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

  On the first day of class we were given the syllabus, a tour of the teaching garden and greenhouse, as well as seeds and a seed starting tray.  The greenhouse was really interesting because of the temperature regulation system and the various plants and hydroponics.  I chose to plant watermelon, cucumbers, corn, pumpkins, and kohlrabi. I chose watermelon because I have never grown it before but it is one of my favorite fruits. Cucumbers and pumpkins were chosen because I like them and was interested in trying to grow some for the first time. Kohhlrabi I found interesting but I am actually not very familiar with it.  After the seeds were put away in the greenhouse, we were allowed to take some sunflowers so here is a  photo of them!