Gardening Programs coming this spring

            The Southside Master Gardener Association will hold two gardening programs and a shiitake mushroom workshop this spring. The events are open to the public but reservations are required. Call the Halifax Extension Office at 434-476-2147, option 0 or email www.ssmga.org.

            As the seed catalogs starting piling up, what to grow in our vegetable gardens is on our minds. On Friday, March 6 Bill McCaleb, Master Gardener Coordinator, will discuss The Best of the Best Vegetables. Some varieties have more disease resistance than others but still have good taste. You’ll learn what varieties of different types of vegetables work best here in Southside. The class will be held at the South Boston Halifax County Museum at 11 a.m. The class is free and open to everyone with an interest in vegetables. Call the Halifax Extension Office at 434-476-2147, option 0 or email www.ssmga.org to make a reservation.

            On Friday, March 20 Gale Washburn, retired from Department of Forestry, will discuss Native Edible Plants. These are plants that were here when the colonists arrived and currently grow here in Southside. These plants are useful in the kitchen but yet we don’t use them because we don’t know them. Gale will introduce you to these plants and show you how to grown them. Natives by their nature grow well generally not requiring much in the way of fertilizing or irrigating. The class will be held at the South Boston Halifax County Museum at 11 a.m. The class is free and open to everyone with an interest in vegetables. Call the Halifax Extension Office at 434-476-2147, option 0 or email www.ssmga.org to make a reservation.

            The Southside Master Gardeners will hold a shiitake mushroom workshop at the Halifax Farmers Market at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 18, 209 S Main St, Halifax. The class will consist of a Powerpoint presentation about the health benefits of shiitake inside the market and then a hands on log inoculation outside. The cost is $20/log, not per person. So it is ok to bring a friend along to help out.

            Earliest records of shiitake go back to 199 A.D. in Japan where Emperor Chuai praised the shiitake given to him by the Kyushu. Shiitakes are loaded with proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and fiber. Since our climate is similar to Japan’s, shiitake produce well here in Southside. Come out and learn how to grow these delicious morsels.

          Since part of the class will be outside, be sure to dress for the weather. It will be held rain or shine. Old clothes and work gloves are suggested. To register for the class, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call the Halifax Extension Office at 434-476-2147, option 0. Class size is limited so make your reservations early. March 31^st is the cut off date for reservations. If you cannot attend the class after making a reservation, please call or email since there will probably be a waiting list.

Caption for picture: Join the Shiitake Mushroom Workshop on April 18^th at the Halifax Farmers Market to learn to grow these nutritious and delicious mushrooms as shown by Master Gardener Joe Foster.