Aiden's HOS1014 Garden Blog

 Class was skipped due to hurricane Helene but I went a couple days before and weeded and took a photo of the garden. 

 This week we added hay to the gardens to prevent weeds naturally by stopping sunlight from getting to the soil. I also added two cherry tomato plants from Professor Clark's class (with permission of course).  Key takeaways from the presentation on Direct Seeding, Transplants, and Cuttings: Direct seeding = for crops with sensitive root systems (such as nasturtiums, carrots, spinach, peas, beets, and snapdragons) and quick germination (such as radishes, beans, peas, turnips, and beets). Transplanting = more predictable results, more resistant to insect and other pests due to greater maturity, will mature sooner and give an earlier harvest. Cuttings = duplicates the plant, cut below the node and put in a special mixture. 

 This week was exciting because we could start transplanting the plants into the ground. Most of my plants were ready to be transplanted, but some did get to stay in the greenhouse for longer until they had better roots.  Photo of Kevin after learning why to not pull them straight out of the soil when transplanting. Main takeaways from the Seasons and Gardening Choices presentation: Cool season crops = 50 - 64 F Warm season crops = 64 - 86 F Gainesville plant hardiness zone = 9a

 The seeds are no longer just seeds! All the seeds have sprouted which is great to see. They will be left in the greenhouse until next week.   Key takeaways of the presentation on Plant Anatomy & Plant Families: Shoot = Above ground growth Root = below ground growth Vegetative organs = roots, stems, leaves Reproductive organs = flowers, fruits, seeds Easily & quickly produced = leaves, stems May take longer = roots