Growing Plants in Containers/Activities

Session 1, - Orientations
''Welcome back from holidays! This week we'll take an overview look at the unit and the assessment tasks.''

To do

 * 1) Meet at the Polygrow Nursery at 9:00 am
 * 2) As a group we'll look at the unit standard and this course schedule and run through the assessment requirements.
 * 3) What plants would we like to grow that fit the unit requirements?
 * 4) Students set up their own area and tables for their work.
 * 5) Set up seed raising bench
 * 6) Discuss what ingredients make up our base mix potting media and shovel into holding bay.Devise a good method for covering potting media.
 * 7) Tidy up potting shed and bleach potting benches.
 * 8) After the session, find an Internet connection and look at the resouces below and remember free access to computers and the internet is available at Otago Polytechnic Community Learning Centres and the Botanic Garden Centre on Lovelock Ave,Dunedin,N.Z

Answer the Following Questions Using the Suggested Resources
 * 1) Please list as many reasons for growing plants in containers as you can think of.
 * 2) Please list five advantages for growing plants in containers.
 * 3) Please list five disadvantages for growing plants in containers.

Bonus activities for the gungho!
 * 1) Help Hortykim find useful resources web or print, whatever you think would be helpful resources to add to the existing list.You will have to read widely to find all the information for your assessment and don't forget to read the gardening pages in the Otago Daily Times or whatever your local paper is. The New Zealand Gardener and Commercial Horticulture will also have information regarding growing plants in containers.

Links

 * Dunedin Botanic Garden - http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/botanic-garden
 * Dunedin Botanic Garden map - http://tinyurl.com/4taw3n
 * Hortykim's blog - http://hortykim.wordpress.com
 * Otago Polytechnic Community Learning Centres
 * Growing Plants and Flowers in Containers
 * Growing Plants In Containers

Books

 * Handreck, K. (1993). Gardening Down Under. CSIRO, Australia.
 * Bryant, G. (Edit). (1994). The Ultimate New Zealand Gardening Book. David Bateman Ltd, New Zealand.