But it enabled the person to get a job in any part of the profession.
Now there still is a tafe course but not sure just how detailed it is and its shorter to accommodate the airy fairy brain capacity of the modern young person! I assume you'd still be able to gain employment after it but you would have to go on with further studies as part of an apprenticeship.
So the govt has effectively shunted off responsibility of the apprenticeship from tafe to private enterprise.
It depends what you want to do with your knowledge.
If its earning a living in an established business where certification is important, then yes its off to tafe for you for a couple of years or you can hunt for an apprenticeship with a local landscaping company or garden nursery. Mind you, the pay of an apprentice is appaulingly low!

However if its general knowledge for your own benefit so you can grow good veg in any soil, then check out the Gardening Australia website where every fact sheet going back over 20 yrs is archived plus the script from every show over the same time period.
Then there's the website from Burkes Backyard where you'll find the same kind of info.
Then there's your local library which has good quality older gardening books that have actual advice in them with proper explanations and descriptions like pH (which is a dirty word now!).
If your soil is unique, perhaps you'll get particular info from your local DPI office or soil agronomist, or less specific from your local rural store or nursery.

Then there's google as long as you know what word to enter so you aren't wasting time getting stuff for Canada or USA etc. British info can be of help here across the lower latitudes of Australia. We tend to use similar products just known by different names.
Another source of localized knowledge is your local garden club or permaculture group although you might find them all to be rather overzealous on occasion!

I will watch several youtube videos then combine the info obtained and modify it for my own particular requirements. I can do that because I already have a madeningly full head of technical info to call on.
But if you are just starting out and it all seems overwhelming, its hard to know whether what you are viewing is suitable for your needs.

Or you can just ask one of us here ;) If you want to know whether xyz videos suit your requirements, post them here, I'll watch them and tell you whether its info you need or not. Maybe I can find some better or more to your needs. Or maybe another member knows a video to suit your needs.

The videos that Mark produces are great work suitable for growing veg in average Australia. He makes a point of showing several different styles that suit different conditions. But he is very busy and unlikely to be able to give your questions detailed replies. Better to come over here where we can help you.

If your climate differs significantly, then you probably need a bit of extra info.
One thing I find is that soil pH and amount of light play a huge roll in the success of a person's garden.

Energy input equals vegetive output!

So the more compost you make, the more and better quality veg you grow. Then if you get the pH right those veg taste great also and with less pests and disease....bonus! Lol
 
Last edited:

DTK

Valued Member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Sep 23, 2019
Messages
332
Location
Brisbane (SW suburbs)
Climate
Sub-Tropical
G'Day Brian, great question. It is one I consider often, not for purposes of employment etc, but for my own use. Dan
 

ClissAT

Valued Member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Sep 27, 2015
Messages
1,842
Location
Pomona, Qld
Climate
Sub-Tropical
Actually there isn't any sort of "layman's course" you can do at Tafe or any other place, in Australia anyway, that will provide you with a good grounding in gardening!
If you buy from your local nursery then they will usually give you meaningful local knowledge as long as you buy the products from them that they advise.
Otherwise it's the bug box hardware chains where you won't get specific advice.
On the other hand, if they've got seedlings for sale then those are the ones to plant now in whatever season it is.
When you go to the fertilizer isle it's a nightmare of Murphy's Law as to what fertilizer, additive, amendment, insect control, type of watering hose, sprinkler or wand you select.
Libraries are full of books each holding heaps of useful info but you do have to spend the time reading them.
There are several tv gardening shows on each day depending on whether you have pay or just free to air tv. All those shows are worth watching or recording to watch later.
One type of place where you will get some extra help is a local gardening club, permaculture group, or community garden group.someone will take you under their wing and guide you according to their personal philosophy with the intention of converting you to their personal methods!
Gardeners are like that! Theirs is the best and only method!
Or you can use the search engine here on this site to read the multitudes of posts on practically every subject and covering most parts of the world.
 

DTK

Valued Member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Sep 23, 2019
Messages
332
Location
Brisbane (SW suburbs)
Climate
Sub-Tropical
SSC is certainly a good source and I very much appreciate the valuable info on this forum. In the past I have joined specific garden clubs such as hibiscus club and rose society (club) and I am on various Facebook groups. Yesterday, one if our valued friends in this forum visited our place and I learned a lot as we chatted through the hours. It was a great day!
 

Gavin H

Active Member
Premium Member
GOLD
Joined
Feb 7, 2020
Messages
37
Climate
Sub-Tropical
If you do a search on your local council websites there is some places that offer gardening course and another place you could learn lots would be a community garden
 
  • Like
Reactions: DTK
Top Bottom