2026 Growing Groceries Classes
Attention all edible gardening enthusiasts! The Master Gardeners of King County are offering Growing Groceries: The Basics and Beyond the Basics beginning in January 2026. Classes are divided into two series that offer six basic and four more advanced presentations.
The Basics series includes six pre-recorded classes with video links delivered immediately upon registration to allow for self-paced viewing. The chilly winter and early spring months are the perfect time to refresh on the basic principles and techniques for veggie gardening.
NEW!! Growing Groceries: Beyond the Basics
If you’re hungry to delve deeper into more advanced gardening topics, this 4-class series will whet your appetite and makes a great companion to the Basics series. Growing Groceries: Beyond the Basics is offered “live on Zoom” on selected Wednesday evenings in January, March, May and July, allowing plenty of time in-between to refresh on the Basics.
Sign up for one or both 2026 Growing Groceries series . Purchases may be made online by credit card or by PayPal only. Our fees include Washington state sales tax which we are now required to collect and remit to the state. Please note that individual class registration is not offered this year. Advance registration is required for both series. For questions contact: GrowingGroceries.king@mgfkc.org
Cost:
Growing Groceries: The Basics video series is offered for the low cost of $20.
Growing Groceries: Beyond the Basics“ live on Zoom” series is offered at $40 for four intermediate to advanced level classes.
Online: Registrants will receive Zoom instructions to access the online class at 5:00 PM the day of the class. The Growing Groceries: Beyond the Basics classes will be recorded and available to registered participants following the class.
Growing Groceries: The Basics
Although you may have attended one or more of these classes in the past, you’ll likely pick up on some new tips or re-familiarize yourself with others.
Included in the digital box set are:
- Container Gardening with Joan Baldwin, Extension Master Gardener.
- Backyard Fruit Trees with Brandon Bray, Extension Master Gardener.
- The Cool Season Menu: Peas, Hardy Greens, Carrots and More with Anne Neilsen, Extension Master Gardener.
- Grow Kale, Broccoli, and Related Cole Crops with Sue Kraemer, Extension Master Gardener.
- What’s a Garden Without Tomatoes? with Sharon Peach, Extension Master Gardener.
- Beans, Summer and Winter Squash with Emilie Castle, Extension Master Gardener.
Growing Groceries: Beyond the Basics classes are held on selected Wednesday evenings from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM online via Zoom.
We are delighted to present the following classes:
Jan. 21, 2026
The Art and Science of Seed Starting with Brandon Bray, Extension Master Gardener.
Description: Want fruits or vegetables that are not sold in stores? You’ll have to grow them from seeds. Brandon will walk through all the steps from planning, germination, thinning, hardening off, and transplanting. He’ll cover the equipment, the basics, timing, and a few advanced techniques. The best part about starting is you’ll likely have extra starts to share with your neighbors and friends. Be forewarned, once you subscribe to one seed catalog, more will follow. Handout for this presentation: The Art and Science of Seed Starting.
Mar. 11, 2026
Evaluating Soil, Soil Testing and Interpreting Results with Jay Mirro, King Conservation District Senior Resource Planner.
Description: Have you found yourself dissatisfied with waning productivity of your garden then feeling confused by the results provided on your garden soil test? What product to use, when to apply and how much? What do all those numbers and color bars mean? Jay Mirro from the King Conservation District says “Reading soil test results is like learning a foreign language. The first time can be very confusing, but becoming familiar with the terminology and practicing with interpretation tools will improve your understanding. A soil test can help you get an area prepped for new planting or “sleuth” plant production and some plant health issues that can occur in raised bed mix and soil-based garden beds.” Jay will share the basics of soil health, N-P-K, pH, CEC and other intricacies of soil testing as well as going through a soil test to help crack the “foreign language” of the soil test report. He will introduce a new “soil test calculator” developed for home gardeners to use when nutrients are needed.
Test your soil in advance and bring your results to class! https://kingcd.org/programs/better-soils/healthy-soil/
May 6, 2026
A Gardeners Guide to Integrated Pest Management with Adam Romero, Extension Master Gardener.
Description: Are you practicing some Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies in your home garden but want to know more? Are you unclear on how the life-cycle of troublesome insects determines the proper IPM strategies to use? Join us for a talk on Integrated Pest Management tailored for the home gardener seeking science-based solutions. Attendees will gain insights into monitoring techniques, threshold levels, and how to integrate cultural, mechanical, and chemical methods and learn about some the latest challenges facing home gardeners . Perfect for both beginning and experienced gardeners looking for strategies to reduce pest populations while maintaining healthy, productive gardens.
Jul. 15, 2026
All About Seed Saving with Sue Kraemer, Extension Master Gardener.
Description: Extension Master Gardener Sue Kraemer has developed a fascination for the rich history of saving seeds and how to take advantage of that final life-stage of plant growth; that is, seed production and saving those seeds for future seasons of growing. In this class you will learn which plants are good candidates for seed saving and the process for harvesting and storing seeds. She will also share her knowledge about seed banks and community projects happening to share seeds and preserve biodiversity for future generations.
Growing Groceries Classes
The information contained in Growing Groceries presentations is based on Washington State University Extension home gardening publications and other science and research-based materials. Resource lists are provided at the end of the presentations. To enliven the learning experience, speakers may use examples from their own garden experience and draw from their personal gardening successes and failures.
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that we are gathered on the sacred lands of the Coast Salish Peoples who have lived along the shores of the Central Salish Sea since time immemorial. We honor all First Peoples indigenous to the place we now call King County – their ancestors and descendants who have cared for these sacred lands and waters for thousands of years. We give thanks to the Duwamish, Muckleshoot, Snoqualmie, Stillaguamish, and Tulalip Tribes for sharing their ancestral lands and watersheds with us, and we embrace our reponsibility to help protect and restore them for future generations.
WSU extension programs and employment are available to all without discrimination. Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local extension office. Reasonable accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities and special needs; contact the WSU Extension King County office at king.mg@wsu.edu at least two weeks prior to the event.