Jack O Lantern Journal | Monthly Archive

May201028

Today was the second day that I added fish emulsion fertilizer to my patch. I use Lilly Miller Alaska® Fish Fertilizer 5-1-1. I added about 1/4 of a cup to each watering can which holds about 2 gallons of water. Over the course of the two days, I spread about 8 watering cans worth over the entire plot. Mathematically that would equal out to about 2 cups of fertilizer, but since I didn’t take exact measurements, I want to say it was more like one and a half cups of fertilizer. I’ll start taking more precise measurements moving forward!

May201023

Ichabod

0

Ninety Degrees in May

It’s May 21st and we’re expecting a 90 degree day! It’s hot and humid and feels more like the middle of summer. Mary and I got up early (9AM is early for us) and headed to the patch to give the plants a drink so that they don’t dry out from the heat.

May201019

Ichabod

0

The Scarecrow

Today I put up a scarecrow that I made using a couple pieces of wood, a Funkin, a flannel and a hat from the Salvation Army. I’m not exactly sure that it will keep the geese away, but it definitely gives the patch a fun touch! I plan on swapping the pumpkin for a Jack-O-Lantern come October!

May201018

Ichabod

0

Lessons and Ideas

This being my first year actually keeping track of my progress, it’s hard to determine what’s normal and what isn’t. I’ve already learned a few things that I’ll never forget. When there is a risk of frost, cover plants with something porous if possible. Don’t use mason jars alone as they can create a magnifying effect and burn the plants. I used mason jars and covered them up with plastic grocery bags to diffuse the sun so that it doesn’t create a concentrated beam.

May201001

Ichabod

0

Classification And Early Season Protection

A cotyledon is a significant part of the embryo within the seed of a plant. Upon germination, the cotyledon may become the embryonic first leaves of a seedling. The number of cotyledons present is one characteristic used by botanists to classify the flowering plants. Species with one cotyledon are called monocotyledonous (or, “monocots”) and placed in the class Liliopsida. Plants with two embryonic leaves are termed dicotyledonous (“dicots”) and placed in the class Magnoliopsida.