My Favourite Flowers

 

I decided to do a post about what my favourite flowers are because it is a horticulture blog and I couldn't do a blog without mentioning what my favourite flowers are.

 

Well my favourite flowers are Sunflowers!!!

 

 

Sunflowers can grow anywhere from two to fifteen feet tall depending on the variety, and their seeds can even be harvested and enjoyed as a delicious snack. 

Promotion

 

Recycling Posters

 

As you probably already know horticulture is very linked to the environment and so we decided one class to make posters to encourage students in our school to recycle and to inform them of what can be recycled.

 

 

Here are a few examples of the work we did !!!

 

 



Classroom Horticulture

 

 

As the weather started to get colder, wetter and darker we retired to doing indoor planting.

For this we would need some help with getting our plants enough sunlight.

 

 

We decided that the way to do this was by making light boxes. These are boxes we can place our potted plants in that will reflect the sunlight onto our plants (once placed in the window) giving them more heat and light and allowing them to grow.

 

We made these light boxes by cutting and tapping cardboard boxes into the shape that we needed and then by cover the box completely in tinfoil (to reflect the light)

 

Our Light Box

 

 


We then moved on and decided that if we're being eco friendly it would only be right to plant our herbs (we decided to plant herbs to try make a small herbal garden for ourselves) in bio-degradable pots.

We made these bio-degradable pots using newspaper and masking tape (both bio-degradable products) then we filled these pots with compost seeds and labelled them accordingly.

 Our Bio-degradable Pots

 We put basil and coriander seeds into our pots (in hope that they will grow!) before combining the two elements we made.

 



Soils

Investigating Soils



Soil is the upper layer of earth in which plants grow, a black or dark brown material typically consisting of a mixture of organic remains, clay, and rock particles.

 

Soil Structure

 

 

Soil structure refers to the arrangement of soil separates into units called soil aggregates. An aggregate possesses solids and pore space. Aggregates are separated by planes of weakness and are dominated by clay particles. Silt and fine sand particles may also be part of an aggregate.

 

Soil Types

 

All soils are made up of 5 components, sand, silt, clay, organic matter (and humus) and Minerals (nutrients). The percentage of each component determines the soils ability to drain, to hold water, to hold nutrients, maintain life, determine Acidity and maintain structure.

 

 

Sandy Soils
Sandy soils have a higher percentages of sand. Sand is a large soil particle that can't be broken down any smaller, they are large, round grains and when they fit together they leave large ‘pore’ spaces or gaps between them. In soils, large pore spaces fill with air and not water. So, we can say that sandy soils have large gaps which hold air and allow water to flow down through them, providing for good soil drainage.

Sandy soils are:

• Full of large air holes.
• Free Draining soils
• Is easy to work with (light)
• Dries out quickly
• Minerals are easily leached. (Keep reading to find out what leaching is)
• Lower in nutrients.
• Faster to warm up in spring.

Clay Soils
Clay soils are the opposite of sandy soils. Clay soils have a high percentage of clay. Clay particles are small, flat and sticky particles. They fit tightly together, which means that in clay soils there are only small ‘pore’ spaces or gaps between the particles. Small pore spaces are better at holding water and not good at holding air. Therefore, we can say that clay soils hold a lot more water than air.
Clay soils are also sticky and help bind soils together to form larger soil clumps. Most soils in the midlands of Ireland are made up of 50% clay. Clay soils hold water and therefore hold nutrients so are all highly fertile.

Clay soils are:

• Better at holding water
• Wetter and heavier soils
• Harder soils to work in wet conditions
• Naturally fertile soil.
• More fertile as leaching of minerals is slower
• Very poor drainage, which can lead to water logging.
• Is a cold soil
• Darker in colour

Silt Soils
Silt soils have a higher percentages of silt particles. Silt particles are basically smaller sand grains and therefore the pore spaces between the particles in smaller than that of sandy soils. Silts are common result of floodplains and are consider highly fertile. Also because they are smaller than sand and larger than clay they have a good balance of pore space sizes.
Silt soils are not a common soil type in Ireland.

Silt soils are:

• Good at retaining water
• Slower draining than sandy soils
• Fertile soils

Loam soils
Loam soils are the perfect balance of each soil mentioned above. They have half-way characteristics of both clay and sandy soils, with more advantages and fewer disadvantages.
While structure, drainage and workability of soil depends on its composition, the amount of organic matter is also a major factor, which influences fertility, worm content and acidity.



Peat soils
Peat soils have a high percentage of Organic matter. Organic matter is partially decomposed plant and animal material that has been broken down over thousands of years. Organic matter is in high concentration in peat areas because peat bogs are damp and sufficient oxygen for decomposition to take place, this leads to a build up of organic material.

Peats soils can be found in the midlands as well as around the west and North west of the country.

Peat soils are:

• High in organic matter
• Dark in colour
• Depth soils
• Have a higher fertility
• Poor draining
• Acidic soils

Leaching

Natural process by which water soluble substances (such as calcium, fertilizers and pesticides) are washed out from soil. These leached out chemicals cause pollution of surface and sub-surface water.

 

Science

 

The Science of Plant Growth

 

What do plants need to grow ?

 



Plants need water, air, nutrients, and sunlight to grow. The energy from sunlight is used to chemically change water and carbon dioxide (air) into sugar. This process is called photosynthesis. A waste product from photosynthesis is oxygen.

Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy (normally from the Sun)  into chemical energy that can be later released to allow the plant to grow and repair cells.

 

 

Air :

 

Just like us, plants need air to live. Plant leaves use carbon dioxide from the air to make sugars and starches for the plant to use as food. Another plant part that needs air is the roots. Plant roots need oxygen to stay healthy and to do their job of gathering water and nutrients for the plant.

 

Water :

 

 

Water is critical in order for plants to carry out photosynthesis. Water enters a plant's stem and travels up to its leaves, which is where photosynthesis actually takes place. Once in the leaves water evaporates, as the plant exchanges water for carbon dioxide.

 Sunlight:

All plants need sunlight to make food (glucose) in a process called photosynthesis.

 

 

Nutrients :

 

 

Plants need 17 elements for normal growth. Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen come from the air and water. Soil is the principle source of other nutrients. Key nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) are used in large amounts by plants, and often are supplemented as fertilizers.

 

 

 

 Air + Water + Sunlight + Nutrients = Plant Growth



Products of Photosynthesis

 

And that is how Plants Grow !!!