Farm Fresh

I consider myself very lucky to live in Gainesville, and that I have so many great places to get my food. I try to get as much as I can from Ward's and our local farmers market. It's great to go to the farmers market and be able to see whats in season and grown locally. This week my fridge is packed with Publix foods, which is not ideal because often their veggies are not labeled with where they are from.

In the garden this week we got to plant cauliflower, cabbage, and beets! The plants are getting big and the garden is looking full! My leaves are getting munched on which is a bummer, but hopefully it won't be too rainy on Monday so I can spray so chemical deterrents.  My eggplant got its first flower, I'm so proud. More garden pics to come!

This week in class we talked about the nutrients that are vital for plants in the soil environment. Environmental, macro, and micronutrients all play a role in the growth of a plant. Environmental nutrients, such as oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon, are nutrients that the plant picks up from the atmosphere around it. Macronutrients are things plants need in large quantities, which are nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, and sulfur. Micronutrients are just as important to plants, but just needed in small quantities. These nutrients are iron, zinc, chlorine, copper, boron, manganese, sodium, nickel, and molybdenum.  

In the garden: Apart from the weekly weeding, this week we planted lettuce! My peas that I planted last week have sprouted and are looking great! Its so fun to see these little sprouts get so big! We also re-raised our beds that have taken quite a beating from all the rain, and sprayed our plants with two different pesticides. 

My cilantro is getting some leaves! 

Can't wait to have some pretty flowers to take home.