Health Matters With TSET: Gardening for Beginners

Some people may grow their own fruits and veggies so they know where their food comes from, to save money, or to get outside and stay active.

If you're new to gardening, right now is a great time to get something in the ground.

In today's Health Matters with TSET, Amy Slanchik shows us some tips for beginners.

Backyard Blooms

The Stephenson’s backyard in Bartlesville is full of springtime blooms. They’ve got apples, plums, flowers, and trees growing. It's not just a garden, but an oasis.

"I never thought that like, our backyard would look like this,” Rebekah Stephenson said.

Stephenson is a Washington County Certified Master Gardener, a title she may not have seen herself having just a few years ago.

"I was so bad with plants when I started. Like I killed inside plants. I think I had a lucky bamboo and that was all that I could keep alive inside."

Start With the Soil

At the root of a good garden is the soil.

She said the first step is to learn what the pH level is. County extension offices can typically test a sample of your soil if you pay for a test.

There are more than 2,000 types of soil in Oklahoma. The Stephensons have two different pH levels in their backyard.

What to Plant in Early April

Once you know what's going on in the ground, pay attention to the weather.

For early spring, Rebekah says to stick to cool-season crops.

"So you can plant peas, cabbages, onions, garlic, lettuces."

Right now is also a good time to plant potatoes.

"A seed potato is a potato that hasn't been treated with…chemicals that make them not sprout, the ones you buy in the grocery store...You want a seed potato, which hasn't been treated,” Stephenson said. "They're great for cooking. They're great for French fries.”

They don't need to go deep into the ground and should be planted with the sprouts facing upward.

“And then we'll put some grass on top. If you have…hay or something, this kind of keeps the weeds down a little bit,” Stephenson said.

Growing Your Own Herbs

Next, Stephenson went to her greenhouse to plant some herbs: chamomile, mint, lemon balm, sage and cilantro.

AMY: “So we can mix all these things in one pot?”

STEPHENSON: “Yep, we're just gonna put ‘em all in one pot."

AMY: “Should I keep it in this pot all summer? Or should I take them out?”

STEPHENSON: “Ya you can. Depends what you wanna do…The mint's a perennial but it will spread. It will spread and take over. So be careful with the mint."

There’s still a lot to learn.

And while Stephenson carries the word "master" in front of her gardener title, she says she's always learning, too.

"Being a Master Gardener is more about volunteering, being in the community, trying to help people to succeed,” Stephenson said.

Planting the seeds for a beautiful, and healthy spring.

Additional Tips From a Master Gardner

Rebekah has these tips for people who want to start a garden:

1.“Most importantly just start. Gardening is a skill like anything else, there is no shortcut or life hack that beats just putting some seeds or plants in the ground and getting your hands dirty.

2. Pick vegetables that do well in your soil, where you have them planted (ideally in full sun).

3. Plant for crop diversity (companion planting) i.e. We are planting potatoes. You can plant peas, cabbage, bush beans, and corn with it (near it).

Next month, Health Matters will feature how gardening can have a positive impact on our mental health.