Help is on its Way

Today the class learned about scientists.  A scientist is curious, with a desire to find answers.  The young gardeners were scientists when they altered the ingredients in their bean plants and guessed what would happen.  Horticulturists are scientists who grow plants.  Some of our young gardeners might be horticulturists when they grow up.

Today was our last class of the season.  Everyone harvested what was ready to pick - over 5 pounds today.  This summer's total harvest was around 70 pounds of zucchini, peppers, onions, okra, beans, cucumbers and yellow squash. 

Garden N Grow 2013

Trading Traits

Today the young gardeners learned how plants develop new traits.  Want a better tasting carrot?  Breeding, selection, mutation and genetic engineering are all ways to alter the traits of a plant.  How about a purple pepper.  We grew them!

Purple Pepper

Rachel found a lacewing egg

Some of today's harvest
 

Morgan picked a cucumber

Friend Can You Spare a Tomato

We found more problems in the garden today.  These nymphs will grow up to be squash bugs.


Squash bug nymphs


This zucchini was healthy last week.  This looks like the work of a squash vine borer.

Even with the pest problems the young gardeners harvested over 17 pounds of produce to donate to a local food bank!

produce to donate

 

The class took their donation to Lutheran Ministries Food Bank, where they learned how food is distributed to people who need it.

 

After the field trip, everyone wrote thank you notes to some people who have helped the class.  They also made invitations for their parents to a Garden Party.

 

Sarah's invitation

 

What's It Worth?

Today the students learned the worth of the produce they are harvesting. We looked at sale ads from local newspapers, and determined the cost of our produce by weight or unit.   The math got a little tricky!

The gardens didn't need watering today, for the first time since our second week!  The plants look good, but our harvest has been low this year.  That is partly due to the weather, deer and other pests, and the squash we lost early to powdery mildew.  The zucchini and okra have done the best, and the young gardeners have pulled up several onions.

Corn in Three Sisters garden

Mr Winston showing something to Mariah and Rachel
 

The class painted picture frames to hold pictures of their gardens.  Then they worked on thank you notes.

Bountiful Harvest

We're finally getting some much needed rain!  It stopped drizzling long enough for the gardeners to harvest some onions, zuchini and peppers.  They decided to leave this sunburst zucchini until next time.

Sunburst Zucchini
 

Today we talked about different ways to use and preserve produce from the gardens.  Tammy Miller taught the class how to can salsa.  Everyone pitched in to mash tomatos and chop peppers and garlic.  All the students got to can their own jar of salsa to take home. 

Canning lesson

Mashing tomatos
 

There was enough left over to enjoy with chips.!

Enjoying our salsa!

 

What's Up Doc?

It's still hot and dry in the garden.  We've seen more insect and deer damage.

Checking for eggs

Marlin Bates, horticulture specialist, taught the young gardeners how to identify and diagnose normal and abnormal plant conditions.  They learned to define the symptoms and signs of plant problems, and to determine living (like insects and deer) and non-living (weather, soil conditions, chemicals)factors.

Looking for symptoms on this squash

Marin showing the class what to look for

Good, Bad and Beautiful Bugs

Today Ms Chris taught the class all about bugs!.  They started in the garden, where she identified lots of bugs, both good and bad.  Chris and the gardeners found bean beetles, lacewings, lady beetles - and the dreaded squash vine borer.

Bug patrol
 

looking at bug damage on a leaf

 The students learned the parts of an insect, and that you can tell a lot about a bug by the damage left behind.  Bugs have different types of mouth parts - some bugs chew, others pierce and suck. 

Bugs were hungry!

the parts of an insect

Zoning Out

Squash plant lost to bacterial wilt

The tomato is almost ready to harvest!

Examining a squash blossom

Everyone worked hard in the garden today!

Morgan's odd shaped pepper

Checking the plant catalogs

Making seed ball 'cookies'

Today's lesson was zones.  The gardeners looked at plant catalogs and chose plants they would like to grow in their gardens.  They paid attention to hardiness zones and growing seasons, and noted the cost of the plants.

Container Gardening

The lesson today was container gardening.  The students learned that controlling the soil content and fewer weeds are some of the benefits of container gardens.  Mr. Charles showed the gardeners how to make their own container gardens.  They all took home a container garden planted with lettuce.

Fruit or Veggie

It was hot and dry in the garden today.  The young gardeners found these squash bug eggs.  Several of the eight-ball zucchini squash plants have developed powdery mildew.

Squash bug eggs

Powdery Mildew on leaves

 Today's lesson was "Fruit or Veggie".  The students learned that many of the foods they know as vegetables are botanically fruit.  If it has seeds, it's a fruit.  Tomatos, squash, cucumbers - as well as apples, cantelope and peaches - all fruit!

After the lesson the gardeners painted picture frames to hold pictures of their gardens.

Mariah and Morgan painting picture frames

Landon's picture frame

Pistils, Petals and Other Parts

Today Lala Kumar taught the students all about the parts of a flower.  The lesson started in the garden and continured in the classroom.

Lala teaching the class about squash blossoms
 

Learning the parts of a flower

Miss Cass brought watermelon and cantelope flower "cookies" for snacks

 

Here are som of the plants we're growing

Burgundy Beans

Purple Bell Peppers

Sweet Banana Peppers

Okra