Blog Post #3

Hey folks!

This was our second day out in the garden and the growth of our seedlings was already evident. Our pumpkins and corn were especially impressive in height. Today was all about planning as we created our map of the 25 x 25-foot plot we were given, which by the way, turned out to be a LOT of space for potential crops. 

The team quickly discovered that we'd need a lot more seeds than anticipated,  so we got right to work seeding and watering our new plants. We spent most of this day running around in the greenhouse and going back and forth trying to nail down the perfect sketch for our map. Figuring out the spacing between the crops and what side to plant them on took some time to figure out but in our final plan, we were expecting a bountiful harvest-especially in regards to our corn. By the end of our class time, all of our hands were covered in dirt. 

Thanks for tagging along! Don't miss next week's post when Poly (culture) Pocket gets our plants in the ground!

Photo captions (left to right, down to up):

1. Here are the finished seedlings that we have planted in the greenhouse. The young growth (including cotyledons) of many plants can already be seen a short time after initial planting of a seed. In this image, corn, peppers, pumpkin, and watermelon plants are present in their early stages of life.

2. Team members Daniel and Kensley water the newly planted seedlings that are to be used in each of the team’s plots. The greenhouse does not have a watering system, so it is important to ensure that someone comes in to water the seedlings on a regular basis.

3. “The plan” cutout: Our team’s plan for our farm plot. We hope to be able to grow a diverse polyculture in our plot. This will include a Three Sisters system, an indigenous American agricultural system, in which corn, squash, and beans are grown closely together to benefit from each other. We also plan to grow different varieties of tomatoes and peppers, as well as some onions and leafy greens.

4. Top right: Team members Kenlsey, Kyle, and Phillip work together to seed some new plants for our garden plot. Using the soil media in the greenhouse, they prepare trays to plant our corn, pepper, and tomato seeds. After planting, the seedlings will take a few weeks to grow large enough to be transferred into the field.