Kayla Ratz, barista at Cabin Creek and owner of Spruce Field of Dreams farm, located in Spruce, said she began her vegetable co-op business for both practical and personal reasons.

“I grew up gardening,” she said. “My grandpa was a sweet corn extraordinaire. So I grew up working with him on the farm…every summer I spent working with my grandpa weeding gardens and stuff…It’s been in my blood forever.”

When Ratz was on maternity leave, she said she still wanted to bring in income to the household. That summer, Ratz explained that she grew enough vegetables to take to the Hubbard Lake farmer’s market. After that, she began receiving requests from the community to continue and to start a vegetable delivery service.

Ratz’s co-op now gives her the flexibility to work at Cabin Creek during the fall and winter months and then focus on her gardening during the spring and summer months.

Courtesy Photo Corey Taratuta, garden YouTuber and son of Annette “Netta” Taratuta (owner of Netta’s Nursery), holding hydrangeas at Netta’s Nursery located in Posen.

“It allows me to be home with my kids, too, in the summer, which is like a big one for me, too,” Ratz said.

Because Ratz has been gardening her whole life, she explained that the timing of planting has become second nature.

Ratz said that beginner gardeners should pay attention to seed packets, as they will instruct gardeners as to when the seeds should be planted. As a general rule of thumb, Ratz starts growing her plants from seeds inside her house. Onions she will start at the end of February. She will start her peppers and tomatoes six to eight weeks before the last frost.

According to Ratz, things like lettuce, peas, and cabbage — cold-tolerant vegetables — can be planted as seeds in the ground as soon as the soil can be worked.

Ratz said that overwatering is a big plant killer that not many people are aware of. She said you can wash away seeds or cause root rot. And of course, she said that gardeners should watch out for frost.

Courtesy Photo Barb and Jerry Rutherford, owners of Rutherford Farm in Alpena, together at a lavender farm. Vegetables, honey, baked goods, and more are available for purchase at their farm located on Indian Reserve R.D.

However, for beginner gardeners, Ratz said they shouldn’t be afraid of making mistakes.

“I have really messed a lot of stuff up…that’s part of it,” Ratz said. “That’s part of the fun…you get to learn what works for you and what does not work for you.”

She did recommend that new gardeners might not want to experiment too much in the beginning. Rather, she said to start out small and take baby steps.

Corey Taratuta, garden YouTuber and son of Annette “Netta” Taratuta (owner of Netta’s Nursery), also suggested that new gardeners should start out with something small. He said instead of starting out with 40 hibiscus plants, you should start with one.

“Start a little bit smaller and make those mistakes on a smaller scale,” Corey Taratuta said.

Further, he said that the biggest lesson he has learned while gardening is learning about the nuances of fertilizing and figuring out how often certain plants need to be fertilized.

He explained that gardening is a therapeutic activity that you can either do alone or with loved ones. He also said that he believes that the plants will show the love you put into them.

“We do get attached to plants and trees,” Corey Taratuta said.

Especially for people who have lost trees due to the recent ice storm, he said it’s okay to be sad. He explained that some people put meanings to trees and that they become part of the home in many cases.

He explained that some people may have lost trees that they planted in memory of a loved one, or simply have memories attached to them. If that is the case, he suggested planting new trees with family members so that future generations can enjoy them.

“That (tree is) going to be part of your home,” Corey Taratuta said. “It’s just going to take some time for it to become home for you.”

Barb Rutherford, who owns Rutherford Farm with her husband Jerry, also said that gardening is a therapeutic activity and is much easier than people think it is.

Barb Rutherford said that beginner gardeners should do their research and get soil samples. She also stressed the importance of creating a healthy ecosystem for plants and the importance of not using pesticides or roundups. She said that soil can hold onto those chemicals for up to a decade.

For individuals who may be hesitant to start gardening, Barb Rutherford suggested to just get your hands dirty and try to plant something.

“Just start by planting and nurturing a plant,” Barb Rutherford said. “Gardening isn’t that hard.”

She said that if you do plant a garden, make sure to visit it often to check for pests. She suggested putting up a high fence around garden patches to deter deer.

Kayla Wikaryasz can be reached at 989-358-5688 or kwikaryasz@TheAlpenaNews.com.