WEEK 14 BLOG POST

Prior to these weeks lecture, I was worried about how much plants would thrive through the winter. In the beginning of this class, I remember Dr. Nunez choosing certain plants that he knew would do well during our growing time, so I understood that colder temperatures would not be favorable for all of the plants. However, this lecture introduced me to protective structures such as high and low tunnels which are affordable for a college student like myself. The greenhouses we learned about were also very cool and I hope to be able to have one one day, but for now the tunnels will do the job. I plan to transplant all of my plants at the end of the semester to the space for horticultural club members. This means that I will need to use the tunnels to protect my plants and veggies from the low temperatures. All this would require of my is plastic and pipes that I can easily stick in the ground. Also, since we are heading into the winter, I can start planting some plants that actually thrive in the winter such as broccoli and cauliflower. I look forward to using protective strategies this winter to keep my plants healthy! I am hoping that my garden evaluation shows how well I have taken care of my garden.

Week 14

Recently, my housemates and I have begun composting. We started about a month ago and so far it has been an educational experience. I have been learning which things can and cannot be composted. I have also come to realize just how much food I was throwing away that could have been put to better use. Almost every time I cook I have food scraps that I am not putting in the compost bin to be used as fertilizer later. Whether it is the head of a pepper, the peel of an orange or an apple core, it feels good knowing that I am not simply wasting food that can be put to greater use. Even paper towels that I use in the kitchen are able to be composted. So far, the challenge has been reprogramming my mind to remember to put scraps in the compost bin rather than the trash. I live with 24 other girls, so the impact we are able to make more significant than if I was just composting on my own. I am grateful that I was introduced to composting and that I am about to make something productive out of what used to be considered waste to me.

Week 12

This week I was extremely happy to see the growth of my garden. I came back, and I had a pepper that was almost fully grown and there were some that were beginning to grow as well. I am hoping to be able to harvest the pepper next week. I also noticed that an eggplant was beginning to grow for the first time. My bok choy was doing extremely well and looked very healthy. Now I am sure that I will be able to harvest some of my veggies in time for Thanksgiving so I can share it with my family. I did, however, noticed that there was an increased amount of bugs in the garden. I noticed some on my plants, but I also got bit by many of them. This could be due to the time change. Other than that, I maintained my garden by pulling the weeds. It is still sometimes difficult to differentiate between some plants and weeds. Nonetheless, I was able to clear my garden of the weeds so that that do not continue to take fertilizer from my plants that need it. I also laid hay down to try and prevent the weeds from continuing growing. I am hopeful that my garden will be producing many vegetables in the weeks to come!

Week 11

This week was a great opportunity to learn about organic gardening. I was able to use some organic fertilizer in my garden and I am excited to see how it helps my garden. So far, organic gardening has been everything I imagined it to be. Although, I will say that gardening with chemicals has proven to not be as harmful as I previously thought. Before taking this class, I had negative thoughts about gardening with chemicals, however after hearing Professor Nunez talk about how chemicals are not as harmful as they are made out to be, my thoughts have changed. There are still more things that’d I’d like to learn about organic gardening because while chemicals may not be harmful, it is likely that there are pros and cons to each one. If I knew more about it, I would be able to make an informed decision about which one I would use in my garden. Right now, in my garden there are organic fertilizers which I appreciate because without knowing the full pros and cons of each, I would prefer to start with organic. Overall, organic gardening has gone well and I am looking forward to continue using it. 

Week 10

This week I noticed that there were some small holes in some of my plants, particularly my eggplant. This made me wonder if bugs had gotten into my garden and began chewing away at some of the plants. For this reason, it is important that I have pest control in my garden. This week, I was able to plant a few new plants. I made sure to use compost for their optimum growth rather than planting them in regular dirt. I also added fertilizer to each of the new plants to aid in their growth. This was the last week of planting in the class, so I am hoping that all of the plants I currently have are solid and will continue growing. It is my hope that many of them will be ready to harvest by Thanksgiving so I can use them in preparing thanksgiving dinner with my family. For the plants that are not going to be ready, I plan on transplanting them to another plot of land. I am interested in joining the horticultural club so I can have a permanent space in the garden. So far all of the plants are looking pretty good and I continue to look forward to harvesting more vegetables. 

Week 9

This week I got to harvest my first vegetable! A few weeks back I planted radishes and this past week, I noticed that one of them was growing and the red vegetable was poking out of the ground. When I saw it, I was extremely happy and honestly kind of shocked that it worked since this is my first time growing food. The radish was very small but it was still awesome. Unfortunately, I left the radish on a shelf in my kitchen for a few days and it shriveled up. Next time, I think it will help to put it in the refrigerator.  I also put together my hydroponics system and planted kale in the system. This is also my first time creating a hydroponics system so I am excited to learn about it in practice and see if I can get my kale to grow big and yummy! I have not yet watered it, but now that I think of it, I will do it today. Currently, I have my hydroponics system outside by the side of my house where it can get plenty of sunlight to stay strong. I am thoroughly enjoying how much I am learning in this class and cannot wait to continue harvesting more veggies.

Week 8

I have not yet harvested my own food, but I am anticipating the moment that I do. I will feel a sense of pride as bring vegetables that I grew from my garden to my kitchen. This will be my first time harvest any vegetables, so I am sure I will be very excited. Already, this week in the garden I was excited to see the growth of my plants. Most notably, my onions were doing fantastic! The last time I saw them, they were just stubs. Now they are sprouting and have grown quite tall. I cannot wait for the day where I can harvest them. I am hopeful that most of my plants will be successful and I will be able to harvest them. This week I pulled all of the weeds out of my garden and laid down hay to try and prevent them from growing so quickly in the future. I also planted collards, brussel sprouts and broccoli, all of which I am anticipating harvesting. Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I am hoping that I will be able to use some of the vegetables from my garden for cooking at thanksgiving. It will be awesome to be able to say I grew the food that everyone is enjoying!

Week 7

This week it rained immediately as we got into the garden, so unfortunately I was not able to check on my plants to see the progress of the germination. I wish it had not rained because I wanted to see how much my plants had grown, since I was unable to attend class the previous week. I plan to stop by the garden so that I can check on my plants and see if germination has begun. I also know that I have a few things to catch up on in the garden such as pulling weeds and putting down the hay to prevent them from growing again. I believe I also need to tie bamboo to some of my transplants. When I go to my garden later today, I hope to see that my transplants are strong and the seeds are beginning to sprout. I am really looking forward to this process of caring for the plant and  then seeing the end result and harvesting the vegetables. I am already learning so much hands on about gardening and I am happy I can continue practicing and learning each class. I hope to use this knowledge to scale my gardening and plant even more vegetables to be able to feed the people around me.

Week 6

Gardening is the art of maximizing photosynthesis in our plants. I am not sure who the original author of this quote was, but I had to read this quote a second time to begin to understand it. I believe that the quote has much truth to it. Many plants grow naturally, however when humans insert themselves to produce certain plants at certain rates, it becomes gardening. To me, this is not a bad thing as it is increasing vegetation for our population and allowing us to feed as many people as we do. In general, gardening is great, but I do begin to question things such as cross-breeding with plants simple because it is not natural. For example, broccoli and cauliflower are two vegetables that are not natural, rather they are man made. This makes me question the health of these plants and eat them less confidently. I do not know much about cross-breeding and hybrid plants, but I would learn to love more. Additionally, this class has been going well. I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about vegetable gardening in the class and in the field. I have even enjoyed pulling the weeds to make sure my plants flourish and my garden is beautiful.

Week 5

I have told EVERYONE about my gardening class. I think it is so cool that UF offers this class so I tell everyone about it. Last week, I showed some of friends a video of my garden so they could see what I was growing. They thought it was nice, and they liked my sign. Today, when I was at my brother's house I pointed to the plant on his table and said “That’s a bonsai tree! I learned that in my vegetable gardening class.” He thought it was cool that I was taking that. When I told one of my friends about it, she thought it was awesome and wanted to join, however it conflicted with her schedule. I wish more students could take this class as it teaches important skills. When I tell others about it they usually say “vegetable gardening?” and chuckle, asking if it is a real class. I explain that it is one credit and it is a practical course focused on applied knowledge. A common question I get from my friends is if I get to keep the food that I harvest. I cannot wait to harvest my vegetables and share it with my friends just like I share my excitement for this class with them.

Week 4

This week was the start of something new and exciting for me. For the first time ever, I have begun growing my own food. I believe that growing food yourself, is one of the most important ways to move to self sufficiency and sustainability. Being able to tend to my own section of land, and choose which vegetables to plant felt so surreal. This week I planted peppers, squash, eggplant, squash and radishes. I have actually never eaten a radish so it is cool to think that the first radish I have will come straight from my garden. I am excited to learn from experience throughout this semester as I figure out how to maintain a garden and harvest crops. My hope is that I can use this knowledge and experience to regularly grow my own vegetables that I can use in my kitchen. 

This week, I learned that any plant can be replanted using cuttings. I thought this could only be done with certain plants, but now I understand that it is simple and can be done with any plant. Knowing this, I will use more cuttings in my own garden because I think it is an inexpensive way to expand your own garden. I also learned from Professor Nunez that there are plant exchanges which sound interesting to go attend. 

Week 2

I am beyond excited to be in this vegetable gardening class. I have always admired people who could grow their own food as it is such a practical skill to have. My goal is to be able to grow my own food that I can go directly to my kitchen and be shared with my loved ones. I believe this class will teach me the fundamentals of vegetable gardening and give me hands on experience in the garden. I expect to learn which crops are best in certain seasons, how to properly plant a vegetable, how to adequately care for the plant, and how to harvest the vegetables at the end of the process. I also expect to make mistakes in the garden that I can learn from. I have never grown my own food, so this will be a new experience for me. I used to volunteer in a local community garden, but most of my work involved maintaining a clear garden by pulling weeds, or putting mulch down. I have not yet experienced the full process of growing food, so I am looking forward to the skills I will acquire in this class which will be useful as I grow my own food.