Thinning the Seedlings

Today we were happy to see sprouts in almost every garden square. The rainy weather has been good for our gardens. Unfortunately, when you plant 2 seeds in one hole and both of them grow, only one can stay...

Gardening in Rainy Weather

Today we used the rainy weather to finish up some last-minute planting and add some fertilizer to our well-used soil. We are already seeing tiny plants popping through, even though they've been in the ground less than a week!

 Reuben dug out several inches of soil and placed garlic cloves in his square before covering them up again. He's agreed to patiently wait for the June garden harvest, knowing the rewards might be enjoyable! (He'll get to eat our garden food again next semester, unlike everyone else.)

Meanwhile, everyone else sprinkled  their squares with two kinds of fertilizer. We added a little organic blood meal for instant nitrogen to get our plants started, and we also added a small amount of slow-release fertilizer to be there as they grow. The rain should wash the fertilizer into the soil, so we hope this is perfect timing.

Fall Planting: September

Today we finished planting 4 Brussels sprouts seedlings, and the following seeds:

• onions
• radishes
• red cabbage
• Swiss chard
• kohlrabi
• lettuce (lots of kinds!)
• cauliflower
• bok choy
• carrots
• Asian greens
• cress
• spinach
• mustard greens
• beets

Uncovering the Gardens: August 2011

On August 29th we opened the gardens to see how they faired under the black plastic during the hot summer months.

 The bad news was that the weeds somehow found the tiniest spaces in which to grow.

The really good news is that some gardens were free from all weeds AND wire grass! That's a big improvement from previous years.

This rhinoceros beetle didn't survive the heat. Read more about it below:

Grants' Rhinoceros Beetle
(Dynastes granti)
by Jon Fouskaris & Orin McMonigle

ADULT MALES Specimen provided by US Insects. Photo taken by US Insects.

Grants' Rhinoceros Beetle is the longest of the US rhinoceros beetles with the record specimen at 85mm (3.25 inches)! It is a very impressive beetle with a heavy build. Females resemble monstrous spotted June beetles while the males look much more exotic and possess a horn on both the pronotum and head. The horns of the male are used in fighting over females and food. Smaller males can have very tiny horns although properly feeding larvae will produce all major males, like the captive-bred males pictured to the left. In the wild, Grants' Rhinoceros Beetles can be found out at night feeding on tree sap. In captivity, maintaining these beetles is much easier. Unlike many other invertebrates, Grants' Rhinoceros Beetles don't seem to get stressed out by being handled and gently played with by people. They also do not pose a threat to humans when bites and stings are concerned, therefore, these giant beetles make excellent pets! The Grants' Rhinoceros Beetle only lives for one or two years, but it's still an invertebrate worth keeping. They have been becoming more popular lately, and it is easy to see why. The Grants' Rhinoceros Beetle is a perfect combination of simple care, good temperament, and large size.