If you take even the shortest strolls around Wallingford, you know this neighborhood loves to grow its own food. We wonder: is that because Seattle Tilth is so close, or vice versa? Yet another of life’s chicken-and-egg questions, and speaking of chickens, you can learn how to keep your own cluckers (there’s nothing like fresh, fresh eggs) this weekend at Seattle Tilth.
Want to create your own urban farmette? Learn all about growing tomatoes and transitioning your planting strip to produce your own produce. Here are this weekend’s Tilth classes. If you’re interested in any or all of them, be sure to register. Many more future classes are on the Seattle Tilth site.
WHAT: City Chickens 101
WHEN: April 10; 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
WHERE: Good Shepherd Center; 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N., Room 202, Seattle, WA 98103
A comprehensive introductory course for those interested in keeping chickens and who want to start with adult birds. Learn the most important considerations in caring for a small flock of hens in limited space, including chicken physiology, behavior, health, nutrition, housing and city regulations. This lecture-based class also covers the wide variety of chicken breeds. Questions are encouraged and you will leave this class with the knowledge you need to know to start raising chickens in your own backyard.
COST: $30 for Seattle Tilth members, $40 non-members. Advance registration and payment are required. For more information and to register, visit: www.seattletilth.org.
WHAT: Grow Great Tomatoes
WHEN: April 10; 2-4 p.m.
WHERE: Good Shepherd Center; 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N., Room 202, Seattle, WA 98103
Learn techniques to get more success with tomatoes. The class will cover choosing varieties, when to start from seed, pot up, transplant, fertilize and harvest. We will also talk about techniques to get more production, including use of season extenders, thinning, pruning and trellising, as well as organic solutions to common pests and diseases and crop rotation.
COST: $25 for Seattle Tilth members, $35 non-members. Advance registration and payment are required. For more information and to register, visit: www.seattletilth.org.
WHAT: Grow Veggies in Your Parking Strip
WHEN: April 11; 10 a.m.-noon
WHERE: Good Shepherd Center; 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98103
The City of Seattle has made it easier for people to access land to plant veggies – right in front of their homes! Now is a great time to rip out that lawn and start to build a productive veggie garden. We’ll discuss how to get started, what you can plant and how best to maintain these gardens as well as important safety considerations. Class participants will leave with a clear understanding of the new rules, information on soil testing, raised bed materials, a list of best vegetable varieties to plant and some sample planting plans. This class will include indoor lecture and a tour of nearby parking strip gardens, so please dress for the weather.
COST: $25 for Seattle Tilth members, $35 non-members. Advance registration and payment are required. For more information and to register, visit: www.seattletilth.org.
WHAT: Getting the Most from Small Spaces
WHEN: April 11; 1-3 p.m.
WHERE: Seattle Tilth’s Learning Garden at the Good Shepherd Center; 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98103
Urban vegetable gardeners often have limited space for their gardens. This shouldn’t prevent you from growing everything you want and feeding your family! This clinic will focus on how to prepare the soil by double digging, bed layout, plant spacing, and planting. Learn to use your space effectively – we’ll show you how!
COST: $25 for Seattle Tilth members, $35 non-members. Advance registration and payment are required. For more information and to register, visit: www.seattletilth.org.
Hey Seattle Tilth,
When you teach people how to raise chickens, can you please also teach people that they should only only endeavor to have chickens if they have a fenced in yard or plan on keeping them in a pen all of the time. And please let them know to keep the coop clean and not to attract rats with spilled food all over the place. I personally am tired of my neighbors chickens in my yard tearing up the garden and I am not happy about the rat activity and sh*t smell.
Thanks.