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.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Problems and this week
So it seems to me that my little plants seem to be less well off now that I have put compost down. It is kind of discouraging. I am not sure however, if my plants are unhappy or i am just impatient. One of the possibilities was that I am not watering them enough. i am hoping to see if they will be happier after the large amount of rain we are supposed to get. If they do turn up I may need to water them more than I have been.
I also found a weed that sprang up really quickly. I followed it's root down and I seems to be pretty old as the main root went at least 6 inches down. I am now wondering if weeds that had laid dormant under all of the bricks are going to pop up again, with a vengeance.
I am going to go out to the CSA in dryden sometime this week, hopefully when it is not pouring rain. I am nervous to see what they have as I am afraid that I may be doing things wrong. However I guess seeing what I am doing is wrong could be good in the long run.
I also found a weed that sprang up really quickly. I followed it's root down and I seems to be pretty old as the main root went at least 6 inches down. I am now wondering if weeds that had laid dormant under all of the bricks are going to pop up again, with a vengeance.
I am going to go out to the CSA in dryden sometime this week, hopefully when it is not pouring rain. I am nervous to see what they have as I am afraid that I may be doing things wrong. However I guess seeing what I am doing is wrong could be good in the long run.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Checking some things off the to do list
My plants seem to be doing okay and are enjoying the sun. I placed a bunch of compost round each little mound where there are seedlings. I am a little worried about the amount of soil there is for the plants as they grow. I might buy some more soil and when the seedlings are strong enough i may pull the, up and lay for topsoil to ensure they have enough room to grow. Also the compost seems to be coming along well and I plan to add some of the old compost to the new compost to help it along.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
2 Week Plan
Here is my plan for the next two weeks:
-Continue Building Compost (In progress, some old compost has been transfered to new compost to help with the beginning processes of composting.)
-Talk to Mr. Creagan or another teacher about gardening or local gardening
-Grow plants and separate them once there are healthy plants, they are clumped in groups now (This may take longer than two weeks.)
-Spread existing compost on garden (Done)
-Interview someone
-Go to Organic CSA in Dryden
-Continue Building Compost (In progress, some old compost has been transfered to new compost to help with the beginning processes of composting.)
-Talk to Mr. Creagan or another teacher about gardening or local gardening
-Grow plants and separate them once there are healthy plants, they are clumped in groups now (This may take longer than two weeks.)
-Spread existing compost on garden (Done)
-Interview someone
-Go to Organic CSA in Dryden
Plants
It's such a beautiful day I knew I had to get out and do some work. I planted my tomato seedlings and my pepper seedlings. My lettuce and spinach seem to be doing really well and are very happy with the weather. I want to plant some seeds straight in the soil to see how the two differ and see if having seedlings in the house changes how the two plants grow.
My compost is going well. I have three different houses contributing food scraps and some brush. I am excited to get it going, it looks like it is going to turn out really well.
My compost is going well. I have three different houses contributing food scraps and some brush. I am excited to get it going, it looks like it is going to turn out really well.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Regional Planting
This is a regional guide to planting vegetables in the northeast area, in the month of May. All of my plants, except for spinach which I know is a hardy vegetable, are on this list to either transplant in or directly sow in. I was unsure about whether they would survive but hopefully they will.
For some reason my citation isn't showing up. This info came from motherearthnews.com. I'll post a citation later.
Strawberries
-Allstar and Honeoye are some of the largest varieties
-They can be planted as soon as the soil is workable, but not if the soil is wet. I'll have to wait till later in the week.
-When first flowers appear, pick them off as it promotes long runners, and a large crop, the next season
-Should not be planted where peppers or tomatoes have been planted
-Most widely grown fruit in home gardens
-Strawberries have tons of pests and diseases
I may not plant strawberries, even though they are delicious and seem sort of resistant. I may wait a year to see how this crop goes and rearrange my plants to see if I can get better results, if need be.
"Growing Strawberries - Strawberries and More - University of Illinois Extension." University of Illinois Extension-Urban Programs Resource Network - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. University of Illinois. Web. 03 May 2011..
-They can be planted as soon as the soil is workable, but not if the soil is wet. I'll have to wait till later in the week.
-When first flowers appear, pick them off as it promotes long runners, and a large crop, the next season
-Should not be planted where peppers or tomatoes have been planted
-Most widely grown fruit in home gardens
-Strawberries have tons of pests and diseases
I may not plant strawberries, even though they are delicious and seem sort of resistant. I may wait a year to see how this crop goes and rearrange my plants to see if I can get better results, if need be.
"Growing Strawberries - Strawberries and More - University of Illinois Extension." University of Illinois Extension-Urban Programs Resource Network - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. University of Illinois. Web. 03 May 2011.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Compost Fair
I drove down the street behind cooperative extension and saw a huge mass of people walking down the street, and I thought to myself, "Are all of these people going to the compost fair?" While most of them were only walking down the road to follow the rubber ducks they had set free further upstream, a few of them stuck around.
There were a good 100 people there while I was there. Some were petting a huge rabbit, others were listening to the strange folk music being played across the parking lot. I quickly got the sense that this event was not only geared toward compost but children as well. There were games a plenty and a small petting zoo complete with ducks, chicks, and rabbits.
I began to walk around to the booths and found that a lot of things they had to offer were things I had already learned from the lecture, a couple weeks ago. The largest tent was being run by the people who gave the lecture. I found this was to be less of learning experience in the sense of compost and more of a learning about my community through this common thing.
When I was driving there I had assumed 30 or 40 people would be there but came to find that even with people coming and going, there were about 100 people there constantly. This gave me the opportunity to realize how much work our community is doing/ wants to do to contribute to helping to save our environment. I had always known that we were, "That Hippie Town", but this gave me a physical representation of what a bunch of hippies really want to get done. It gave me a sense of uplifting to see that some many people realized that even doing just a little can add to the cause so much.
So while I answered their four question quiz on compost building without a hitch, I learned that the compost has grown into something much larger than me in my backyard but has taken our whole community by storm.
There were a good 100 people there while I was there. Some were petting a huge rabbit, others were listening to the strange folk music being played across the parking lot. I quickly got the sense that this event was not only geared toward compost but children as well. There were games a plenty and a small petting zoo complete with ducks, chicks, and rabbits.
I began to walk around to the booths and found that a lot of things they had to offer were things I had already learned from the lecture, a couple weeks ago. The largest tent was being run by the people who gave the lecture. I found this was to be less of learning experience in the sense of compost and more of a learning about my community through this common thing.
When I was driving there I had assumed 30 or 40 people would be there but came to find that even with people coming and going, there were about 100 people there constantly. This gave me the opportunity to realize how much work our community is doing/ wants to do to contribute to helping to save our environment. I had always known that we were, "That Hippie Town", but this gave me a physical representation of what a bunch of hippies really want to get done. It gave me a sense of uplifting to see that some many people realized that even doing just a little can add to the cause so much.
So while I answered their four question quiz on compost building without a hitch, I learned that the compost has grown into something much larger than me in my backyard but has taken our whole community by storm.
Laying Compost
Our gardener made sure that I was going to put compost in the garden so I want to get that laid in as soon as possible, maybe tomorrow. I have to work around a fence. I might just take a piece of the fence off rather than going around to the door, and up stairs. The screws are pretty stripped so it may be a challenge.
My new compost pile has begun to take shape! I have a whole bunch of dead brown stuff from my neighbor, who did a bunch of yard work over the weekend, which made me very happy. So It is new but hopefully I will get some action started within the next 4-5 weeks. I am a little worried about the walls of the compost but they seem to be holding up for now. I may have to move some dirt in around the sides once it begins to grow to ensure the integrity of the walls.
My new compost pile has begun to take shape! I have a whole bunch of dead brown stuff from my neighbor, who did a bunch of yard work over the weekend, which made me very happy. So It is new but hopefully I will get some action started within the next 4-5 weeks. I am a little worried about the walls of the compost but they seem to be holding up for now. I may have to move some dirt in around the sides once it begins to grow to ensure the integrity of the walls.
Planting!
Although they are hard to see I have planted my spinach and my lettuce plants. I will post another picture when there is better lighting and when I have more plants in! I plan on getting them all in tomorrow. I think it will be warm enough for the rest of the plants to go in. Everything around seems to be springing up and the average temperature of each day and night seem to be relatively warm with out any unsafe drops in the temperature at night.
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