Weeks 3-5: October 3-14 - Worm Composting


     The three things I found most interesting after reading this article is that first of all, when using the compost excess liquid will leak to the bottom, so it is good to have a bottom tray to save this because you can use the liquid as a plant fertilizer! This is good to know because instead of just throwing it away and wasting it you can avoid having to buy plant fertilizer. Something else I found interesting is that the compost can actually be used indoors and outdoors. So when it's cold outside you can use it indoors, and for the summer it can be left outside to provide a warm moist environment for the worms and bacteria to develop the compost. The compost also just smells like rich earth, which is very useful when it is indoors because you don't want a bad smelling compost in your house. The third thing I found most interesting from the article is that there are different types of worms that will thrive more in the compost bin. The two types of earthworms best suited are Eisenia foetida and Lumbricus rubellus. It also said that large dew worms wont survive. Something I would like to look for in the compost is if we can use worms in it to help develop the compost, although there would have to be a cover to provide darkness for the worms. A question I have remaining after reading the article is if wood is used in the compost for the worms because it is a better insulator, does is eventually rot and have to be replaced?

 Weeks 3-5: October 3-14 - How To Make Leaf Mould


   After watching this video the three things I found most interesting was that first of all, different types of leaves take longer to decay and therefore effect the compost. I also found it interesting that bone meal can increase the levels of nitrogen which will help it decay. The third thing I found most interesting was that it takes a whole year for the leaf mould to be fully usable for compost. Something I would like to look for in the garden is one; the state of decay of our leafs and see if they could use bone meal, and second of all the different types of trees around our compost bin and wether they are prime for creating leaf mould or not.

Weeks 3-5: October 3-14 Bokashi Fermentation The three most interesting facts that I found from this article and video are that Bokashi is not technically composting, but an anaerobic fermentation process and creates a very different product than regular composting. I also found it interesting that in Bokashi composting you can actually use dairy products and proteins as opposed to a standard composting system. Another element I found interesting is that in the style of Bokashi composting you need Bokashi mix that makes all the difference. Something I would like to look at in the garden in the future is the effect of regular compost and Bokashi compost has on the soil (if we end up using both). A question I have after reading the article is what is it from the water, wheat bran, molasses, and liquid microbial inoculum in the Bokashi mix that makes such a huge difference in the outcome compared to regular compost?

Weeks 3-5: October 3-14 General Composting Tricks for the North Shore I found this article very useful and interesting because I have a compost bin of my own at home, but I am still learning how to fully maintain it. The video was a very good way to give the main points and the article underneath gave more information and explanation. The three things that I found most interesting were first of all, that fresh green products mean they are carbon rich, and brown decomposed products are nitrogen rich. I also found it crazy and interesting that a single household can compost over 500 kg of kitchen scraps, low-quality papers and yard trimmings per year, resulting in over 100 kg of free fertilizer! The third most interesting fact I found was that almost two-thirds of North Shore households compost their organics, keeping almost 9,000 tonnes from curbside collection for disposal. But still, 25% of the 24,000 tonnes of garbage picked up from North Shore houses could be backyard composted. Something I will try to look for is in the compost bin that we put near the front entrance of the school. I will check to see that there are substantial air pockets present to promote the development of bacteria and to see that there is a good mix of nitrogenous material and carbon rich materials. A question I have is how well does a covered compost bin that doesn't allow sun light in work compared to the mesh one we have at school?

 Weeks 2-4: September 20-30, Weekly Reading #4 -  CURRENT EVENT: WILL THE CANADIAN WHEAT BOARD BE DISMANTLED? I found the most interesting elements in this article to be, one, that throughout the article it is stressed how important the issue is, and then the irony is that Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Gerry Ritz couldn’t even be there for the meeting and had to send a representative. Another thing that I found interesting was that after the vote, the results showed 62% of wheat growers and 51% of barley growers wanted to keep their ability to manage the marketing of their own grain through the Canadian Wheat Board and 56% of eligible farmers voted in the plebiscite. I also found it interesting a quote that Jack Wilkinson said; "there are vast qualities of fertile land in the world, including in parts of Africa that are not being farmed, or are being farmed badly. The world is doing a very poor job of addressing drought and famine, choosing to react with food aid rather than spur local agricultural production." I found this interesting because the way the statement is generally put together is very appealing, and also the point he made about how we are leaving perfectly fertile land unused or damaging it because of our ignorance of the care it needs. He also said “there are enough calories to feed the entire world and we are failing to do so.” I cannot necessarily use anything I learned from this article to look for in the garden or apiary, but will try and be less wasteful and not allowing foods to spoil so quickly and taking the food I have for granted. A question that remains after reading this article is, because the article didn't necessarily explain the reasoning behind it, why doesn't The Wheat Board allow farmers to decide who to sell to?

Weeks 2-4: September 20-30.


#2 Weekly Reading - Growing Garlic 

I am actually currently growing garlic in both the garden at school and my garden at home, so this article was very useful to read. The  first most interesting detail I found was how crucial the soil is for growing garlic. The soil should be deep, and very well drained. Also it should be above 6.0. PH. I also found it weird and interesting that the garlic in my garden is fighting off a root rotting disease and stem and leaf diseases. The third thing I found interesting was that the way to tell when the plants are ready to harvest is when the foliage has died off. This is good to know because I’m not always sure when to harvest my vegetables and don’t want to harvest them too early. Next time I’m in the garden or working on my garden at home I will try and look for the foliage dying off on my garlic to tell if it is ready to harvest. A question remaining after reading this article is what creates such large bulbs like on the garlic we buy at stores compared to the small bulbs on home grown garlic?

Weeks 2-4: September 20-30.


#1 Weekly Reading - Planting Winter Crops


     After reading this article the three most interesting elements I found were first of all, the difference between winter harvesting and Overwintering. I thought at first that Overwintering meant that the conditions would be too harsh and cold for the plants and they wouldn't develop. Something else that was interesting was the different effects that vegetables have on the soil, for example Clover Crimson fixes nitrogen and controls erosion and attracts beneficial insects. The third thing that I found most interesting was the impact a raised bed can have on the success of your garden because they provide extra drainage and will warm up faster in the sunny periods, the latter being especially good for winter crops. Something I would like to try in the garden is follow the winter crop chart and plant a winter vegetable and see how well it does. A question I have from the reading is how effective poly tunnel, corrugated fiberglass, and heavy row covers are.