February 2014

There is snow on the ground, but the Garden N Grow team has already started preparations for this year's program!  Check back from time to time to see how our planning for this year is progressing.  Registration forms will be available soon - I'll post a link here.

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