First the good news, we’ve begun harvesting our radishes. See how they pop out of the soil We’re also getting the first first of our mixed greens (arugula, tat soi, mizuna and mustard). When harvesting greens pick the outer leaves and let the inner ones continue growing. This way we can harvest over a longer […]
Monthly Archives: October 2007
Transplanting involves moving a plant from one place to another as well as planting seedlings that were started from seed at a different locale. The secret of successful transplanting is not to disturb the roots. Use a trowel (or hand shovel) for small plants and seedlings and a regular sized shovel for larger plants. First […]
Everything we planted with the exception of potatoes have germinated. As we observe our seedlings bursting forth notice how certain family members look similar. The following are from the Amaranthaceae family, the red seedling is a beet the other is swiss chard. For those growing peas be sure to set a trellis in place before […]
Now that our seeds have begun to germinate (yeah!) it is time to discuss thinning. Thinning is the term we use to mean the removal of some plants to make room for others to grow. If plants are overcrowded they will compete for light and moisture and appear spindly and weak. To demonstrate, place two […]
A germinator is any device that demonstrates the germination process. The following shows how to make one. Another germinator can be found here courtesy of RAFT (Resource Area for Teachers, www.raft.net)
Now that we’ve begun planting our seeds it is time to discuss germination. Germination is the process by which a seed breaks its dormancy, sprouts, and turns into a seedling. The best way to understand it is to observe it up close. In the classroom place some larger seeds like beans, pumpkins, peas or watermelon […]