Veggie Gardening Workshop May 4

Whether you have a green thumb or are just beginning to garden, Stark Parks and the Stark County Master Gardeners invite you to participate in a Vegetable Gardening Workshop at the Exploration Gateway at Sippo Lake Park on Sat., May 4 from 9 a.m. to Noon. Reservations are required for this free program where you will learn multiple “tricks of the trade” from experienced gardeners. Register on-line at www.StarkParks.com or call 330.409.8096.

Delicious vegetables start with healthy soil, and participants will learn the importance of soil testing as well as natural ways to amend and “build” their soil for better vegetables.  They’ll also learn about new varieties of vegetables, as well as “tried and true” varieties and heirloom plants. According to eHow.com, there are two ideas about what an heirloom variety is: the first is that heirlooms are plants that were available before the first hybrids appeared in 1951. The second claims that plants are heirlooms only if they were available before or during the Victory Garden era of the 1920s.

Other topics that will be covered at the May 4 workshop include the following:

• Selecting healthy plants at your local gardening store
• Recognizing signs and symptoms of the most common pests and diseases , and how to collect information to diagnose a plant problem
• Beneficial insects, mammals and plants that will help your garden thrive and produce a strong harvest
• When to pick, and the correct techniques for picking each vegetable
• Using a cold frame and other techniques for protecting your plants and extending your harvest 

While it is very tempting to grab a vegetable and pull it off its plant, doing so can harm the plant and limit your harvest, particularly if you happen to break a major stem in the process, said Danielle Grimm, a Stark Parks’ employee and Stark County Master Gardener volunteer. What is the correct technique? According to Grimm you should use a sharp knife or pruners to cut the stem right above the vegetable.

The Vegetable Gardening Workshop is the last in a series leading up to Stark Parks’ annual Native Plant Sale scheduled for Sat., May 18 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Exploration Gateway. The sale will include two heirloom vegetables, a pepper and tomato, as well as a variety of native flowers.

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