Beginning Vegetable Gardeners Series
The global pandemic of 2020 saw the rise of many new gardeners trying their hands at growing their own produce. In anticipation that the trend will continue in 2021, the Northern Shenandoah Valley Master 
Gardener Association has created a FREE Webinar Series for Beginning Vegetable Gardeners offered via Zoom. Through a series of 6 one-hour online sessions, certified Master Gardeners and Interns will take you from buying seeds, starting seedlings, and setting up your garden space all the way through to harvesting your produce, saving seeds for next year, and preparing for the next growing season.
Sessions will be on the 3rd Thursday of each month from February through July. You can pick and choose which sessions you’d like to register for, but we hope you’ll register for them all. After registering, you will receive an e-mail message with the link for joining the Zoom session. There is a different link for each session in the series.
During live sessions, participants will be able to submit questions to the presenters. Sessions will be recorded with links posted on this webpage for later viewing.
Registration
Click on the buttons below to register for each session. There is no fee, but registration is required.
Donations
Donations are strictly optional but welcome. Proceeds benefit ongoing Virginia Cooperative Extension education efforts supported by the Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener Association.
NSVMGA is an exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Sessions
Session 1: Planning the Garden: Selecting and Starting Seeds
Start off on the right foot by planning what seed to buy and how much you’ll need. You’ll also learn tips for starting seeds indoors, plus how succession planting can help ensure a bountiful harvest all summer long.
This session was held on February 18, 2021. You can view a video recording or click the image below to see a pdf of the slide deck from the presentation.
Session 2: Setting up Your Garden Space
Learn how to choose and prepare an area suitable for your vegetable garden. This session will cover the importance and steps for testing the soil and making appropriate amendments before planting—including using compost as a soil amendment—and some tips for growing in raised beds.
This session was held on Thursday, March 18. You can view a video recording or click the image below to see a pdf of the slide deck from the presentation.
Session 3: Maintaining the Garden
Unfortunately, a garden won’t take care of itself. From weeding and watering to keeping an eye out for pests, find out what you should be doing throughout the season to care for your vegetables. This session will include some show-and-tell about tools you’ll need to keep your garden in top shape.
Thursday, April 15, 7 p.m.
Session 4: Planting and Harvesting your Produce
When should you plant and when should you pick? Plant too early, and tender seedlings could be killed by frost. Pick too early, and you may be missing out on having great tasting veggies. In this session, you’ll learn both when and how to plant some of your favorite veggies and then when to harvest at the peak of readiness.
Thursday, May 20, 7 p.m.
Session 5: Saving Seeds and Composting the Biomass
Not all seeds are the same. Find out which you can save and how, while helping to save money and select for the most desirable traits. Plus, learn what you can safely compost after the harvest is complete to create your own organic soil amendment.
Thursday, June 17, 7 p.m
Session 6. Preparing your Garden for the Next Season
As one growing season comes to a close, it is time to plan for the next one. Whether you are preparing to plant again for a fall harvest or putting the garden to bed until next spring, steps you take now—including taking good notes about lessons learned this year—will pay off later. This session will discuss using cover crops to preserve and replenish the soil and season extenders to help you grow a fall crop.
Thursday, July 15, 7 p.m.
