Eric A. & Michael A. Weekend Duty Blog


September 16 – 18, 2016



Friday


We began by walking through the greenhouse, feeling for dry poinsettias and looking for damage to the greenhouse, dead leaves and pests. Ones that were found to be too dry were lightly spot watered. The indoor and outdoorchrysanthemums were then water along with the rest of the outside plants. Next we took apart sections of the dripper system what were not working properly and cleaned out the debris stuck inside them. We then assembled new dripper sections to replace them with and set them up. We pinched the tops of the large poinsettias and removed excess soil from their pots.


Maximum temperature recorded: 23°C

Saturday


We started the day off the same as Friday, (inspecting the plants and greenhouse) then we started to prune and dust the three planters in front of the bookstore. By mid day we decided to take a break and finish the planters on Sunday so we went back to the greenhouse and set bug traps. After 4 hours we counted the number of pests we caught to monitor their numbers. Water was added to the Priva temperature monitor. We finished up the day cleaning trays, trying to see if we could get the heat pad working, looking for pests and pruning diseased foliage.


Maximum temperature recorded: 25°C

Sunday


First thing we did was finish off the three planters we started the day before. When we returned to the greenhouse to spot water the poinsettias and water the indoor and outdoor chrysanthemums. Poinsettias that were suffering from root rot were taken out of their pots to air dry for part the day. Again we repeated the bug traps but this time they were let up for 6 hours. We tested the poinsettias pH and EC levels with the kit provided in the greenhouse and recorded a pH of 6.7 with EC of 1.6. We noticed the temperature rising to 30 in the greenhouse so we opened up the shade cover. During the last hours of the day we cleaned pots and trays and took out the compost.


Maximum temperature recorded: 30.5°C

The Gardens of Fanshawe College


Summer Blog


Blayne D.


June 20-23


Monday


After coming back from a busy week at the Cuddy Gardens, I was happy to be back at the college doing the things I love, working with my other co-workers, greenhouse, mulching and other maintenance. Monday was a hot one! Tawny and I were sent out to mulch around HMF loop. We needed to quickly weed and edge the beds before mulching. Jenn got a few loads of mulch with the tractor and trailer then later helped Tawny and I spread it out. This took us all morning to complete. Alison was busy all day and for the rest of the week watering the outside planters and beds. It was a small group in the afternoon since Dakota and Scott were off while Alison left for the afternoon. It was just me, Tawny, Jenn and Jeff doing interiorscape since the weather was so hot. We hit up the areas at T, B, and outside the bookstore. It had been a while since those planters received some good attention as they needed watering and a major cleanup such as wiping down the leaves from dust, cutting back and cleaning debris. This brought the day to the end, in fact, it was quiet fun!



























Tuesday


As I came back from Cuddy on Monday the greenhouse needed some serious organization and tidying up. I composted any spent plants while we were trying to get the remaining plants in the greenhouse planted outside. That kept me busy all morning. After lunch I went around the greenhouse with Sue to complete the Workplace Safety Inspection for this month. Making sure everything in the greenhouse is in tip top shape. Once that was done I went to continue cleaning plants up and cutting back our stock baskets so they don’t get too overgrown. As we were expecting a couple visitors in the greenhouse the next day, I made sure everything was ready for presentation. Tawny and Jenn planted Coleus and Portulaca in front of Saffrons then moved onto the rocked border garden bed near D building. Petunias and Castor Beans were planted. Continuing on into the afternoon they planted Flowering Maple, Begonias, Cleomes and Coleus in the parking office courtyard.

















Wednesday


In preparation for the visitors coming in today, the greenhouse floors needed a good sweep then I went onto watering then re planting the Chrysanthemums on all the benches. I went by each bench at a time, spacing them and inserting drip lines. This took all morning and into the afternoon. Until lunch time, Tawny, Dakota and Jenn worked on the patio area at Saffrons. Mulching, weeding and tidying up were completed. Tawny and Jenn went to the parking office courtyard to do some maintenance such as pruning, removing tree suckers, weeding, edging, and removing dead wood from a Japanese Maple and a Viburnum. The last thing they did was plant Dusty Miller, Coleus, Portulaca, Begonias and Jacob’s Coat in front of the main doors to the Falcon (R1) residence.













Thursday


Everyone was at their own garden areas to do whatever needed to be done such as edging, planting and weeding. Alison and Tawny tackled Z Building that needed weeding, interorscape and planting done. I was planting up our greenhouse stock baskets and propagated Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum) spiderettes that were dangling from the adult plant. While I was getting pictures for this blog a Cornus Kousa (Kousa Dogwood) planted at R3 residence caught my attention. It is used as a stunning flowering tree or large shrub with showy pointed petal-like white bracts.


All in all, I am happy to be back at the college with my fellow co-workers who I enjoy working with so much. Everyday has been jam packed with tasks to get the greenhouse and campus looking the best they can be! Summer has officially begun and I’m looking forward to the remaining of our co-op before I move onto new adventures in the fall!

The Gardens of Fanshawe College

June 6-10, 2016

Scott P.

From Tuesday (7th of June) until Friday (10th of June), myself and the team of student gardeners were responsible for planting Begonias, Euphorbias, Dusty Millers and fountain grasses, as well as transplanting Hostas, and daylilies.

The north entrance was tilled with peat moss and eventually filled in by myself and Jenn with the Begonias, Dusty Millers and Euphorbias; the red color of the Begonias stands out great with the surrounding green foliage.

The East entrance where the buses enter held several Hostas that were split up and transplanted underneath of the maple outside of the H building entrance. These make a great ground cover and should look far livelier after today’s watering.

The Cheapside entrance held several Daylilies that needed transplanting to the strip of soil behind B Building and between C building (just beside the bike rack). Rebecca, Dakota and I planted these after dividing them up with spades and half-moons, placing them in a staggered formation.

It was a great week of work and we got a fair amount accomplished.

May 16-20, 2016

Tawny R.

This week I returned back to the  main campus of Fanshawe from Cuddy Gardens in Strathroy. Monday was the day we finally finished all the work in bed at "Z" building in preparation for mulching. 

Tuesday, we kicked off the morning with online training on such things like; Respect in the Workplace, Standards of Professionalism, MSDS, WHMIS and other topics related to Fanshawe's employee code of conduct. After finishing all my training I started on the Cheapside entranced bed. After lunch, Scott and Jenn joined me at the bed.

Scott is a power house when it comes to edging and made this bed a beautiful edge, while Jenn and I weeded and pruned out the dead foliage on the yews.

Wednesday (which happened to be the best day of the week) we were in our areas in the morning. R3 or commonly known as Merlin residence is my area. For the most part I finished cleaning the beds of weeds and edged them. I also culturally the indoor plants before heading back to the greenhouse for lunch. After lunch we had training with the sod stripper and the rototiller. 

Yesterday we had Health and Safety training, fuel and fire extinguisher training; all of which are very important. It is designed to help us realize the dangers and potential hazards in our work environment. and how to deal with these situations. In the afternoon myself and two other employees cleaned up the planter in D and A parking lot which took us to the end of the day. 

On Friday I had the amazing chance to do my part in the greenhouse, starting off with checking the whole greenhouse crop for water requirements. From there I moved onto the hanging basket which proved to be a bit of a challenge at the start but I quickly figured out an easy way to do it. 

The Gardens of Fanshawe College

Summer Blog

Blayne D. 

May 2-6, 2016

Monday

Spring has officially arrived with cool winds and a warm sun. Plants are starting to bud up and bloom while the student gardeners are gearing up for a great summer on campus! The crew set out to tackle the front of T Building where there was a big need for weeding, cut backs and some edging. Since we all have been trained on equipment operations, the crew put to use their skills in taking up the RTV and trailer to use for compost and tools. In the afternoon, they set out to bring life back into the entrance on Fanshawe Blvd by cutting Sedum and weeding. 

Tuesday

While I was working all morning in the greenhouse, the others were then trained on the hedge trimmers and then set to work on cleaning up and cutting back grasses by the entrance they were working on Monday. Scott set out to do some interior plant care and hit up T building, the Registrar’s Office, around Oasis and near the book store. In the afternoon I was then trained more on the tractor and trailer for our upcoming employee training test. 

Wednesday

We all arrived at the Cuddy Gardens for more training on bigger and smaller equipment such as back pack blowers, line trimmers, head shears, mowers, rototillers and aerators.  By going through all the power equipment, this assured that we all understand the safe operations. We started off the afternoon by weeding by the main entrance then we moved onto transplanting by the hoop houses. Transplanting perennials was done in the most efficient way in order to complete as much we could. We set up an assembly line where a few people would be filling pots with soil, then brought to others who were potting up these plants, they were then labelled and put on a cart to then be wheeled into the hoop house to get watered.  They will be sold or used in the annual Cuddy Open Gardens which is the first weekend of June.

Thursday

Scotty was in the greenhouse pinching back petunias for our customer orders, watering and other duties. Everyone else was at Z building working on weeding and cut backs on some Hydrangeas.  After lunch we went up on the green roof. This is the first time the summer students and I have been up on the green roof and we were given a general overview and the future tasks we will be doing on a rotation. The main reasons for installing green roofs is for storm water management, air pollution reduction, energy use reduction and aesthetics. Below is a bird’s eye view of Fanshawe’s Z Building with the live roof present. Sedums and Allium and other drought resistance perennials are some of the plants grown on the roof. While on the green roof we came across a mother goose and her young. We all stopped to enjoy the view for a moment and take a few pictures. We went to continue our work at Z then headed back to the college at 3 pm to unload and help out in the greenhouse before a truck load of mulch came our way. 

Friday

We all finished up doing cut backs from Thursday and completed a bed of weeds all morning. While finishing off the areas around Z we came across a couple beautifully flowering daffodils and tulips. In the afternoon some were still up at Z and a few also working around campus. As a second year I’m excited to be back working at the college with my new coworkers. Overall, the beginning of our summer employment has been a blast! With the promise of great weather to come and a new crew to create lasting memories and experiences, I know this will be a summer to remember.

Fanshawe Greenhouse Weekend Duty

Elizabeth & Blayne

Friday April 15, 2016

It was a beautiful sunny day, the warmest we have seen this spring! The campus was busy with finals week energy and traffic. With the excitement of the changing season we set out to complete our assigned tasks. We started with the opening checklist, watering and walking the crop. We fertilized the established plants such as cacti, succulent, canna, and grasses with 20-20-20, while the newly potted cuttings received a root development specific 10-52-10 formulation. Then we finished fertilizing the hanging baskets and certain annuals with a slow release fertilizer. Specific baskets were pinched back at the same time. Many pots and labels needed to be faced and adjusted after a large number of new plants have been added in the past week by many different students.

The new germination chamber was delivered into the greenhouse. After recruiting some additional hands, we were then able to remove the pallet and maneuver it back. Watering was completed again as the warmer temps are causing the seedlings to dry up quickly on the heat mats. This time of year, the warmer days and tender seedlings need to be checked 3 times a day. 

The Priva greenhouse temperature graph could only be accessed Friday morning, there was a technical issue that prevented us from logging in the remainder of duty. The Friday morning log didn’t show any abnormal incidents. There were the usual graph peaks and declines relating to humidity, temperature and sunlight, however the automated sensors made necessary changes to keep temperature and humidity at the desired rate. We paid extra attention throughout the weekend since the reports were unavailable, however we did not encounter any problems.

After completing the closing checklist and cleaning duties, we were done for the day.

Saturday 

The opening checklist and watering was completed. Most of the day was spent working on cuttings, transplanting and planting seeds. We divided, cleaned up and transplanted Asphodeline tauric into cell packs and trays. Salvia, both Evolution Violet Blue and Farinacea Victoria Blue seeds were planted, watered, covered then placed on the heat mats. Cuttings were made of Plectranthus coleoides ‘Variegata’, Begonia ‘Irene Nuss’ and Fuchsia, then they were placed into the germination chamber. They will remain here until roots are established. We also filled baskets with media for future orders before completing 12 baskets with a variety of interesting annuals. The 2 inch peat pots of Nasturtium, squash, and cucumber were tucked in with media in the tray to prevent wicking of moisture. Hanging baskets for an order were fertilized and pinched back to promote fuller growth. We had some visitors stop by to enjoy the view from the inside and ask some questions. They were passing by and the beauty of the spring blooms drew them in for a moment.

A final walk through was completed and specific seedlings were spot watered before leaving for the day.

 

Sunday

After the opening checklist was completed, we started by watering and giving the greenhouse a thorough cleaning. This was completed early to allow the floor and excess moisture to dry.

Elizabeth watered and cleaned up the interior-scape plants of the President’s office inside of the college. Blayne took greenhouse inventory while noting which tags were missing. There were many pots missing tags since the printer was out of service a few days earlier in the week when the potting had been done. Blayne counted and printed tags for these pots after completing inventory. Two additional baskets were created for an order with various annuals that tolerate full sun. Two stock baskets were created from Solenostemon ‘Midnight Train’ and ‘Dipped in Wine’.

The compost was taken to the outdoor collection and waste potting soil was redistributed into garden beds. All of the pots, trays, measuring cups, etc were washed and put away. A major cleaning was performed since this is the last weekend for duty groups before the new summer student staff begins their work term. Drains in all three rooms were emptied of soil and debris. The garage bay cleaning included organizing shelves and placing items back where they belong. The pots were organized by clay, plastic, flat type, size and shape. The floors were swept and rinsed then we organized some items in the greenhouse compound area. Finally, we thoroughly cleaned the greenhouse potting room.

Emotions were running high from knowing this is the finale of our horticultural journey with Fanshawe, it was a bittersweet. It has been both exciting and challenging but overall a rewarding education. This weekend held hard work, a lot of laughs, and some teary eyes at the end. It may be the last time walking this greenhouse in our program gear, but we will always be grateful for the great memories and stories we will take away! 

 

 

Greenhouse Blog April 8-10

Yujing Ma & James Duncan

Friday April 8, 2016

It has been a little cold this weekend as it seems to have often been this ever changing spring. That said, the daily temperature and humidity reading aspect of our greenhouse assignment seems to be particularly important.

In the morning of our first day, James walked the crop and examined the PRIVA data in the morning, an essential tool to monitor the temperature conditions. Meanwhile at the A.M. Cuddy Gardens, I was struggling with my CLT hands-on exams. When I arrived back at the greenhouse, he had already completed several items on our list of what needed doing that day. I am so glad that I have such a dedicated and reliable partner.

Once I returned, we filled ten hanging baskets with the Pro-mix media in to be sent to the Cuddy Gardens later this week. These hanging baskets are made with a very dense cardboard material which is strong enough to hold more than 20 kilograms and has the added bonus of being completely biodegradable. Later in the afternoon, I went to check the seedling flats. Friday, despite being a very cold day, there were no clouds in the sky; the bright sun would quickly dry out the exposed and shallow seedling flats. If the seedlings dry out, the tiny plants will almost certainly die.

In the greenhouse it is crucial to pay attention to watering time. Generally, it is best to water in the morning. If the plants in the greenhouse stay wet into the evening and overnight, rates of disease inevitably increase. Last but not the least, greenhouse staff should avoid by all means watering in humid or rainy weather condition, as the increased humidity will prevent water from evaporating off of leaf surfaces and again put the plants at risk.

Saturday April 9, 2016

We arrived at the greenhouse before eight o’clock and checked the temperature in the morning. The temperature was a little bit lower than on Friday morning, and at noon, it began to snow. We used the entire morning doing indoor plant maintenance. The registrar center, where several of the indoor plants we were working with that day, was only open between 9:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. so we had to be very efficient to make sure we finished everything before they closed.

We first went to H building to return a couple plants we would be working with. We discovered they were infested with scale, a common pest which produces a sticky sap like substance called honeydew. Scale can be very difficult to treat, because the insect makes a protective shell around its body. We attempted to treat them using insecticidal soap, this can be a useful and environmentally friendly application which is often used to eliminate the soft bodied insects. It works by contacting the insects and suffocating them, however; after the treatment it is crucial to wash the plant foliage to remove the product, as it can do the same thing to the plants. Insecticidal soap must also not be applied on a hot or sunny day outdoors, as insecticidal soap will burn the plant foliage.

We went to residence building three to clean up and transplant several indoor tropical plants. The plants we moved look much better in their new places, and seem much more natural and beautiful.

 In the afternoon, we moved and washed the heating mat to the last bench for our new seeding flats. Sanitation is always the most important element to preventing disease. James and I calculated how many flats would fit in the limited space provided on the heating mat. For the labelling part, we disagreed over the common name. He insisted that the Salvia farinacea is most commonly known just as salvia. I checked google, which said it was called mealy cup sage. I trusted my partner, so I gave my right for him. No matter what the common name is, as a nearly graduated Horticulture Technician student I highly recommend this plant to horticulture fans. It is a mainly pest-free, low -maintenance, deep blue flowered plant and it is hardy to USDA zone seven. The shining bright flowers will last from the summer to fall. I can imagine how lovely they will be after these seeds grow up. We prepared 60 flats of growing media for transplanting our seedlings into, but still have 45 flats to be done Sunday.

Sunday April 10, 2016

      In the morning, we continued the seeding and preparing the flats for transplanting. We also cleaned and sterilized the dirty pots around sink carefully organized them in the equipment room. James walked the crop and then watered using different watering attachments.

      After we finished our lunch, we started to do some cuttings for our client orders. The list included Dichondra, Fuchsia, Plectranthus, Alternanthera, Senecio, Abutilon, and Breynia nivosa. They are all excellent annual potting plants for the whole summer season, and can be kept over winter indoors.

      As we approach the end of our two-year tenure as students, many may be worried about leaving their campus lives, but most of us probably feel concerned for the coming week of tests, particularly those students who still have their weekend duties! We are pressed for time, but personally speaking, I quite enjoy this feeling. It is a good chance to challenge oneself to be the best you can be!

Weekend Duty Blog!

Todd Neerhof & Eric Patterson

Friday, April 1, 2016

 The first day of Eric and Todd’s weekend duty did not quite go as planned. Not only did they not show up to the greenhouse on time, when they finally arrived (shortly after noon) what they found was horrific! The greenhouse doors had been smashed in by a burglar and the entire crop that was growing in the greenhouse was decimated. Jeff Rowley was nowhere to be found and neither Eric nor Todd had the slightest clue of what to do. Both Eric and Todd were stricken with grief when they thought of all of the exciting learning opportunities they were missing out on. They needed to fill hanging baskets with Promix so they could transplant the plugs that had just been shipped to the greenhouse. They would have filled 700 4” pots in preparation for the shipment of annual plugs that are coming to the greenhouse in a few weeks. Finally, Eric and Todd were planning on potting up a flat of Elephant Ear plugs that came in earlier that day. They also wanted to spend time cleaning the greenhouse to make it look good for the open house that Fanshawe was hosting tomorrow. If they had gotten to do what they wanted and the greenhouse wasn’t completely destroyed, it would have looked something like the pictures below. Ultimately it was an extremely stressful day for the two young men. If only it wasn’t April Fools!

Saturday, April 2, 2016

Saturday was the day of Fanshawe’s open house. With the greenhouse so immaculately cleaned from the day prior; Eric and Todd finished their morning duties quickly, while maintaining a high standard of work.  In the morning they both worked on potting up the Pennisetum into 1 gallon square pots until the volunteer crew showed up to prepare for the open house. When the volunteer group arrived they switched their focus to representing the school and program well. This took up most of Eric and Todd’s day. They were helping the volunteers talk to people who are interested in the horticulture program at Fanshawe. When Eric and Todd finished with helping out in the open house they started potting up the Geraniums into 1 gallon square pots. This took them until the end of the day, when they started their closing checklist and closed the cash register. Both Eric and Todd really enjoyed the experience at the open house. Highlight day of their weekend duty.

Sunday, April 3, 2016

On Sunday when Eric and Todd got to work, they started with finishing off the Geraniums that still needed to be potted up from Saturday. After they finished with that, they cleaned up the Dichondra that had some dead stems inside of them. They also moved some of the Dichondra into the correct size of 4 cell trays and put them underneath the cheese cloth.  Eric was sure to use a misting head for the Dichondra to create an environment underneath the cheesecloth that is very humid. They potted up the Peperomia into the orange pots that are used for succulents. While potting up the Peperomia, they realized that there were no labels in them. Wanting to do the job correctly, Todd searched online to find the common and Latin names of the different kinds of Peperomia. As the day was coming to a close they organized the benches a bit to keep all of the same sized pots together and to have the same Genus of plants together. This makes it much easier for people in the future when they need to find a certain plant. In the end they both had an excellent weekend and learned a lot of very use full information.