A backyard bounty can be yours

news Date published 11 3 2024 , Age 9 months ago

The Level 2 Sustainable Horticulture programme at NMIT Te Pūkenga offers practical education on how to successfully grow and maintain a productive garden.

sustainablehorticultureLarge Full Width 2235x1490px — The student garden at Richmond Campus.

If you like to know where your food comes from and enjoy backyard gardening, the free Level 2 Sustainable Horticulture(external link) programme at NMIT Te Pūkenga is for you! The course also offers connection with like-minded community members.

Used as either a stepping-stone to a career in the horticulture industry or simply to enhance your knowledge, the programme is designed to teach practical skills and gives learners an opportunity to ask questions and be guided by one another’s experiences.

Jenny North, Horticulture Academic Coordinator, says classes look at how to plan and execute a successful garden by learning several practical skills such as building your own compost and pruning and shaping trees.

“It’s a hands-on course,” she says. “We focus a lot on organic practices, teaching how to make your own fertilizer and compost, and learn useful techniques for pruning and shaping trees, feeding the soil and encouraging biodiversity.”

The New Zealand Certificate in Primary Industry Skills - Sustainable Horticulture(external link) is accepting direct applications. Classes include one evening per week and every second Saturday and are based in Richmond, Nelson and Blenheim. The practical Saturday classes in Nelson and Richmond will be joined.