I teach four sections of 10th grade Earth and Space Science this year at a public charter school where I have been teaching for eleven years. I feel like the luckiest teacher on the planet. We get to learn about my darling planet and it’s place in the universe for a whole school year. We started the year learning about…
Tag: regenerative gardening
The Squash Bug War – and cultivating a truce with other species
Now I remember why I have never successfully grown squash in New Mexico. At our last house, squash plants were killed so early and so quickly by the squash bugs that I hardly remember having squash in my garden at all. Here at the Mothership garden, I began the season in pleasant forgetfulness, and by the end of July I…
Soil Testing for Science Hacks – Part II: The Number
After a long wait, my Year 1 soil test results are in. Note: although there are some great soil tests you can do yourself – see the pictures in this post – the soil test results I will now share are from Colorado State University’s Soil, Water and Plant testing Laboratory. All of the researching, sampling, mailing and waiting while…
Carbon Imports Part II – The Dark Side
Back in February I posted about adding carbon in the form of compost or mulch to a young garden. Importing carbon in the beginning of a new garden’s life helps it establish. But it bears repeating that the carbon you import should be local, and your imports should be ever diminishing. Why? Let’s think about all the carbon we are…
Introduction
Perhaps you have noticed that climate change is now the mother of all looming threats. And perhaps, like me, you have had the same thought over and over again during recent years: I don’t think I am doing enough, I don’t think we are doing enough. And deep down, you know this thought is accurate. We should all be reacting…