Learn how to develop and maintain healthy organic soil, the key to successful organic gardening. Understand the role that microorganisms play in building soil and promoting plant health. Discover how to employ composting, mulching, and cover crops to build soil productivity, increase microbial activity and provide timely release of plant nutrients. Gain an understanding of what vegetable varieties work best in an organic garden and how to plant, cultivate, support, and manage their harvest as well as the basic principles of integrated pest management.

Ages: 18 - Adult

Instructor: Royer Held, Project Grow

1 class

This class is free and open to everyone.  Registration is required.

REGISTER HERE

It can be rewarding to pick delicious fruit from your own trees, and frustrating when those trees fail to produce. The goal of this class is to help you grow good tree fruit within the constraints of a small lot. We will discuss planning, selection, planting, and routine care of trees, including apples, pears, cherries, peaches, plums, and apricots. Topics include the importance of choosing good varieties, including the right rootstocks; strategies for dealing with common shortcomings of your yard such as poor soils, shade, and frost; pruning and training, including a brief introduction to espaliers and other restricted forms; fertilizer; and pest control, including organic controls.

Ages: 18 and up

Instructor:  Dave Strayer

1 Class.

This class is free and open to everyone.  Registration is required.

REGISTER HERE

Heirloom vegetable varieties are tastier and more interesting than what you usually find in the grocery store. Not only that, but they are ideally suited for organic growing conditions! Unfortunately, the agricultural practices that produced heirlooms are disappearing, threatening the survival of heirlooms. Learn about the genetic diversity and local foods that may be lost. Find out what gardeners can do to cultivate and preserve heirloom vegetable varieties. It’s as simple as learning how to collect, save and replant seeds from your own garden.

Ages: 18 - Adult

Instructor:  Royer Held, Project Grow

1 class

This class is free and open to everyone.  Registration is required.

REGISTER HERE

It can be rewarding to pick delicious fruit from your own trees, and frustrating when those trees fail to produce. The goal of this class is to help you grow good tree fruit within the constraints of a small lot. We will discuss planning, selection, planting, and routine care of trees, including apples, pears, cherries, peaches, plums, and apricots. Topics include the importance of choosing good varieties, including the right rootstocks; strategies for dealing with common shortcomings of your yard such as poor soils, shade, and frost; pruning and training, including a brief introduction to espaliers and other restricted forms; fertilizer; and pest control, including organic controls.

Ages: 18 and up

Instructor:  Dave Strayer

1 Class.

Registration is limited to 60.

This class is free and open to everyone.  Registration is required.

REGISTER HERE

This class is the first of two classes geared toward helping new gardeners at two critical stages of gardening: planning and planting your garden. Its focus is on getting you ready for the opening of the garden season, so that you know what you are going to plant and have plans for where, how and when to plant them. Start planning now, while the ground is still frozen and garden chores are not demanding your attention, so you can create the thriving, productive and beautiful garden that you hope and plan for. The class will be taught by long-time Project Grow gardener, Marcella Trautmann.

Ages: 18 - Adult

Instructor:  Marcella Trautmann, Project Grow

1 of 2 classes (Second class:  4.18.23)

This class is free and open to everyone.  Registration is required.

REGISTER HERE.

If you are new to growing potatoes or a “seasoned” veteran, we’ll discuss:

-  Varieties to grow and where to get them

-  Planting (seed and soil preparation)

-  Plant maintenance (hilling, watering, amendments, pest control) - Harvest and storage

-  Cooking – it is worth all the work!

-  Don’t forget a decorative planter for your porch!

If time permits, we will also talk about growing potato from true seed, backyard potato breeding and the future of potato in academic research.

There will be time for questions during and after the presentation.

Ages: 18 - Adult

Instructor:  Gregory Steere, MSU

This class is free and open to everyone.  Registration is required.

REGISTER HERE

This hands-on class will cover sowing seeds indoors, transplanting seedlings as they mature, and, finally, planting seedlings into the ground. Supplies will be provided by Project Grow, though participants are welcome to use their own seeds. Seeded and transplanted pots will be taken home by the participants. The class will be taught by two long-time gardeners with Project Grow, Marcella Trautmann and Sharon Fay. Cost of registration covers supplies and processing fees.

Ages: 18 - Adult

Instructor:  Marcella Trautmann, Project Grow and Sharon Fay, Project Grow

This class is $10 and is limited to 10 participants.

Register here

Continuing in the series, this class is intended to help all gardeners , beginners to experienced, to start off well. Learn from former Project Grow director Marcella Trautmann about how to plant what you've planned to grow create a thriving, productive as well as beautiful garden. There are planting techniques that can really make the difference in how well your plants grow in the spring.

Ages: 18 - Adult

Instructor:  Marcella Trautmann, Project Grow

2 of 2 classes (First class:  3.7.23)

This class is free and open to everyone.  Registration is required.

REGISTER HERE

This class will cover all types of cut flowers that can be grown in Michigan, including bulbs, annuals, perennials and a few shrubs (except roses!). We will talk about annual flowers you can still direct sow this year, plus annuals and perennials you can start from seed next year. This is a broad topic and we will allow plenty of time for questions in the 2nd part of the class.

REGISTER for Growing Cut Flowers

Do you have an interest in gardening but are limited to a window or balcony at your apartment or condo? This class is perfect for those who may have limited space or limited access to gardens! The moderator will discuss the fundamentals of gardening in Michigan using containers for both indoor and outdoor plant locations. Topics include plant and container selection, nutrients, watering, and plant support, as well as long-term care and some tips and best practices using things you may already have around the home. Because the course materials are very broad in topic, we will save some time throughout each section of the course for question-and-answer. This class is taught by W. Scott Richardson, a gardener and board member with Project Grow who specializes in growing Scotch Bonnet hot peppers and has been a container gardener of pepper plants for about ten years.

Ages: 18 - Adult

Instructor: W. Scott Richardson

1 class

REGISTER for Container Gardening

Project Grow Registration policy for online classes: Please register ONLY if you can FULLY commit to attending the class, and not take a space from another person who would attend. Class follow-up materials will be sent to those who attend the class in full. Registration spaces are limited. We look forward to seeing you in class soon!