Hillsborough Extension Announces October Composting and Irrigation Classes

Hillsborough County Extension announced its October 2026 class lineup on September 24, with several programs directly relevant to Tampa-area yards and landscapes. The County lists an in-person Composting Workshop, Microirrigation Workshop, and Rainwater Harvesting Workshop on October 3. A virtual Microirrigation Workshop follows on October 8. On October 15, residents can attend a virtual Florida-Friendly Landscaping webinar titled Reduce Stormwater Runoff and an in-person Seed Starting Workshop. The schedule also includes a tree and fungi walk on October 29, alongside classes in health, finances, and agriculture. This article focuses on the gardening and water topics because they address decisions homeowners and landscape crews face throughout the year. The County describes these as research-based educational programs and says many are beginner-friendly. It also says advance registration is required for most classes, so readers should check the Extension calendar before making plans. The release does not provide a start time, price, or venue for each session, and those details should be confirmed during registration. For a South Tampa property owner, the schedule creates a timely opportunity to learn about compost, small-scale irrigation, rain capture, stormwater, and starting plants from seed. Those are the announced subjects, not a promise of a certification or a particular outcome from attending. The County published the schedule as a preview of October offerings, so the source date is September 24 even though the classes take place in October.

The class topics also point to practical questions worth bringing to a landscape project. A composting session is relevant when deciding how to handle suitable yard material and improve garden-bed practices. Microirrigation training is relevant to planted beds where a property owner wants to understand how water reaches roots without spraying sidewalks or hardscape. Rainwater harvesting and stormwater runoff are separate subjects: one concerns collecting rain for later use, while the other concerns how rainfall moves across a property. The County announcement does not specify the techniques taught in each workshop, so those examples describe why the topics matter, not a class syllabus. Seed starting offers another way to think about seasonal planting, while the October 29 tree and fungi walk brings attention to local natural resources. Ecoscape clients considering new beds, irrigation repairs, or drainage work can use the schedule to identify which questions they want answered before approving a design. Crews can also use Extension education to strengthen conversations about plant establishment and water use. Readers should verify the current event details and registration status through the County's Extension calendar, since an announcement made in September does not guarantee a seat remains available later. The County directs people seeking more information to that calendar or to Hillsborough County Extension at (813) 744-5519. The key news is a newly announced set of October learning opportunities with concrete dates and formats, not a new landscaping rule or a change to irrigation restrictions.