Weekend blog

April 6^th-8^th, 2018

Taylor & Chris

We came Friday morning ready for whatever tasks were assigned to us, we were ready conquer our weekend duty and get right down and dirty. Before we got our tasks assigned to us we learned that our weekend would be planned around making people feel safer when wondering around the campus.  After we gathered our tools and equipment, we were headed out to discover what our tasks would be over the next two days. After finding out our duties, we figured out our plan of attack. The first task we decided was to take out some cedar trees located across from the Outback Shack, the reasoning was because anyone could throw/hide things in there from security. 

Then after a long struggle with the trees and the snow, and without dampening our spirits, we moved to pruning back some burning bushes (Euonymus alatus) that were blocking the view from the east windows of J building and for security reasons. 

Saturday, we started our day by finishing up pruning back the Burning Bushes (Euonymus alatus) and took down any low-lying tree branches on the few Maidenhair trees (Ginkgo biloba)  to save the heads of the people that take care of the campus turf, and anyone else walking below. We thinned out a couple other smaller plants. After our nutrition break we headed to the other side of J building to cut back some Annabelle Hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’) to promote new growth. After cleaning our site up and disposing of the cut stalks, we had one last task to do before our day was done: we had to fill a hole with topsoil so when the weather permits and decides to stay nice, grass seed can be planted and grass will grow.

With the weather still fighting our every wish we got right down to work on Sunday. Most of our day was spent on the back side of Peregrine House Residence (R2). We were tasked with cutting back some Yews around the windows so no can hide in them. The next part of our day after lunch was still back behind Peregrine House Residence but the Yews were near a fire exit so we cut those back and pruned of some suckers out of the Easter Redbud (Cercis canadensis). After we finished cleaning up the site and taking all the branches to the compost pile we both decided that overall it was a good weekend and signed out for the last time.

Weekend Blog: Greenhouse Duty April 6^th to April 8^th 2018

Jensen Maunder and Austin Marshall

This weekend was very busy for us as we had lots and lots of transplanting to do. It was expected to have about 1000 annual plugs to arrive and we were to transplant them into 4” pots. However, there was closer to 2500 to 3000 plants to be transplanted. With only the two of us we had a tough time getting through them all and most of our time was spend transplanting. On Friday, we started with watering and removing dead foliage. After this we organized flowers on a diagonal angle to ensure there would be enough space for each plant to grow and receive more light. Following this, we started our transplanting journey.  To name a few of the annuals that were transplanted: Coleus, Salvia, Soprano, and Superbell.

Coleus ‘Henna’:

Comes from the family of Lamiaceae, and originated from South East Asia through to Australia. It can be used for different landscape applications such as in hanging baskets, mass plantings and border edging. This annual is relatively low maintenance and requires full sun and partial shade.

Salvia ‘Farinacae’:

Salvia Farinacae is also know as Mealy Sage and originated from Mexico. It can be used for different landscape varieties as it plants well in large formats. This annual requires part sun to sun.

Soprano:

This Soprano comes from the Osteospermum family and originated from Africa. This annual requires part sun to sun and can be used in hanging baskets.

Superbell ‘Calibrachoa’:

This annual belongs to the Solanaceae family and originates from across South America. It is used as an ornamental plant and requires part sun to sun.

Geraniums:

This annual originates from the tropics and can be used for herbaceous uses to treat anxiety and acne as well as being a really pretty plant to grow. It requires full sun and a PH of 5.8 through to 6.5. For the EC it is recommended for the optimal range of 1.5 to 2.5 mS/cm.

On Saturday, we started with watering and removing more dead foliage as well as checking the hanging baskets for pests and if they were in need of watering.  Following all this we then began to transplant hour after hour. One challenge we overcame was when we ran out of trays to place the pots on, so to be time efficient we got a 4X4 large tray and then put as many pots with the transplanted annuals on it and as a team carried it over to the greenhouse.

 On Sunday, we did our daily morning routine of watering and then continued on with transplanting. Who would have thought we would have ever finished all those plants, but our transplanting journey finally ended. Following the transplanting we planted Castor Bean seeds, and finished off the day with a large watering session of all the newly transplanted annuals and did a major cleanup to start the week off right.

Weekend Duty Maintenance Blog

March 30-April 1, 2018

Connor, James, & Josh

For our Weekend Duty for the Easter Weekend we had to prune the various trees and shrubs in and around Residence 3 Building (R3). There were many different cultivars/varieties that needed to be pruned, and the number one pruning rule is, know what you’re pruning first. So we decided to list the names of all the plantings and researched their specific pruning requirements. The cultivars that we were unsure about the pruning methods included; Cornus Kousa (Leave be in spring), Viburnum pilcatum (thin 1/3), Clethra alnifolia ( ¼ oldest, largest stems), Hydrangea paniculata ( 6” from the ground), Hydrangea macrophylla ( 3-5 canes), Potentilla fruiticosa ( lower, remove dead ), Hypericum frondosum ( 6” from ground ), Salix gracilis ( 6” from ground ). All of these plants needed Dead, Dying, Diseased removed. Through the maintenance techniques presented by Tim & Jeff, we were successfully able to complete the tasks. We encountered some litter around the gardens and disposed of some, although much of it was unsanitary to remove and would of took too much of the pruning time off our hands. While pruning the Cephelanthus occidentalis ( Buttonbush), we noticed there was some scale on the upper branching and some lower stems which we had to remove. We also had noticed there was what appears to be a gall of some kind present on the Junipers along the southeast corner of Merlin building (R3). All in all, most of our time was spent with cleanup and the pruning the essential plants surrounding Residence 3.

Before photo of South-East corner. (R3)

 After photo of South-east corner. (R3)

 Before photo of the Front. (R3)

After photo of the Front. (R3)

IPM- Gall on Juniper (Front R3)

IPM- Scale (Back R3)

Tawny Renaud

Stephanie Tucker

March 23-25, 2018

Landscape Maintenance Blog

Dead dying diseased

When pruning shrubs and trees, we began by locating the dead, dying and diseased throughout the plant. If a limb falls within this category, it is not providing any benefit to the tree and should be removed. If the limb is a significant size, a 3-cut method should be used to prevent tearing of healthy bark around the cut. After eliminating any damaged or diseased limbs, we began removing branches that were causing an uneven appearance or rubbing against other branches. On the Pyramidal Oaks outside A building, we had to remove a very long branch that was growing almost horizontal across the tree. Since this tree looks best in its upright, pyramidal form, we removed this branch. Removing crossing or rubbing branches also helps increase light and air flow in the tree; intended to improve the health of the tree and encourage new growth.

Use of 3-cut method

We decided to perform a 3 step cut on many of the large branches we were removing from trees around campus. If the branch was significant in length, we started by removing any sub branches that would reduce the weight of the limb. When the branch became a manageable length we were able to perform a 3-cut method; used to prevent tearing underneath the limb. Beginning on the underside of the branch, make a cut a couple feet from the branch collar. The cut should go through approximately half of the branch. The second cut will be made above the first cut, removing that portion of the branch. From here, the remaining piece of the branch can be removed at the branch collar.

It is very important that the cut is made properly; not flush with the tree, but also not leaving too much of the branch remaining. Cutting too closely to the tree can prevent it from healing itself properly which can lead to disease or death. Cutting too far away from the branch collar can also have a similar effect. It is difficult for the tree to heal the area efficiently, and the cut may eventually lead to disease or death. That being said, using proper pruning techniques can help you avoid any of these problems.

Honeysuckle

We were not sure how to prune this plant, but were able to find enough information on google to perform the task. We found mixed results on when this plant should be pruned, but concluded that heavy pruning should be performed in the winter months. The plants ended up needing some thinning by taking out older branches, and also some tipping back on the top to help with form. This is an important part of being a horticulturist. Being unsure of what you should do with a plant is a problem you will run into, but being able to research something can eliminate the issue of not knowing.

Greenhouse Weekend Blog

Camillo and Norna

April 1^st, 2018

Hydrangeas are out; Petunias are in!! The weather is changing outside so that we’re getting longer, warmer days, and we’re not the only ones getting prepared for some major planting!

The last hydrangeas flew out the doors on Thursday and Friday, with some stragglers finding new homes over the weekend by surprise. As illustrated by the pictures above, our greenhouse is half full of seedlings, which will soon need to be potted, and take up almost the entire greenhouse. These plants will be ready for planting and sale by summer, with many already spoken for, since the greenhouse helps to sustain itself through these sales. It’s exciting to have this sort of system, knowing that the demands for plants need to be met for a customer base, and not just the school.

Because of the long weekend, our Sunday was cut in half and shared with Thursday, giving us a significant advantage to getting our tasks done for the weekend, but also a great way to give us some more leisurely pacing for the holiday. We were able to take out a majority of our smaller tasks on the first day to give other, larger tasks more time on later days. Our progression down our list, however, was often interrupted in the first days by the sale, and we were totally ok with that!

A quiet weekend, we spent a large part of our time taking care of the new stock of seedlings and other young plants on top of the usual tasks of watering, and making cuttings and stock baskets. This is a task that can easily be forgotten, and an inventory that can easily get outdated. Just because in our second year we know more about what we’re doing, doesn’t mean plants don’t often die during the propagation process. (Nature is a wonderous and sometimes mysterious thing! Keep that in mind for your own home projects and don’t get discouraged!) We also spent some time consolidating plants into shared pots where need be, and eliminating any with signs of disease or death. It can feel merciless, but we know it’s for the god of the growth of all the other plants to come!

Another task we spent a bit of time on was researching the planting requirements for various seeds. Part of keeping out stock exciting and fresh is playing with new plants and seeing what we are capable of growing. Seeds are exchanged from all over the world and we have the pleasure of getting as many as we can to germinate. As with other forms of propagation, sometimes we do have some that die, but many are very successful and we look forward to potting them in the future!

Not only does it make our inventory more interesting, but watering as well. If you were to visit our greenhouse right now, you would see the two end benches filled with cuttings and seedlings on heat mats, which need plain water because the roots cannot withstand fertilizer in their sensitive state. The geraniums, cannas, and petunias, on the other hand, love the heavy fertilization, and are often thirsty or hungry, especially as they grow larger into the summer months. Finally, many of the other plants take an all-purpose 20-20-20 mix, and having each of these different crops side by side adds an extra element of interest to the morning and evening crop-walking.

With such a variety of plants, one would expect to find a variety of pests. Thankfully, we were able to find only a few, including aphids, which we are already treating with bank-crops and beneficial parasitic wasps, and fungus gnats, which can be expected, to some extent, when plants are over-watered. This can often happen in the greenhouse, especially with so many students looking after the same crops. We were careful to keep the watering to a minimum in these areas, so that some plants would have an opportunity for their soils to dry out between waterings. The aphids we treated with insecticidal soap, and were conveniently able to cut out a lot of pests with our scheduled pinching and trimming of our stock plants.

Weekend Blog Entry

Will and Justin

March 16-18, 2018

Its spring time in the greenhouse, lots going on this weekend. Firstly we sold a ton of hydrangeas on Friday and Saturday a lot of customers are commenting about the face book post that caught their attention and made them want to come buy plants here at the college. During our weekend me and Justin updated the big outdoor sign, hopefully it brings more customers our way! The most popular hydrangea is definitely the early blue although it is not looking very blue at the moment. A lot of the hydrangeas are yet to bloom but customers are still buying them in advance of their bloom. The vanilla sky is the least popular. By the time the weekend was over a lot of the hydrangeas had bloomed that weren’t bloomed at the beginning.

This weekend was also the beginning of the herb and vegetable growing season. There are a ton of small vegetable and herb plants in the early stage of their life. The herbs that are now growing are: common oregano (Origanum vulgare), Italian parsley (Petroselinum crispum), sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum), Cilantro (coriandrum sativum), German winter thyme (Thymus vulgaris), and Bouquet dill (Anethum graveolens). The vegetables that are currently growing in the greenhouse are: Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris), spaghetti winter squash, small sugar pumpkin, Burgess buttercup winter squash, Autumn delight winter squash, Butterscotch hybrid winter squash, and nicotiana perfume mix.

So as you can tell there is a lot going on. Also we are growing baskets for Cuddys and the western fair. These baskets needed to be checked , fertilized and water but the drip lines helped with that. There is a lot of baskets and they seem to be doing well, surely hoping for a juicy return on those baskets. We also had the task of applying slow release fertilizer to the Alocasias and petunias which was much more of a pain than I thought it would be. We attempted to transplant some of the plants from the propagation chamber but none of them had enough roots to withstand the stress of transplanting. We also went through every stock basket and made an underside label for each basket. These labels now help with taking inventory and knowing whats what in the greenhouse. This task was tedious and time consuming but its done now and it will be a great help for anyone who is working in the greenhouse.

A lot of people came in during the weekend to film for their greenhouse project which caused some confusion but the weekend was really calm for the most part. The priva system wasn’t working on Friday but a couple people from the i.t compartment came and fixed it so we could get back to routine. We were selling a lot of plants on Friday and Saturday and found that the slowdown is the wrapping stage, it would be nice to have a stand like for the poinsettias but for hydrangeas instead to support us in the wrapping process.

We transplanted a three stemmed yucca into a larger pot with an existing yucca for the interiorscape. As well we monitored the plants outside the bookstore and In the library, all are well. We also organized the outdoor storage area and cleared out some snow so that it is back to being fully usable. We also did a big clean in the greenhouse, we swept all over the floor and washed it down after plus squeegeed it. It looks great although some chips in the floor really impair its ability to look good and stay dry. The drains were really full of plant material, dirt, etc when we emptied them.

Chris and Rob Weekend Duty

Open House

                We came in Friday knowing roughly what our weekend was going to be like - prepare for the open house! Make this place look great for prospective students and for the public eye! With this in mind we decided to get the majority of the hard and dirty work done on Friday so that we could spend the rest of our day getting cleaned up and ready for Saturday! Between the two of us we managed to water the entire crop specific to their nutritional needs and we fixed the slow release fertilizer on the Alocasia crop – too much had been put on the week before. The way we corrected this mistake was pretty simple, we scraped all of the excessive fertilizer off and put the correct amount of 1 tsp on rather than 1 tbsp. There was an aphid problem in the greenhouse mostly attacking the Tradescanthia - Rob dealt with this problem by removing the Tradescanthia from the hanging baskets. Rob also helped Jeff with the hook up of the trailer wiring on the tractor. We worked until around 1 and then we decided to take lunch, to the Outback Shack! After enjoying our lunch, we headed back to the greenhouse to work the rest of the afternoon. Our Friday afternoon consisted of seeding coleus and portulaca, this took us quite some time because there were roughly 1000 seeds per bottle! We made three trays of 288’s of each plant and put them in the germination chamber. It took us some time because the seeds where so small and hard to work with, we managed though! Throughout the day there were many plant sales, roughly $190 worth of sales! It was nice having customers because it adds another perspective of the business, it’s not only just working in the greenhouse, you get to see the front end as well. We spent the last 2 hours of our day cleaning the greenhouse in preparation for Saturday!

Saturday:

        We arrived on a beautiful morning in anticipation of the Fanshawe College Open House, which showcases our program for perspective students. We started our day by checking the crops ensuring that they all looked happy and full of life. After completing the morning checklist we went into the school and dropped off some hydrangeas by the bookstore corridor to showcase what we have done this year. It got busy quickly with a constant flow of people coming into the greenhouse to talk about the Horticulture Techician program. During the day we had some extra help from the first year students, and with their help we potted some of the Gold Spot Plectranthus and made some new cuttings for the propagation chamber. Over the weekend we had a quota to get 300  pots of the Gold Spot Plectranthus, we managed to get 330 pots and we made an additional 48 cuttings that we put in the propagation chamber. The first year students also helped us clean the algae off of the propagation chamber. The majority of our day though was helping prospective students and selling plants. We had a lot of potential students that came by today interested in the program which took up a lot of our time on Saturday. After the conclusion of the Fanshawe Open House we watered the entire greenhouse as it could have made a hazard having a wet floor during the hours of the open house. After watering the crop we did a quick cleaning before we went home for the evening.

Sunday:

                We arrived ready for our last day of weekend duty; we started by walking the crop and ensuring germination and propagation chambers were all in working order.  We then went into the school before we had to open our cash till for potential customers to check on our plants in the interior of the building.  When we got back to the greenhouse we started by taking cuttings of more Gold Spot Plectranthus as well as transplanting a few that we were unable to pot yesterday. This took us to our first break, after which we potted some Millet seeds and washed some used pots and trays that we put back into storage. Lunch came before we knew it - yay the final greenhouse weekend duty is almost done and to this point the weekend has been a success.  After lunch we completed our E.C and pH testing, which determined that the E.C test was low most likely because of the lack of fertilizer since we are trying to harden the plants off for customers. Also, the pH was low as well but not far off the goal of 1.5. We then started our blog and paperwork that is due at the end of weekend duty. After completing those tasks we cleaned and ensured the crop was watered and healthy.

Overall the weekend was a success; the open house went well with many prospective students attending. We sold many hydrangeas and people were very happy with the selection of succulents and cacti and especially the hydrangea color selection.  As you can see we have a lot of space that has opened up on our benches. But it won’t be long till we have another crop on the go. Thanks for reading, 'till next time…….

Chris and Rob