Time spent: 4 hours
Action: work day
How Am I doing?: This is the last volunteering for me as I have completed my 30 hours.
My mentor, Loretta has taught me many things about organic farming and the techniques that are used. The last day was like any other, we continued to work on soil beds around the garden and also planted broccoli in the greenhouse as well as labeling plant boxes and making compost for the plants in the greenhouse.
After prepping the soil beds by weeding and sprinkling compost and alfafa seeds, we enjoyed our last moments in the garden.
After the senior project is over, I hope that I will be able to come back and continue to volunteer. Working in the garden was satisfying and interesting and I got to learn many things about organic farming.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Pacifica Gardens Day 9
Time spent: 4 hours
Action: Work Day
Next Action: work day
How Am I doing?: I am nearing the end of my volunteering hours here at Pacifica Gardens. Today we planted some medicinal herbs in around the sunflower beds. We were taught by another volunteer in the garden how to do so. I am not too sure why they placed the medicinal herbs around the sunflower bed though.
After planting the medicinal herbs we worked with remaining volunteers with weeding and composting around the garden.
Action: Work Day
Next Action: work day
How Am I doing?: I am nearing the end of my volunteering hours here at Pacifica Gardens. Today we planted some medicinal herbs in around the sunflower beds. We were taught by another volunteer in the garden how to do so. I am not too sure why they placed the medicinal herbs around the sunflower bed though.
After planting the medicinal herbs we worked with remaining volunteers with weeding and composting around the garden.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Pacifica Gardens Day 8 cont.
Time Spent: 4 hours
Action: The great sunflower project
Next Action: work day
How Am I doing?: The great sunflower project was a great experience. I have never learned how to plant sunflowers and did not know that they needed to be planted in a certain way. I also learned that another motive for planting the sunflowers was because the garden was trying to attract bees to pollinate plants in the garden.
Action: The great sunflower project
Next Action: work day
How Am I doing?: The great sunflower project was a great experience. I have never learned how to plant sunflowers and did not know that they needed to be planted in a certain way. I also learned that another motive for planting the sunflowers was because the garden was trying to attract bees to pollinate plants in the garden.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Pacifica Gardens Day 8
Time spent : 4 hours
Action: the great sunflower project
Next action: work day
How Am I doing?: We continued with the Great Sunflower Project and prepared another bed.
First, we loosened the soil with a garden fork, then we raked it all evenly and to get rid of compacted soil. After loosening the soil we sprinkled alfalfa onto the soil. Alfalfa is a component that helps with nitrogen fixing and rehabilitating the soil.
After all the sprinkling, we lightly watered the soil and covered it with a tent to protect it from bugs or wind.
Action: the great sunflower project
Next action: work day
How Am I doing?: We continued with the Great Sunflower Project and prepared another bed.
First, we loosened the soil with a garden fork, then we raked it all evenly and to get rid of compacted soil. After loosening the soil we sprinkled alfalfa onto the soil. Alfalfa is a component that helps with nitrogen fixing and rehabilitating the soil.
After all the sprinkling, we lightly watered the soil and covered it with a tent to protect it from bugs or wind.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Pacifica Gardens Day 7 cont.
Time spent: 4 hours
Action: Earth Day
Next Action: work day
How Am I doing?: We learned how to plant the sunflower plants evenly in the prepped soil bed. There were specific ways to place the plants in the soil and how to plant them into the soil. We had to only pick the healthier, bigger seedlings to plant and once planted (about 3 inches away from each other) we had to sprinkle them with water.
Planting these sunflowers felt rewarding, especially considering how hard we worked to dig the trenches in preparation for it.
Action: Earth Day
Next Action: work day
How Am I doing?: We learned how to plant the sunflower plants evenly in the prepped soil bed. There were specific ways to place the plants in the soil and how to plant them into the soil. We had to only pick the healthier, bigger seedlings to plant and once planted (about 3 inches away from each other) we had to sprinkle them with water.
Planting these sunflowers felt rewarding, especially considering how hard we worked to dig the trenches in preparation for it.
Pacifica Gardens Day 7
4/16/11 time spent: 3.5 hours
Action: Earth Day
Next Action: Work day
How Am I doing?: We planted sunflower seeds on the ring that we double dug. We used mini shovels and trowels to loosen the dirt section by section. Then we measured them 12 centimeters apart each time we planted so that there would be an adequate amount of space for each plant to grow.
Today was also Earth Day, so a bunch of people from the team went to Pacifica Beach to pass out Sunflower seeds and promote Pacifica Gardens to the public.
Action: Earth Day
Next Action: Work day
How Am I doing?: We planted sunflower seeds on the ring that we double dug. We used mini shovels and trowels to loosen the dirt section by section. Then we measured them 12 centimeters apart each time we planted so that there would be an adequate amount of space for each plant to grow.
Today was also Earth Day, so a bunch of people from the team went to Pacifica Beach to pass out Sunflower seeds and promote Pacifica Gardens to the public.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Pacifica Gardens Day 6 cont.
Time spent: 4 hours
Action: the big dig
Next action: Earth Day
How Am I doing?: The big dig was a challenge for me because we had to personally dig five inches into the soil. Also, because our soil bed was mixed with marbled sediment, there was bigger resistance in the soil, thus making it harder to dig. We had to make sure that we dug evenly so that the sunflowers that would be grown in these trenches would have adequate room to grow their roots and enough nutrients in within the soil.
I am excited to plant the sunflowers after laboring over this trench.
Action: the big dig
Next action: Earth Day
How Am I doing?: The big dig was a challenge for me because we had to personally dig five inches into the soil. Also, because our soil bed was mixed with marbled sediment, there was bigger resistance in the soil, thus making it harder to dig. We had to make sure that we dug evenly so that the sunflowers that would be grown in these trenches would have adequate room to grow their roots and enough nutrients in within the soil.
I am excited to plant the sunflowers after laboring over this trench.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Pacifica Gardens Day 6
Apr.9 2011 4hrs but we got 8hrs because of the intensive work
Since the weeds were cleared from last week, this week we learned how to double dig to prepare the soil bed for the Sunflowers that would be grown. They would be grown in the boundary circle that we made last week.
Before we began to double dig, we had to make indentations near the string at an angle to outline the soil bed. I learned that double digging would double the rate at which plants could grow and help the roots of the plants to grow deeper. We dug around 8-12 inches into the ground, carefully handling the topsoil. As we dug, we had to make sure that the soil clods were all broken to ensure that plants could grow.
Since the weeds were cleared from last week, this week we learned how to double dig to prepare the soil bed for the Sunflowers that would be grown. They would be grown in the boundary circle that we made last week.
Before we began to double dig, we had to make indentations near the string at an angle to outline the soil bed. I learned that double digging would double the rate at which plants could grow and help the roots of the plants to grow deeper. We dug around 8-12 inches into the ground, carefully handling the topsoil. As we dug, we had to make sure that the soil clods were all broken to ensure that plants could grow.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Pacifica Gardens Day 5 cont.
Time spent: 4 hours
Action: Weeding
Next Action: Big Dig
How Am I doing?: Weeding was a tiring experience because we had to personally dig five inches into the soil. Also, because our soil bed was mixed with marbled sediment, there was bigger resistance in the soil, thus making it harder to dig. We had to make sure that we dug evenly so that the sunflowers that would be grown in these trenches would have adequate room to grow their roots and enough nutrients in within the soil.
I am excited to plant the sunflowers after laboring over this trench.
Action: Weeding
Next Action: Big Dig
How Am I doing?: Weeding was a tiring experience because we had to personally dig five inches into the soil. Also, because our soil bed was mixed with marbled sediment, there was bigger resistance in the soil, thus making it harder to dig. We had to make sure that we dug evenly so that the sunflowers that would be grown in these trenches would have adequate room to grow their roots and enough nutrients in within the soil.
I am excited to plant the sunflowers after laboring over this trench.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Pacifica Gardens Day 5
Time Spent: 4 hrs
Action: weeding
Next Action: The Big Dig
How Am I doing?We weeded plants near the back of the garden in preparation of the Big Dig. There were stingers that needed to be taken from the bottom as we weeded.
We marked the ground and placed string around it in a circular form for the boundary lines.
We pulled a bunch of burr clover, that had to be thrown away instead of being combined with the compost because they would choke off the plants.
Action: weeding
Next Action: The Big Dig
How Am I doing?We weeded plants near the back of the garden in preparation of the Big Dig. There were stingers that needed to be taken from the bottom as we weeded.
We marked the ground and placed string around it in a circular form for the boundary lines.
We pulled a bunch of burr clover, that had to be thrown away instead of being combined with the compost because they would choke off the plants.
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