https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vSfFH9M4XrRLgX369QA2bRebp50qCX62tAlnJI-dUfZ3BpdoIP3wiqjYdOKltT_r8IlduFLoGCld-3O/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=60000
Friday, February 7, 2020
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Banting's Grow Tower
Grow Tower - growing vegetables from seed hydroponically in class by Abbey Leafloor
Within our classroom,
we have a Grow Tower for growing vegetables hydroponically and it had multiple
plants grown within the tower already this year. Every two weeks we would
make sure the water basin/water holding/ reservoir tank is refilled to the top
with water for the plants. For each 5 Litres of water added to the tank we
would then add 25mL of Mineral Blend A and 25mL of Mineral Blend B. Once both
are mixed in with the 5 Litres of water we add this to the tank. This is
repeated until the tank is filled back up to the top level. We then proceeded
with testing the pH with the pH test kit. The pH Test Kit has instructions.
,
- begin by filling a test bottle with 5mL of reservoir water after
adding the Mineral Blends.
- add 5 drops of pH testing solution using the colour testing chart
which determines the pH level (you want the colour to be around 5.5-6.5)
the greener the better
- if you did not get the proper pH level to follow the instructions on the bottles again to add small amounts of acid or base adjusters then test again. These blends would help our plants get the proper nutrients and proper pH they need to grow more as well as be healthier.
Plant Propagation Methods by Abbey Leafloor
Here are a few plant propagation methods! Look
through and maybe you will decide to do one.
Planting a pineapple from the stock/crown of a
Pineapple Crown using asexual reproduction
How I planted my pineapple (different methods can
be used but this is what we did),
- Our
teacher brought in a pineapple crown from home instead of composting
it
- Slice off pineapple “crown”
- Allow to dry the crown to dry for about a day
- Pull off the lower leaves to expose the
stock
- Have a pot filled with soil
- Insert the stock into the pot of soil mostly
covering the stock in the nutrients (not the crown part)
- Place the pot with the pineapple by a window
- Water the pineapple
- Waited over the summer for the pineapple to
finally root (two months)
- Take care of your pineapple which includes
taking it outside in the summer
- It can take up to 1-2 years to form flowers
after the flowers have produced it takes about another 6 months for the
fruit to mature
Planting potatoes using asexual reproduction from
root eyes or buds
How I planted my potatoes:
- Potatoes
that were starting to go to seed or root can be used for propagation
- Every Bud or eye with flesh attached will
create a new potato plant
- Out of all the “buds” or eyes making sure to
keep flesh attached accept left one remaining on the actual potato.
- Place a layer of soil into a pot
- Place a few of the potato buds all around with
the eye or bud facing up
- Add more soil on top of those buds/eyes
- Add more buds
- Add more soil
- Once all your pot is full and buds are in and
under soil water the pot
- Keep watering the pot
- Keep an “eye” out as it can take just a few
days before you see the stem and leaves coming out of the soil
- This method can be used indoors if good light
or outdoors in the summer
- Wait until all the foliage of the plant has
died back before you harvest your potatoes
- It will
take about 2-3 weeks until this occurs. When the top of the vines has
completely died you should wait about 10-14 days so the potatoes can develop
a thick skin.
Planting Romaine Lettuce using asexual reproduction
from the stock of a romaine lettuce
How I planted Romaine Lettuce:
- Cut
the end piece off your lettuce
- Get a pot
- Put wet soil in the pot
- Place the romaine lettuce in the middle of the
pot
- Push down on the lettuce so it is surrounded
by soil
- It will only take a day or two before you see
fresh green leaves starting to come out
- Take care of the lettuce and harvest as leaves
become ready
Planting Celery using asexual reproduction from celery root stock
How I planted my Celery:
Cut off the root end piece of your celery
- Get
a pot
- Put wet soil in the pot
- Place the celery in the middle of the pot
- Push down on the celery so it is surrounded by
soil
- Watch for growth and harvest when ready
Planting Avocado using asexual reproduction from
the seed or pit of an Avocado
How I planted my Avocados:
- Get
a pot
- Put wet soil in the pot
- Place the avocado in the pot (the bottom of
the avocado pit goes downwards, wider side) Making sure there is
soil surrounding it but not fully covering it
- We have found this method to be better than
the method using tooth pics inserted into the pits and suspending them
over water.
Planting Garlic Chives from seed - may not be
asexual if the plant was pollinated by a bee carrying pollen from another
plant!
How I planted my Garlic Chives:
- Collect
your seeds from your garlic chives plants
- Get a pot… fill the pot almost to the top with
wet soil
- Sprinkle some seeds around in the pot
- Sprinkle dirt on top of the seeds
Planting these plants really makes a good impact on
our environment because we reused soil, and reused pots. As well we collected
seeds from plants we had previously grown and replanted these second-generation
seeds. We also re-used portions of the plants that would have ended up in the
compost such as the tops/crowns of pineapples, avocado pits, and potatoes that
had gone to seed. The resulting product is more fruits and vegetables! I will
not be here to see the ending results, but hoping they turn out well!*
https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vT4D94I2_w9IXhO1hjGcea7elF9FvIi9h31QQMxuJNxSp9FMk39bbwOLwsYkG1hCK4wqLi1rQ6uAZFj/pub
Questions based on crops and aquatic plants
Below are above two topics
1. "What
crops are considered important in sustaining Canada’s growth in the agricultural
sector?" and
2. "How are aquatic
plants being used to clean wastewater from fish?"
Please read
through as both have very good information!
What crops are considered important
in sustaining Canada’s growth in the agricultural sector?
Canada’s main crops are wheat,
canola, barley, corn, soybeans, potatoes, flax, as well as oats (these are
listed in order of income generated). Cereal is the main food source for
domesticated animals (cows, chickens). Agriculture developed as humans began
sowing seeds as well as cultivating plants in order to have a more dependable
food supply. Many of the foods us humans eat, contain hidden processed plant
products such as sugar from corn, and oil from canola or sunflowers. The crops
above all have a part in our human lives as if we didn't have them a lot of
what we eat as well as need would not be here.
References:
How are aquatic
plants being used to clean wastewater from fish?
It all starts
with fish producing waste and excreting into the water. When this happens we
have water that becomes high in nutrients. The aquatic plants are the way to
keep ponds, even garden waters clean as they absorb carbon dioxide, release
oxygen to the water, and they even improve the environment for fish. The plants absorb nutrients from the water, which is
why the aquatic plants obtain nutrients needed from the water as the water is
high in nutrients from fish waste. This reduction in nutrients results in
clearer water as well with fewer algae.
References:
Adopt-A-Tree Program at Frederick Banting
Below is all about our Adopt-a-tree
program at Banting with the Ottawa Carleton District School Board
and how it helps our environment!
Over the summer I helped Janet and
the environment with adopting a plant and I took home three maple seedlings for
the summer. Our trees are being planted at the local OCDSB outdoor education
center to increase habitat for animals on that site. By adopting a tree it will
give you the opportunity to attend the outdoor education centers and enjoy the
habitat with all the trees students have adopted over the summers past and
present! The trees I adopted were put in pots and I had them in my backyard
with the most sunlight. Every day I watered each pot twice… once in the
morning and then again at night, unless it seemed to be very dry a specific day
I would water once in between both periods of time. As the days went by they
slowly did grow. It takes years for trees to fully grow.to maturity. While in the pot I kept turning the plants so
the sunlight would hit each side of the plant so they would grow equally rather
than more on one side. If I had not been turning the pots I would have seen
phototropism which is the tendency for a plant to bend towards the light which
would have caused the maple seedlings to grow crooked. It was very
interesting seeing the trees grow slowly
I just wanted them to get bigger and bigger. It then came to the end of
the summer and I brought them back to school.
They did have growth and it was an experience watching them grow as well
as seeing the difference when watering the maple trees.
Adopt-a-tree program run by the
Ottawa Carleton District School Board and carried out by students which is very
helpful for the environment as we need trees to survive for the benefits they
bring to organisms that live in and around them, for the cycling of carbon
dioxide service they provide as well as the creation of oxygen through
photosynthesis. As the days go by we are losing trees due to construction
taking over habitats. As there is more and more urbanization ecological niches
are destroyed for roads, housing developments, and shopping malls, for example.
If someone ever gets the chance to adopt a plant I strongly suggest it as just
one simple plant or tree can help! Janet is a very good example of whom to
speak to when it comes to the environment. She knows loads of information as
well as great facts! Do it for the planet! Listen to Janet.
Sugar maple bark
https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTdcpXV6LFHuLa1u2E3nJqzJkxc7_GM50133wugJ2DMlRdM5Kv4w1TVcFSJtBfsIAx-IExYq5WU8pqY/pub
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