Let it grow!
We just wrapped up our First unit in Food, we talked about many topics, such as the nutrient cycle (not the food chain), and volume and area. We visited PLANT Chicago to learn about mushrooms and how they grow. In this lesson, we also learned new words such as heterotrophs (omnivores), autotrophs (make their own food), and saprotrophs (decomposers and scavengers).
Now, I had to put my knowledge to the test and design my own garden. So I found a nice little spot in my front of my families store.
The first thing to calculate is the area of my garden bed. It's a simple rectangle, so the area is A = 72 x 24 = 1728 square inches. The volume is 72 x 24 x 2 = 3456 square inches. Lastly, I wanted to weigh the soil, so I weighed a small amount in a cup (which was 5 cubic inches). That weighed 1 ounce, so 3456/5 = 691.2, so my garden needs 691.2 ounces of soil
Now I have to choose plants to grow in my garden, so I have chosen to grow some flowers, which are annual plants, or plants that only grow for one year. I want to plant Snapdragon, Pansy, and Calendula Then there are the perennial plants, so I only have to plant them once. Some herbs are perennials, so I'm going to plant some Russian Sage, common sage, and English Lavender.
I tested the macronutrient levels in my soil. The three primary macronutrients, nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, are crucial for plant health. I found that my soil had low levels of phosphorus and a high level of potassium, and it had no nitrogen. So, that means I'll need to plant clovers in my garden to increase nitrogen in the soil. The annuals really like the sun, so it would be best to plant them in May. Perennials like to grow during the spring and fall. Clovers can grow in the cold, so it would be good to plant them in September.
In conclusion, I enjoy gardening. I might make this garden idea into a reality, just to see if it would work. If it does work, I will update the blog with some pictures of the successful garden. I would compare this garden to the methods of Ron Finley because this garden will be in from of the store that my parents work in, so that means that it is public. If someone needs to smell the soothing scent of sage, they are able to.
