Worms, worms, worms

On the last winter interest learning day we talked about decomposition and how compost is made.  We also talked about the role worms play in breaking down organic waste and also their role in aerating the soil.  After reading a book about composting, everyone lent a hand in building a worm bin to compost food waste from the school.  After the bin was built, we enjoyed some time outside digging worms and made individual 'worm farms' in mason jars for each student to take home.

The kids are eager to get their hands on a worm.

Our finished worm bin.  Newspaper strips were soaked in water and wrung out and then the worms were placed on the 'bedding' with a bit of food waste buried inside.  The container is an 8 gallon plastic tub with holes drilled in the bottom for drainage and the top edge and lid for ventilation.

Another garden day!

Dexter is SO excited to see that his lettuce seeds have sprouted!

The start of sweet potato slips.  We placed the potatoes 1/3 of the way in water.  Soon they will grow vines from the eyes, called 'slips'.  The slips will be cut from the potato and set in water.  There they will grow roots.  From here we can plant them in the garden in late May and with good luck we will harvest the sweet potatoes in the fall!

Our lettuce seeding from week 1; some have started to sprout.

Our light rack where we are growing our projects since it is still so cold outside.  Light racks are a great way to get things started early as they provide heat, light, and protection from the elements.

Interest Learning Gardening Class Starts!

 We were very excited to start the NCCS Garden Class this past Friday.  Students got to choose one of the offered topics and 11 Primary and Early Elementary students chose the Gardening Class.  We learned what ingredients make up a good soil and then we got to mix our own potting soil.  Our focus was also on one part of the plant that we eat; leaves.  So we planted lettuce seeds and should see them come up by next Friday.  Stay tuned!

   Learning about ingredients that make good organic soil; fertilizers bloodmeal, greensand and rock phosphate mixed with peat moss, lime, perlite and compost.

 Planting lettuce seeds in our freshly mixed soil.

 Mixing it up and getting our hands dirty.

Learning to plant seeds.

Time to Order Seeds!

     

This is the time of year when the garden starts to come to life... on paper of course.  Time to plan out what will be grown and time to order the seeds that will make the garden come to fruition.  Here, you can see my three favorite places to order seeds from.  Johnny's Selected Seeds out of Maine has a great selection of cut flower varieties; this is where most of our seeds for the Cut Flower CSA will come from.  Fedco Seeds is also out of Maine and are so unique.  They are a true cooperative seed company.  They also have one of my favorite catalogs; black and white newsprint with hand drawn illustrations and very witty descriptions.  They make up for the lack of shiny photos with their whimsical prose.  And last, but not least is Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.  They are located in near-by Virgina, so their seeds are great for us here in Maryland as they are adapted more for our climate.  All of these companies have a great selection of organic and non GMO seeds for our gardens.

If you are looking for seeds, check out these great catalogs for a little garden inspiration.  We'll be well stocked with seeds at NCCS to grow plants for our Plant Sale and Cut Flower CSA!

Welcome to our blog and website for the NCCS Learning Garden Programs!  We will use the blog to post updates about what's going on in the gardens.  Please browse the site to find information on our specific projects.  More information will be coming soon as we build the site.

Thanks for stopping in!