Quite a bit of time has passed since I last updated this blog. Rest assured, I have not forgotten about this project! Here is a quick update of what has happened in the past few months:
In the process of starting to prepare our ranch for greenhouses and living, the Aloe Vera plants were decimated by a rather large raccoon. The surviving Aloe Vera are doing well as they recover from half eaten roots and leaves. This bump in the road has proven to be quite a learning experience, however. I have seen first hand how resilient Aloe Vera can be, as most plants would never have survived such damage. I will soon be exploring preventative measures to protect the plants we move out to our ranch from varmints of all kinds.
We were able to save much of the seed from last years crop of banana peppers and a variety of heirloom tomatoes. We look forward to starting a new crop from seed just as soon as we secure a safe growing area-deer and caterpillars proved to be an obstacle with last years crop that negatively effected yield.
We have a dozen non-GMO lemon trees that we started from seed! They are a year old and doing very well, considering their restrictive growing environment. The lemon trees are currently growing indoors in a sun lit area at our residence in town due to the obstacles that local varmints presented and because we have been spending much of our time in town trying to sell our town house so that we can fully invest in our ranch home and greenhouses. As of today, we are days away from having the house ready to put on the market, which means I will soon need to construct a secure cold frame out at the ranch to protect the lemons and aloe vera from the cold winter months ahead. A friend of ours came to visit us the other day and commented on how well the lemons were doing despite their growing conditions-the oldest leaves were still green and while they are small for their age, new growth is evident. He was surprised and noted that it just goes to show that lemons can make good indoor plants, something he had never expected. Check out the page What else is Growing in the Greenhouse to view photos of stock plants.
Academically, I have been accepted into the Alpha Zeta honor's society.
I received an invitation to join
the national honor's society of Alpha Zeta due to my academic achievements and
career goals. Alpha Zeta is an honorary, professional society for students and
industry professionals in the agriculture and natural resources fields. Members
are dedicated to the highest levels of scholarship, leadership, integrity and
service. Members are a global network of diverse agricultural and natural
resources professionals recognizing, developing and promoting leaders with
common values and integrity.
The Green Project 2013
~Gabriella
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Travel: Proper Preparation and Covering
Proper Preparation & Covering
Travel
Over the summer I traveled to Hawaii for roughly three weeks. In preparation for my leave, I took several measures to ensure my plants (especially the vulnerable, young ones) would be taken care of while I was away. Succulents do not need much water to thrive, so I was not too worried about applying water often. Texas weather, however, is notoriously hot, windy, and cold at night. By covering the potters with plastic bags I was able to trap moisture within the soil-making up for water and humidity lost due to excessive heat and wind. I also moved plants to a sheltered location, reducing wind and temperature stress.
To cover the plants I took a standard trash bag and cut it in half. I then cut a line half way to the center of the plastic rectangle, then cutting a circle out of the center large enough to fit around the base of the plant. The ends of the plastic were tucked under the edges of the rims of the potters, and secured with duct tape. Plants were then placed in a sheltered location, out of direct wind and sun.
Upon returning three weeks later I discovered that many of my plants had become sexually mature while I was gone. After I uncovered the potters I noticed that the emerging pups were very pale in color-almost white.
 |
| Covered Aloe |
Other Cultivation and Maintenance tips:
Transplanting
Compost Tea
Organic compost tea for Aloe Vera (coming soon)
The Green Project 2013
~ Gabriella