The spring semester is coming to an end and that means the wrap up of my learning project posts also come to an end. However, it doesn’t mean my garden will stop growing. I will continue growing the lettuce as it reproduces after being cut harvested. I am planning to leave the radishes in the dirt about 2 more weeks to get larger. As for the sprouts, they are ready for eating. The sprouts are currently in the fridge to keep cold and will last 1 week before going rotten.
Throughout this learning journey, I was able to learn skills about gardening that I will use forever. Each week, I explored and learned a variety of aspects of gardening from planting, watering, and harvesting garden vegetables.
Week 1 recap: This was the start of the gardening journey. I researched and bought supplies I would need for the garden (dirt, seeds, plant food, garden boxes). I learned that lettuce and radishes are two of the easiest and quickest vegetables to grow. And always overestimate on the amount of dirt, better too much than not enough!
Week 2 recap: This week, I was able to spend some time with my grandpa learning about planting seeds. I learned that it is helpful to use a pencil or object similar in size to poke holes in the dirt to put the seeds into. This ensures that the seeds are far enough into the dirt where they are protected and can germinate. Always water the dirt immediately after planting the seeds!
Week 3 recap: This week, I learned about the plant growth stages and the growing process going on underneath the dirt. I learned that sunlight and water are super important and you must be faithful to your garden during the seedling time. Always read the instructions on the seed packets for directions for amount of water and sunlight needed for optimal growth!
Week 4 recap: This week, I expanded my knowledge on gardening and wanted to try growing sprouts in an indoor sprouter without dirt. It was a cool experience comparing my garden vegetables grow in dirt and sprouts grow in a plastic sprouter with only water. Not every plant needs dirt to grow! I also learned to use the app iMovie to create a “how to grow sprouts” tutorial video. iMovie is such an easy accessible app to create videos with pictures, music, and affects.
Week 5 recap: This week, I learned about the germination time for Buttercrunch Lettuce and radishes. Lettuce takes about 70 days for optimal growth, however, lettuce can start to be eaten on day 24. Radishes take about 45 days for optimal growth, but can be harvested and eaten on about day 35. The biggest thing I learned this week is do not put indoor sprouters outside in the sun, the seeds will burn and not grow.
Week 6 recap: This week was an exciting week of seeing my vegetables finally able to harvest and eat! I learned how to harvest lettuce by cutting the tops of the leaves so allow the lettuce to keep producing over the next few weeks. I also learned how to harvest the radishes. I only harvest a couple to taste. I pulled the stems close to the radish in the dirt and they easily pulled out of the dirt. Lastly, I was able to harvest the sprouts by taking them out of the sprouter, washing them under cold water, and putting them in a container in the fridge.
Fresh Garden Salad
To wrap up my learning project, I made a fresh garden salad with only ingredients from my garden! The salad recipe is below.
Ingredients:
-Fresh garden lettuce
-Sprouts to top the salad
-Cut up radishes
Salad dressing:
-1 part sugar
-2 parts vinegar
-3 parts canola oil
Put the salad ingredients in a bowl and pour dressing on salad and enjoy!
Takeaways from learning project
>Sunlight and water are super crucial for plant growth
>Treat your plants like your pets- care for them and have patience
>Read the instructions on the seed packages and follow the instructions
>Use plant food in the dirt- this helps provide proper nutrients to the growing plants
>iMovie is an easy accessible app to create videos
>Learning new skills is fun!