Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Bibliography
I have compiled my bibliography of the sources that I used during this project. Now I have to write a commentary on the journey of researching for this project. I am interested to write this because I found some things to be extremely helpful. I am not to sure how it will turn into a paper about my research and my learning, but I am anxious to see how it turns out. I want to try and get it finished by tonight.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Ross Creagan
I sat down with Mr. Creagan today and talked to him about his experiences as a gardener. He was also able to give me a little advice about some of my plants and what to do to solve some of the problems I have encountered.
Mr. Creagan has been gardening for over 40 years now. Since he has started gardening he has had 4, 1/4 to 1/2 acre plots of land that he has used for gardening. He has always been organic. When he began gardening the USA was in a time that had placed a focus of green practices and organic foods. When he saw that organic gardening was rewarding as well as healthy, he was excited to grow almost all of his own food. His methods involve deep trenching, french intensive methods of planting, crop rotation and the idea of companion planting which pairs beneficial plants with each other to help them support one another. In the local ecosystem Mr. Creagan has been an integral part. He has brought many species of insects including praying mantis, lady bugs, and red worms to green spaces around Ithaca.
When I asked him if he could answer a few of my specific to my garden questions he was happy to help.
I have had problems with my tomatoes ever since I put them in the ground. He told me that he had never had much success with tomatoes but what he suggested was that the soil may be too cold. He said especially my variety, brandywine pink, likes to be hot. He suggested using black plastic to help insulate and warm the soil. He proposed another method which sounds interesting and may be an interesting experiment.
The method lays in the idea of waters high spcific heat. If you place a plastic moat around the tomato plant, when you fill the moat with water, the sun heats it and then when night falls it holds on to that heat and keeps the plant warmer through the night. It may be interesting to try both ways and see the difference it may cause.
I asked him what he found to be the best to grow in this area. He talked of the success of his greens. All kinds of lettuce, and other similar plants like spinach and kale. He mentioned ones that due well most any where including squash and zucchini. Beans he added were a helpful way to add nitrogen to the soil, and they are very hardy when it comes to standing up to the Ithaca climate. In general he said that the best plants to use are ones that can be planted early in the season and give fruit before it gets too hot, or plants that can go in the ground in august and have fruit before winter comes.
The thing I found most fascinating about this interview was the passion that mr. Creagan showed. He was eager to share everything he knew and what he had accomplished. This showed me that gardening is such an intense process and takes a strong love for your plants and for the earth to commit yourself to such an extensive pundertaking gardening is. When I left Mr. Creagan he said to me that gardening is his heart and soul. What I have seen in Mr. Creagan is true happiness.
Mr. Creagan has been gardening for over 40 years now. Since he has started gardening he has had 4, 1/4 to 1/2 acre plots of land that he has used for gardening. He has always been organic. When he began gardening the USA was in a time that had placed a focus of green practices and organic foods. When he saw that organic gardening was rewarding as well as healthy, he was excited to grow almost all of his own food. His methods involve deep trenching, french intensive methods of planting, crop rotation and the idea of companion planting which pairs beneficial plants with each other to help them support one another. In the local ecosystem Mr. Creagan has been an integral part. He has brought many species of insects including praying mantis, lady bugs, and red worms to green spaces around Ithaca.
When I asked him if he could answer a few of my specific to my garden questions he was happy to help.
I have had problems with my tomatoes ever since I put them in the ground. He told me that he had never had much success with tomatoes but what he suggested was that the soil may be too cold. He said especially my variety, brandywine pink, likes to be hot. He suggested using black plastic to help insulate and warm the soil. He proposed another method which sounds interesting and may be an interesting experiment.
The method lays in the idea of waters high spcific heat. If you place a plastic moat around the tomato plant, when you fill the moat with water, the sun heats it and then when night falls it holds on to that heat and keeps the plant warmer through the night. It may be interesting to try both ways and see the difference it may cause.
I asked him what he found to be the best to grow in this area. He talked of the success of his greens. All kinds of lettuce, and other similar plants like spinach and kale. He mentioned ones that due well most any where including squash and zucchini. Beans he added were a helpful way to add nitrogen to the soil, and they are very hardy when it comes to standing up to the Ithaca climate. In general he said that the best plants to use are ones that can be planted early in the season and give fruit before it gets too hot, or plants that can go in the ground in august and have fruit before winter comes.
The thing I found most fascinating about this interview was the passion that mr. Creagan showed. He was eager to share everything he knew and what he had accomplished. This showed me that gardening is such an intense process and takes a strong love for your plants and for the earth to commit yourself to such an extensive pundertaking gardening is. When I left Mr. Creagan he said to me that gardening is his heart and soul. What I have seen in Mr. Creagan is true happiness.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
In class 5/24
What do you know now that you didn't know in September?
Dear Future WISE Student,
This class began as a way to get away from normal English and try and explore something new, something I had wanted to learn about. Throughout the year I learned an awful lot about myself. I learned that I am far more shy than I thought I was. I thought I could go in to this and be self sufficient while completing this project. But I found through just working on the project and through my mentor that this process is not only about yourself, but being able to open up and accept help from others. My project was to plant a garden. It wasn't doing well, and not being a gardener myself I didn't know why. I realized that this needed outside help to be solved. I couldn't just hope that my garden would do well. For me this project has been about more than learning about gardening. But more so about learning to take the skills I have and apply them to a project. And if those do not suffice, having the ability to reach out and ask another to help. So when you embark on this journey, and it truly is that, you will find that it is not easy. And the only way to solve a problem you have come to a halt on is to seek out someone who may have the answer.
Dear Future WISE Student,
This class began as a way to get away from normal English and try and explore something new, something I had wanted to learn about. Throughout the year I learned an awful lot about myself. I learned that I am far more shy than I thought I was. I thought I could go in to this and be self sufficient while completing this project. But I found through just working on the project and through my mentor that this process is not only about yourself, but being able to open up and accept help from others. My project was to plant a garden. It wasn't doing well, and not being a gardener myself I didn't know why. I realized that this needed outside help to be solved. I couldn't just hope that my garden would do well. For me this project has been about more than learning about gardening. But more so about learning to take the skills I have and apply them to a project. And if those do not suffice, having the ability to reach out and ask another to help. So when you embark on this journey, and it truly is that, you will find that it is not easy. And the only way to solve a problem you have come to a halt on is to seek out someone who may have the answer.
Monday, May 23, 2011
2 weeks
I have been really busy this week with work now that I am back in the schedule and the next few weeks are going to be the same. But I want to lay out the last few weeks.
2 weeks plan:
-Turn compost. It has been getting a lot of rain and is quite wet. So I think if i add some new brown to the top then turn it, it will help to suck up some of that extra moisture.
-Talk to Mr. Creagan
-Go to Dryden
-Lay out work days for final papers. I want to get a sense of how long I need for each piece needed for the presentation and plan them out so that I am not rushed.
-Work out presentation delivery. I think I want to do a composting demonstration.
-See a few presentations. I want to attend a few more than the required two presentations to get a sense of how people are going about presenting and what works and what doesn't.
2 weeks plan:
-Turn compost. It has been getting a lot of rain and is quite wet. So I think if i add some new brown to the top then turn it, it will help to suck up some of that extra moisture.
-Talk to Mr. Creagan
-Go to Dryden
-Lay out work days for final papers. I want to get a sense of how long I need for each piece needed for the presentation and plan them out so that I am not rushed.
-Work out presentation delivery. I think I want to do a composting demonstration.
-See a few presentations. I want to attend a few more than the required two presentations to get a sense of how people are going about presenting and what works and what doesn't.
Interview and CSA
I talked with Mr. Creagan today and asked if we could get together and talk about gardening and composting. He sounded excited to share his knowledge and I am excited to see what he has to offer that I can use. He has been gardening for over 30 years so I assume that he will have some good advice and tips.
I wanted to go to the CSA owned by a teacher at IHS, Mrs. Sherman, and another couple in Dryden but didn't find time until the weekend and when I got online to see if they were open I found that they are only open on thursdays. So I am going to take a trip out there on thursday to see if they have any information or maybe to set up a personal visit with them to see the farm or just talk to them.
I wanted to go to the CSA owned by a teacher at IHS, Mrs. Sherman, and another couple in Dryden but didn't find time until the weekend and when I got online to see if they were open I found that they are only open on thursdays. So I am going to take a trip out there on thursday to see if they have any information or maybe to set up a personal visit with them to see the farm or just talk to them.
Plant Check Up
My plants are doing variably well. One of my zucchini plants is doing fantastic. It has grown so much since I put it in the ground and it is growing extremely fast it has quadrupled in size over the past week. My spinach is also doing very well. It has begun to show some little flowers. My tomatoes and lettuce on the other hand are not doing as well. They are smaller and seem to not be thriving. I am not sure why though. I am hoping to ask Mr. Creagan or the Shermans what they think the problem may be. I took some pictures but my phone is having some problems sending them so I will upload them later hopefully.
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