Stan State gardening specialist Martin Hildebrandt hosted the “Spring Plant Guide” event via Zoom on April 22 in honor of Earth Day. At this event, which was livestreamed from the Stan State sustainable garden, attendees were taught how to properly plant and how to take care of plants in the correct way.
Hildebrandt explained that the sustainable garden is used for research and as a learning tool for students who are in agricultural studies. The garden is filled with different types of plants, including fruits and vegetables. Hildebrandt makes it a habit to check on these plants everyday and makes sure that they are getting the right amount of water and care that is needed, which he recommended for our own plants.
The event was spent showing the attendees how to properly plant lettuce and a small fruit tree. The purpose of this was to show that anybody could garden and be able to maintain their plants in a fun way.
Small Fruit Tree
Hildebrandt began his tutorial with planting the small fruit tree. He recommended that, when digging the hole for the plant, the dirt should be placed on a tarp, making the process of filling the hole easier. Hildebrandt gave steps on how to properly plant the tree.
1. Gently place the soil into the hole where the tree was planted
2. Cover the tree with the soil in the shape of a volcano
3. Fill with water and make sure the roots of the tree are showing
4. Water the plants at least three times to make sure they get the right amount of water
Small Lettuce Plant

Next, Hildebrandt showed the audience how to plant the lettuce. This procedure was much quicker than the previous one due to the fact that it was a much smaller plant and does not require many steps. Hildebrandt provided three main steps.

1. Make sure the dirt is moist and the hole is the right size for the plant

2. Gently remove the container from the lettuce and place the lettuce in the dirt with your hands

3. Water thoroughly and place the labels near the plants 

Hildebrandt also suggested that when planting smaller plants such as vegetables, it is important that the roots show. Also, if there are multiple plants, they must be around 12 inches apart to avoid any intertwining. 

Students can look to tour the garden and learn more about the plants by taking some of the agriculture classes that are offered throughout the semester. Staff council and Hildebrandt are also looking to host another plant gardening tutorial during the remainder of the spring semester or the beginning of summer.