Tag Archives: Master Gardener

Mash and Stir the Garden Soil

Posted on by rhondacarrier

Plants need soil, so asking what type of soil is in the garden is the first question a gardener should ask. The following experiment done by the grade 5 science students, is based on the  Shake, Rattle and Roll experiment in the Junior Master Gardener Leader Handbook. Purpose: To identify the amounts of different sizes of soil particles that make up a soil’s texture in our school garden. Time: 20 minutes plus 24 hours to settle. Materials: clear plastic cups,  plastic spoon, soil, water, permanent marker (The book calls for jars, but I try to use the cheapest and safest materials possible. A clear plastic cup with a plastic spoon to stir worked very well instead of a jar but I knew our soil was very sandy. If the soil is mainly clay, then a jar with a lid so the soil can be thoroughly mixed and suspended in water would work better.) Procedure: Students worked in pairs to complete the following

  1. Use a permanent marker to label a cup so each group knows which cup belongs to which group.
  2. Dig about 6 inches into the soil for the soil sample. Do not take the soil from the surface. Half fill the plastic cup with soil.
  3. Add enough water to fill to within half an inch (1.25 cm) of the top of the cup.
  4. Stir carefully with the plastic spoon to thoroughly mix the water and soil. Mash lumps against the side or bottom of the cup, then stir again until the soil is completely suspended in the water.
  5. Place the cup on a solid surface. Do not disturb it for 1 minute.
  6. Use a permanent marker to mark the side of the cup where the layers are.
  7. Leave the cups for 24 hours without moving or disturbing it.
  8. Observe and measure any changes in the layers. Record the  results.
Observations
  • Particles floating on the top of the water are bits of organic matter.
  • The top layer of soil is clay, the smallest, lightest particles.
  • The next layer down is silt.
  • The bottom is sand, the largest and heaviest particles.
In the photo below, the clay layer is not visible. It was a very thin light tan colored layer on top of the darker silt layer.

Layers of Soil

Results: Each student created a graph comparing the different layers of soil particles. The graph below was done by a student in the class.

Depth of Layers of Soil

Conclusion: We discussed how knowing the particle size and soil texture would influence our decision about where to have a garden and what to grow in the garden.

Earth Day Experiment

Posted on by rhondacarrier

On Earth Day, the grade 5 science classes set up the following experiment using 3 bottle biology terraqua columns from earlier in the year. The experiment is based on a suggested activity, Polluting Your Planet, in the Junior Master Gardener Teacher Guide.

The bottle represented the Earth. Earth is a closed system that includes the following:

  1. atmosphere – the gases that surround the earth (the air around the plants)
  2. lithosphere – the solid part of the earth including the soil (the soil in the top part of the bottle)
  3. hydrosphere – the water on earth (the water in the soil and in the lower part of the bottle)
  4. biosphere – the living things on earth (the plants in the soil and in the water)

Purpose - To investigate the effects of pollutants on the biosphere.

Sample Prediction - from 2 students in the class.

Student 1

  1. salt water  - It will stay alive.
  2. oil – It will die.
  3. acid rain – It will die.

Student #2

  1. salt water – will affect the water under it. The plant will survive but it will kill the one on top
  2. oil – Death for all !!!
  3. acid rain – will burn the leaves and kill the plants

Materials

  1. 3 bottle terrarium – each with water and a plant in the lower section, a plant and soil in the top section
  2. salt solution (1 Tablespoon in 2 cups of water to represent incorrect fertilizer applications)
  3. oil (3 tablespoons of motor oil to represent pollutants from fossil fuels)
  4. vinegar solution ((half vinegar and half water to represent acid rain)
  5. plastic bags to seal each of the bottle containers.

Procedure

  1. Pour salt water solution on the soil in bottle #1.
  2. Pour oil on the soil in bottle #2.
  3. Spray vinegar and water solution on the plant and soil in bottle #3.
  4. Enclose the top of each bottle terraqua column with a plastic bag, so each bottle represents a closed system with atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere like the Earth. Seal the bag.
  5. We left the plants for 2 weeks and made observations at the end of the time.

Sample Student Observation - from the same 2 students.

Student #1

  1. Salt water – no effect on plant in the water but only a couple leaves left.
  2. Oil – The plant on the top is dying slowly but did not affect the plant in the water.
  3. Acid rain – Both plants are slowly dying.

Student #2

  1. salt water – it sucked up all the moisture from the leaves
  2. oil – leaves are losing their color and gradually falling off and dying
  3. acid rain - killed every thing!!!!!!!!!

Sample Student Conclusions - from the same 2 students.

Student #1: All liquids effect the out-of-water plants, but not all liquids effect the plant in the water.

Student #2: Pollution can kill every kind of plant, so do God’s will and stop polluting!!!!!

Earth Day Experiment

(See directions for building a bottle biology terraqua column.)

Compost Gardening Experiment

Posted on by rhondacarrier

In two posts, Make Compost Like Yoghurt and  Chicken Wire Compost Container, I described a compost method I am trying. The purpose is to set up a compost pile that matures quickly to be used as a vegetable garden base. The master gardener who recommended the method said to leave it for 3-4 months and then to plant vegetables directly in it. Although not all the hay was converted to compost, the mixture had matured with a rich layer of compost under the top layer of hay.  I added a small bag of purchased top soil, mixed it with the remaining hay and compost and planted two tomato plants. I left a layer of hay on the top to act as mulch.

Possible Problems: My concern is that there might still be enough active decomposition that the temperature could become too hot for the tomato plants. Although the plants are thriving, I’ll continue to monitor the temperature. Another concern is that there might be too much nitrogen for the tomato plants due to the rich compost. By adding the topsoil, I added structure to the mix to hold moisture, reduced the direct contact each plant has with the nitrogen in the compost while still providing the needed nutrients. The plants had nearly doubled in height in a week and have many flowers. Hopefully, we’ll have tomatoes soon.

tomato plants in compost pile

Florida Gardener Book List

Posted on by rhondacarrier

I’m excited. I attended the first master gardening class today and received a pile of reference books. These included:

Growing Camellias

Posted on by rhondacarrier

We moved from Kobe, Japan to Tampa, FL last June. Gardens in Japan are designed to highlight each season. Spring was my favorite season with its waves of camellias, cherry blossoms, azaleas and hydrangeas. I’m starting to plan a garden in Tampa and I’m looking for knowledge and inspiration to help me convert a lot full of weeds to a garden beautiful throughout the year. When I realized the Master Gardener topic at the Charles Fendig Library was on camellias, I joined the group to learn how to grow them in my Tampa garden.

Eileen Hart, Master Gardener and presenter, had a table covered with beautiful blooms to highlight her discussion of camellia history, use, insects and diseases, plus propagation of the plant. The cluster of stamen at the center of a camellia is a key characteristic, although there are variations. The formal double flowers, for instance, have a tight center of petals that hide the cluster of stamen. Camellia flower sizes vary, and colors range from white to pink to red.

The camellia is a short day plant, blooming when there is less than 12 hours of sunshine each day. When purchasing a camellia plant, Eileen advised determining when it will bloom, since different species bloom from November to March. It grows best in the understory of other plants, so provide another plant to shade it during the hottest part of the day. Eileen suggested fertilizing camellias with 2/10/10 fertilizer between Feb. – Mar and 12/4/8 in June to stimulate growth and blooms. An encouraging fact for those of us that lost plants to the freezing temperatures in Florida recently, is that the camellia can tolerate freezing temperatures for short periods. Some of the leaves and blooms may be lost due to frost, but if the plant is well established, the roots and stem should recover. Another environmental consideration is its water requirements. The plant can survive a drought, but it needs at least an inch of water each week to bloom. It does not tolerate having “wet feet”; that is it does not grow in waterlogged and poorly drained soil conditions.

I was reminded today that the camellia is not just beautiful, it also has economic importance.  Camellia sinensis is the basis for most types of tea with a history stretching back over 5,000 years. Green tea has significance to us since my husband and I took tea ceremony lessons while in Japan. I will think of Eileen’s presentation, and enjoy sipping Camellia sinensis, the next time my husband makes me a bowl of tea.

I will carefully tend the seedling that I received from Eileen today. Hopefully it will develop into a full blooming camellia bush in my garden in a few years.