Skip to main content

Free Beginners Growing Course

Never grown food? Start here.

Six short parts that take you from never-touched-a-seed to harvesting your own dinner. Free forever. Sign up to track progress and earn the skills along the way.

38 Lessons
For beginners
Free, forever
Sign up for free →

Free forever. No credit card. Signing up tracks your progress, unlocks personalized planting dates, and earns skills as you go. Or browse our lessons feed to read without signing up.

By the end of this course

You'll know how to grow food from seed.

Plant with confidence

Read your space, pick the right crops, and get seeds in the ground at the right time — no more guessing.

Harvest every week

From first salad in spring to last harvest in fall. Succession planting keeps your garden producing all season.

Close the loop

Save seeds from your best plants. Next year's garden starts with this year's — not a catalog.

What's inside

Five parts from seed to harvest

Each part builds on the one before. Follow them in order or jump to the topic you need most. There's a Final Part on growing for others once you finish.

Groundbreaker
Part 1

Beginner

Part 1 — The Basics of Growing

Groundbreaker·The Growing Basics

The absolute basics. How a seed grows. The roles of flowers, herbs, vegetables, fruits. Watering your plants. Types of garden beds.

8 lessonsThe Fundamentals
Root Whisperer
Part 2

Beginner

Part 2 — Soil Health & Other Mediums

Root Whisperer·Soil and Hydroponics

Deeper soil science, plus alternative mediums — hydroponics, aquaponics. The green thumb is about the medium and roots, not the leaves.

6 lessonsGreen Thumb Myth, Busted
Garden Architect
Part 3

Intermediate

Part 3 — Build Your Garden

Garden Architect·Build Your Garden

Building the infrastructure — garden beds, drip irrigation, trellises, sun direction, layout.

6 lessonsGarden Design
The Green Thumb
Part 4

Intermediate

Part 4 — Time to Grow

The Green Thumb·Time To Grow

Putting L1–L3 together and actually growing. Seedlings, direct seeding, timing, care.

9 lessonsThe Green Thumb
Harvest Hero
Part 5

Intermediate → Advanced

Part 5 — Time to Harvest

Harvest Hero·Time to Harvest

Harvesting plants correctly. Seed saving and collecting. Closing the loop of a full grow cycle.

5 lessonsSeed-to-Seed
Final Part · Mastery

Final Part — Growing For Others

Cultivating Purpose·Growing For Others

Using growing to make an impact — environmental sustainability, food miles, community, and finding purpose through food.

4 lessons·Skill: Purpose
Open the Final Part
Cultivating Purpose

Track your progress. Earn skills. Free forever.

Sign up to save your spot in the course, unlock personalized planting dates, and earn skills as you grow.

Sign Up for Free