Events

Your soil is alive. It can harbour grubs and root maggots — but it’s also packed with beneficial microbes like mites and springtails that keep your garden healthy. The key is knowing which is which and how to manage pests without damaging the life that makes soil work. 

Join David Sparks for a insightful one-hour Master Class that will give you clear, confident strategies to grow stronger plants from the ground up and keep soil pests in check.   

He’ll cover: 

• Understanding soil pests – Grubs, root maggots, nematodes, ants and termites, and how they affect plant health. 

• Identifying problems early – Signs of damage, monitoring tips and seasonal patterns. 

• Soil in the breeding cycle – How soil supports pests like codling moth. 

• Ecological loops – The role of beneficial organisms and what happens when we disrupt them. 

• Prevention – Building healthy soil, crop rotation, companion planting, mulching and cover crops. 

• Controls – Encouraging natural predators, improving aeration and composting, and using raised beds or mounds. 

Practical, grounded and empowering — you’ll leave knowing exactly what’s happening beneath the surface. 

All sessions are recorded and those booked in will receive the recording link which is active for two weeks. Friends of SGA receive a 15% discount on Master Class full price tickets. You can become a Friend of SGA here. Green Garden Professional (GGPs) receive a 30% discount. 

Bio 

David Sparks has been teaching soil health and amelioration at TAFE for 5 years and across all levels of horticulture. Over this five years  David has been able to explain complex chemistry, intricate food webs and what  soil health looks like to a very diverse group of people.  Recently enrolled in a Graduate Certificate in Soil Science at UNE and absolutely fascinated in what drives healthy soil David will explore healthy soil and give heaps of practical tips on how you can achieve this, no matter what you would like to grow at home.