Green Thumbs Unite: Tips for growing your best garden this spring

Now is the time of year that green thumbs in our local area begin laying the groundwork for what they hope will be a successful growing season. Whether you are a longtime gardener, or you’re trying your hand at it for the first time; whether you are harvesting large amounts of produce, or you just have a couple of plants for personal use, there are certain steps that you can take to ensure that you get the most out of your time in the dirt.

Ben Prewitt is a horticulture agent with the Whitley County Cooperative Extension Office, located in Goldbug. His job is to promote, educate, and assist with the implementation of pretty much anything plant-related in the extension’s service area. That includes helping folks with their gardens at home.

“What I’ve noticed is that a lot of folks want help with their growing,” Prewitt explained. “They want you to tell them exactly what to do, and specifically with beginning gardening, you have to first understand that there is going to be a trial-and-error in growing crops of any kind. Not everything you try is going to be 100 percent successful.”

In spite of this somewhat harsh reality, Prewitt assured that there are some ways that gardeners can maximize their potential for success. “I would consider asking us here about soil testing,” he said. “It gives you a good baseline to start out with, and it helps to eliminate a lot of the guess work. Also, make sure you are buying quality seeds or starter plants.”

With good soil and quality seed, the next question is, “How and where should I grow my plants?”

Prewitt explained that gardens come in all shapes and sizes, saying, “Container and raised-bed gardening is a good option for many folks. You can do that pretty much anywhere, and it is a little bit easier to maintain what’s being grown in a smaller area, as opposed to a big backyard garden.”

“It doesn’t have to be hard,” Prewitt continued. “You can do things in a way that will make it more efficient, and physically easier. You can even have a garden that is handicap accessible if need be.”

Regardless of what you’re growing, how you’re growing it, or what you’re growing it in, Prewitt once again stressed the importance of soil health, saying, “I tell people all the time that I would much rather make my investment in a quality growing medium than the container that I am actually growing the plant(s) in. The container doesn’t really matter. You can grow in anything that will hold soil and drain water. I don’t think that people have to go out and spend tons of money to have an efficient garden.”

Master Gardener Program promotes community service and continuing education

If you are up for a little bit more of a challenge, you might want to check out the extension office’s Master Gardener Program, which presents an opportunity for both community service and continued education.

“The Master Gardener Program is a course that is designed to take a little deeper dive than what you’d get in a beginner gardening class,” Prewitt said. “It is a pretty big time commitment, though, with all Master Gardeners committing to 23 hours of classroom activities, and on top of that, you are also signing on for 40 hours of community service.”

“The idea is to work in the community with a focus on horticulture,” Prewitt continued. “That can either be beautifying an area, or helping with a community garden, or doing some type of education. There are a lot of ways to get those hours.”

The Master Gardener Program is a 12-month program, with meetings held once a month for 2-3 hours. Some travel is also involved.

“Our goals here are to try and educate people on all kinds of different topics,” Prewitt said. “But at the end of the day, we’re really just trying to help people economically, and help them to be efficient with the things that they are doing. We want to help people work smarter, instead of working harder.”

For more on the offerings at the Whitley County Cooperative Extension Office, visit them online at www.whitley.ca.uky.edu, or call them at (606) 549-1430.