We should've thought of this before
WELCOME TO OUR GARDEN BLOG
Tuesday, 20 May 2014
Monday, 19 May 2014
Tuesday, 13 May 2014
Diagram
could paint a diagram of a flower on one of the walls
of our outdoor classroom.
Monday, 12 May 2014
Our Experiments!
Today Mr.Curtin picked seven people to do some experiments!
We did them to find out what would make a plant grow faster.
We did two experiments one, where we put cut up pieces of a banana
skin and put them in the soil.The second experiment was when we
mixed hydro-gel with soil!
First we got a clean nappy and filled it to the brim with water.
Once we had filled it up we then tore it apart to get to the hydro-gel
inside.We then scooped it up and put it into to bowls.when we had taken every
piece of hydro-gel out Nicole and Eve carried it down to the staff room
and placed it into the fridge .
When the hydro-gel was ready Mr.Curtin picked seven people to
carry out the experiments. Once he had picked the seven he then
put us in groups of two and a group of three . He gave each group two
plant pots in one we put the hydro-gel and soil with of coarse the seeds!
In the other we put cut up pieces of a banana peel on the sides of the
pot .
We then left them on the windowsill of an emty room .
Now the only thing left to do is to wait and see!
Sunday, 11 May 2014
More random facts
You can tell the temperature outside by listening to a cricket!. Count the number of chirps in 15 seconds, then add 37. The sum will be the approximation of temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. The male cricket does most of the singing by rubbing his wings together, usually to attract a female, but often to sound an alert when danger is near.
Thursday, 8 May 2014
4 ways to test soils PH
Method 1 of 4: Testing Soil pH with a Commercial Test Probe.
1. Dig a small hole in the soil.
Use a spade to dig a hole 3-5 centimeter deep. Break up the soil
within the hole and remove any twigs or foreign debris.
2. Fill the hole with water. Use
distilled (not spring) water. You can find this in your local pharmacy. Rainwater
is slightly acidic , and bottled or tap water tends to be slightly alkaline. Fill
the hole until you have a muddy pool at the bottom.
3. Insert the test probe into the
mud. Make sure your tester is clean and calibrated (for a more exact
measurement). Wipe the probe with a tissue or clean cloth, and insert it into
the mud.
4. Hold it there for 60 seconds
and take a reading. PH is usually measured on a scale of 1-14, though the
tester may not include this entire range.
•A pH of 7 indicates neutral soil.
•A pH above 7 indicates alkaline
soil.
•A pH below 7 indicates acidic
soil.
5. Take several measurements in
different spots in the garden. A single reading may be abnormal, so it's good
to get an idea of the average pH in a plot. If they're all around the same,
take the average and amend the soil accordingly. If one spot is very different
than the rest, however, you may need to "spot treat" it.
Method 2 of 4: Testing Soil pH
Using Red Cabbage
1. Take a head of red cabbage and
finely chop it using a knife or food processor. The solution created from the
cabbage juice will change colour depending on the pH of what it comes in
contact with.
2. Heat distilled water until
boiling. Using pure distilled water will give an accurate pH test result.
3. Add the chopped red cabbage to
the boiling distilled water. Allow it to soak for about ten minutes and then
drain the solid pieces out, leaving a violet hued juice. This juice should have
a neutral pH of about 7.
4. Test the cabbage juice. Pour a
small amount into two separate cups, and add vinegar to one cup and baking soda
to the other. Vinegar is acidic, and should turn the solution hot pink. The
baking soda solution is alkaline and will turn blue or green.
5. Test your soil. Pour a few
inches of the cabbage juice into a clean cup and add one to two spoonful of
soil. Wait thirty minutes, and check the colour of the solution. •Purple or
violet is a pH near 7, neutral.
•Pink means the soil is acidic
with a pH between 1 and 7. The more acidic the soil is, the brighter the pink
will be.
•Blue or green is a pH between 8
and 14, alkaline. The brighter green the juice is, the more alkaline it is.
Method 3 of 4: Testing Soil pH
Using Vinegar and Baking Soda
1. Take a cup of soil from your
garden. Put a few spoonful of it into two separate containers.
2. Add vinegar to one container.
If it fizzes, it means your soil is alkaline. In that case, you do not need to
proceed to the next step.
3. Add water to the other
container of soil. You want enough that it becomes very wet and muddy. Pour
baking soda into this cup; if it fizzes, it means your soil is acidic.
4. Check both soil samples again.
If neither sample began fizzing, it means you probably have a neutral pH of 7.
This is good, as this is the pH most plants need to grow in.
Method 4 of 4: Changing Your Soil
pH
1. Make your soil less acidic. If
your soil pH tested below 7, add lime or wood ash to the soil. Both are
available at local gardening centres.
2. Make your soil less alkaline.
If your soil pH tested above 7, add organic matter such as pine needles, peat
moss, or decomposed tree leaves.
3. Change your soil pH to suit
specific plants. For example, add wood ash to a certain area of your garden to
endorse the growth of hydrangeas which prefer more alkaline soil. The pH of
your soil does not need to be uniform your entire garden over; feel free to
alter it to support different plants.
Random facts
Ancient Egyptian laborers ate onions to give them strength while building the pyramids!
How to adjust soils PH
Method 1 of 2: Increase the pH
1. Add a lime source to make the soil less acidic.
2. Select your lime source depending on the needs of your
plant. Some lime sources contain micronutrients like dolomite, which is a
mixture of calcium and magnesium carbonates. Wood ashes also provide lime with
the addition of other micronutrients including potassium, phosphate, boron and
other elements. Standard lime comes in 4 types of ground limestone forms:
pulverized, hydrated, granules and pellets.
3. Apply the liming source 2 to 3 months before planting
(usually in the autumn or winter) so there is plenty of time for the pH to
change.
4. Mix the lime thoroughly into the soil because most liming
sources are not very water-soluble.
5. Water the soil regularly after adding the lime. Water
activates the lime source to reduce acidity.
Method 2 of 2: Decrease the pH
1. Add sulphur or aluminium sulphate to the soil to make it
more acidic. Both supplements are found at most garden supply stores.
2. Make an immediate decrease in the soil pH by adding
aluminium sulphate, which produces instant acidity due to the aluminium content.
3. Increase the soil's acidity slowly by using sulphur.
Sulphur works in combination with the soil's moisture, temperature and bacteria
to lower the soil ph.
4. combined the sulphur or aluminium sulphate into the soil
thoroughly.
5. Wash the sulphur or aluminium sulphate off any plant
leaves that it comes in contact with to avoid burning the plant.
How to prepare soil for a Garden
1. Choose a location with the essential supplies for the
plants you plan to grow. Normally, this will mean exposure to direct sunlight
for a minimum of 6 hours each day, and adequate drainage to keep the soil from
becoming waterlogged. Also consider possible pests that may visit your garden
and help themselves, it might be better to work within a fenced area.
2. Sample the soil material. Basic soils can be sand, sandy
loam, loam, loamy clay, and clay. The clay soils do not drain well, and will
need loam, sand, or other amendments to allow excess water to drain from them.
Sandy soil allows too much water to drain, and will need to be heavily
composted or fortified with clay or good topsoil. Garden supply stores can test
the soil pH, or acidity, and may recommend adding lime or sulphur to adjust the
acid level you specific plants require.
3. Plan the garden layout, allowing room for plants to
spread out, vine, or bush as they mature. Watermelons, cucumbers, and squash
require lots of space, where onions, radishes, and beets can be grown in
smaller spaces. Give yourself room to work, and room for the plants to grow.
4. Strip off the overgrowth from your plot, removing weeds,
grasses, and other materials to the clean ground. These can go to the compost
pile for later use, but shouldn't be incorporated until they have composted.
5. Turn the soil using a shovel or motor driven rotary
tiller as deep as you can. Remember, the roots of your plants will extend deep
in the ground to find nutrients and moisture, and by digging or tilling, you
loosen the material so they can do so. Remove any large stones or rocks as you
work, along with any roots or debris you encounter. You may need to make more
than one pass to break up very compacted soils.
6. Add soil amendments, you have determined you will need to
balance the PH of the soil and condition it to support good plant growth. This
may mean adding compost or topsoil to sand, or sand to heavy clay, and because
this varies so greatly from area to area, it may help to talk to a local
gardener or county extension agent for advice. Dig or till the garden again to
mix in the amendments, as necessary.
7. Smooth the soil with a rake, evening out low and high spots.
8. Fertilize the soil based on plant needs. Too much
nitrogen can cause wonderful foliage, but no fruit, and this is not the normal
goal of the home gardener
9. Turn the soil and mix it thoroughly one more time after
all amendments have been added. Allow the soil to rest for several days, and
keep it moist if possible, before planting.
10. Install fences for climbing plants, raise beds where
they are helpful, lay out your rows...and plant.
Wednesday, 7 May 2014
Kill Your Slugs With Beer
Do you hate slugs and snails.
Then beer is for you!
Slugs and snails are naturally attracted to beer, well who isn't?..
They are naturally attracted to beer, but what they don't know is that it will kill them. Slugs and snails do not actually drink the beer at all. They are attracted to the yeast in the beer which they quickly venture towards, like if they have seen Megan Fox. What they do not know though is that once they crawl into the bowl of beer that you have placed in your garden, they cannot get out without fighting for their slimy lives. After crawling into the bowl the alcohol their body get destroyed and they will no longer be a threat to your garden!
Then beer is for you!
Slugs and snails are naturally attracted to beer, well who isn't?..
They are naturally attracted to beer, but what they don't know is that it will kill them. Slugs and snails do not actually drink the beer at all. They are attracted to the yeast in the beer which they quickly venture towards, like if they have seen Megan Fox. What they do not know though is that once they crawl into the bowl of beer that you have placed in your garden, they cannot get out without fighting for their slimy lives. After crawling into the bowl the alcohol their body get destroyed and they will no longer be a threat to your garden!
Tuesday, 6 May 2014
Friday, 2 May 2014
I made some drawings of cool things we can put in the garden. I made a plan for a revolving pencil sharpener shaped door. It has a pencil centre and when you use the door, the pencil will rotate and make a sharpener noise!
I also designed a water fountain which would travel around the edge of the garden. It has a pipe system that will recycle the water. This would be useful with the water charges coming next year!
I would love a fish pond or tank in the garden. I designed a shark shaped ground aquarium which has a very hard layer of glass which children could stand on and watch the fish. I look up online and found that Koi fish are best suited to outdoor ponds.
Thursday, 1 May 2014
Flower
Made with Silk Paints App - http://silk-paints.com/
This is a flower that I made using weave silk. It took me about thirty try's but I finally got it wright I hope you liked it.
Paddy Madden
http://schoolearthed.ie/paddys-school-garden/video-dec-bird-bath.html
This is a link to a video by Paddy Madden.He has lots of great video so I hope you enjoy it. bye
http://thelittlepaceschoolgardenproject.blogspot.ie/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)