Question for the powers to be:

How and when will you decide who the “winners” are? Here is the reason I ask. If it will be in say a month, it might make sense to leave many plants in a pot to have the most mass at the end. If it will be in say three months, it might be better to leave only one plant per tiny pot, or they will all be dead. Thank you - rita.

PS- Ian, how did you get Pam to let you video her, do you know how much trouble she gives me when I want her to be my model? Good job!!!

Spicy!

Spicy! Spicy! Green gators today are rewarded with the fresh fragrant when they thinned our cilantro. We guess it might be even smellier when it grows bigger and starts to absorb Perdue or Miracle-Gro, which smells not so pleasant to us but should be sweet to cilantro and spinach.

Green gators are glad to see all their spinach have germinated at the 6th day after planted. Cilantro seems not to be in a hurry. There are only three ‘early birds’ headed out of their beds on Feb, 12. As our decent baby seedlings are ‘getting up’, Guiqing is thinking of giving them more to drink. It is true that the temperature is warming up. We don't want our cuties to be thirsty!

Video Blog entry: 02/16/09

TEAM NAME: "If I tell you then....We will have to kill you"
(Pam, Isaya, Luis, Ian)

As you all can see we have decided on a name...without Isaya's approval (sorry Isaya but that is what happens when you are in Gainesville). Today (02/16/09) we got our spinach and cilantro planted and it's looking like we are "Good to Go". At one point during our secret planting we did have a spy show up from one of the other teams......I won't say who...but she works for Dr. Pena and likes to drink tea....hmm mmmm....RITA...oops sorry.

baby spinach plants - so cute!!!

I'm a little worried, Tom wants to start harvesting his dinner salad already :)

Picture from Feb 4th

Greenhouse plant day - everyone is doing a great job getting media/fertilizer mixes into pots and testing irrigation systems.

Feb 4th

Big thanks to Teresa for the great lunch! Also - thanks to all groups for your effort. This is already so exciting! I have some good pics from today and will post them soon! Remember to keep a record of your irrigation usage by recording the water meter readings on a regular basis (such as weekly).

Two organic fertilizers

You can use one of following organic fertilizers for your planting:

1. Perdue organic fertilizer Producer:

• Perdue AgriRecycleN:P2O5:K2O: 4-2-3
• Derived from: Pasteurized and pelletized broiler poultry litter
• Retail price: ~$9 for 50lb bag
• Available: Some fertilizer distributors
• Application rate suggested on the label: none
• Our recommended rate: 80 gram/gal or 21g/L potting media for herbs

2. Miracle-Gro organic plant food for flowers & vegetables

• Producer: Scotts Miracle-Gro Products, Inc
• N:P2O5:K2O: 7-1-2
• Derived from: Pasteurized and pelletized poultry little and feather meal
• Retail price: ~$14 for 6lb bagAvailable: various home garden stores
• Application rate suggested on the label: 100gram/gal or 26 g/L potting media
• Our recommended rate: 46 gram/gal or 12 g/L potting media for herbs

February 4....Planting Day

Remember: Tomorrow, February 4, we are meeting to plant our seeds in the greenhouse at lunch time. Lunch will be provided. Hopefully everyone's irrigation is ready to go!

I have the peas for the hydroponic gh.
Pam the answer to your question - Plant one seed every two inches. Do not thin.
Other instructions: Plants perfrom best when supported by trellis. Support 2 rows at the same time by placing trellis between 2 rows and letting plants grow together.
Harvest (I'm I getting ahead?) when pods are filled out to encourage production.
When harvesting peas do not jerk pods from vines since rough handling can cause plants to stop producing. Best to snip clusters of pods from vines with scissors or pruners.
rita