Beginning Vegetable Gardeners Series, February to July 2021 
Thank you to everyone that joined us for the Beginning Vegetable Gardeners Webinar Series in 2021. Recordings and pdfs of the slides from the six sessions can be viewed by clicking the links below.
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 Your Garden
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.
This session was held on April 15, 2021. You can view a video recording or click the image below to see a pdf of the slide deck from the presentation.
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.
This session was held on May 20, 2021. You can view a video recording or click the image below to see a pdf of the slide deck from the presentation.
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.
This session was held on June 17, 2021. You can view a video recording or click the image below to see a pdf of the slide deck from the presentation.
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.
This session was held on July 15, 7 p.m. You can view a video recording or click on the image below to see a pdf of the slide deck from the presentation.
Virginia Cooperative Extension is a partnership of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and local governments, and is an equal opportunity employer. For the full non-discrimination statement, please visit ext.vt.edu/accessibility.