Planning: Prep before the beginning of spring quarter…
Aaron, Laura, and Sarah D. discussing plans for coming spring quarter. These three folks seeded the eggplants during the end of winter quarter so that the plants would be ready to get in the ground by the end of spring. Photos by: Oonaugh Foster-Bill
Week #2: MOUSE DAMAGE! We had to choose which seedlings would still be usable for the variety trial after mice ate the tops off several of the newly sprouted eggplants.
Green tag numbers for the different eggplant varieties.Control group eggplant seedlings that were planted a week earlier than the African eggplant varieties. *These were not mouse-nibbled for the most part.Aninna Eggplant variety being grown by the farm for food. Unrelated to the variety trial.Data sheet of eggplant variety heights from base to apical meristem. The plants highlighted with yellow were the ones we had to use that got mouse nibbled. Photos by: Oonaugh Foster-Bill
Week #3: Re-potting our control-group!
Emerson and Sarah Dyer re-potting control-group seedlings in “Week three.” Photos by: Oonaugh Foster-Bill
Week #4: Re-potting the four ‘Gilo’ seedling varieties and collecting seedling data.
Leaf mutation on one of our eggplant seedlings.Sarah Dyer working on re-potting seedlings. Photos by: Oonaugh Foster-Bill
African Eggplant Varieties
28E65MRE73SWE65
Week #6: Beginning bed-prep!
Aphid Damage and Treatment by Sarah Dyer
Top: Soap solution used by Sarah Dyer to kill aphid colonies that grew on the plants. Bottom: Aphid damage on seedlings. Photos by: Oonaugh Foster-Bill
UPDATE: Robust plant growth despite aphids!
Morro Rodondo
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Zebra
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Orient Express
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Comprido verde claro
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Simeon’s white All photos above by: Oonaugh Foster-Bill
Weeding the variety trial bed
Our ‘Gilo’ eggplant bed with the cover crop. Photos by: Aaron ValinCanada thistle in the bed.Thistle and morning glory.Pile of thistle removed.Edge of the field-trial bed.Above are photos of the field-trial bed we spent this week trying to prepare for transplanting in week nine. Photos by: Oonaugh Foster-Bill
Week #7: Hardening-off the seedlings!
Monday — we had our weekly check-in meeting with Laura and Sarah Dyer present to discuss a soil fertilizer plan and finish-off weeding the variety trial bed.
Wednesday — the whole team was there to help discuss plans moving forward and wrapping-up the quarter. To end the meeting we moved all of the seedlings into the open-air green house to harden them off in preparation for transplanting end of week #8 or the beginning of week #9.
seedlings in the green housemoving seedlings to open-air greenhouseleaving the open-air greenhouseThe end of our meeting on Wednesday.Photos by: Oonaugh Foster-Bill
Week #8: Amending the Soil and Bed-Prep
Wednesday—- Measuring the field-plot, and marking our beds/paths with bamboo sticks
Aaron (red shoes), Sarah D. (black cap), Emerson (long hair), Laura (green pants) —- measuring out the beds! Photos by: Oonaugh Foster-Bill
Thursday — using the harrow to smooth out the bed and mix-in the “Perfect Blend” fertilizer. It was very loud and difficult to turn! (Ben Hunsdorfer and Beth the farm manager helped me get it started)
Oonaugh harrowing the beds. Photos by: Aaron Valin
More insect damage—-
Leaf minerDamaged leafThrip and leaf miner damageWe have aphids, thrips, and leaf-miners. Photos by: Oonaugh Foster-Bill
Friday —- tying twine to bamboo stakes to make it easier to make straight furrows for feather meal side-dressing of the beds
Rainy morning, rushing to get field-prep done. I (Oonaugh) had to leave before the rest of the team arrived to finish up adding the feather meal. Photos by: Oonaugh Foster-Bill
Week #9: Laying Down Irrigation/Plastic Mulch and collecting last set of Vigor Data for Spring Quarter!
*Note: Transplanting has been postponed to next week due to cold temperatures
Monday 10am-3:30pm (Irrigation and Plastic Mulch day)
Irrigation tapeAttaching irrigation tape to plastic tubing. We had to do multiple tests to make sure none of our attachments were leaking! Photos by: Oonaugh Foster-Bill
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Laying down plastic mulch after irrigation. First we had to make trenches along the sides of the beds so that we could bury the edges of the plastic. Photos by: Oonaugh Foster-Bill
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Wednesday 1-4:30pm (Vigor Data collection day)
Preparing to collect last set of vigor data. In right photo, left to right is Emerson, Sarah D., Aaron, Laura, and Harry. After we collected vigor data, Arrya and Emerson helped me treat the seedlings with bug-killing soap again. Photos by: Oonaugh Foster-BillFlags labeling our different blocks.Collecting supplies at the tool shed.Labeling flagsLabeling flagsMeasuring out blocks for the four different varieties of eggplant. Photos by: Oonaugh Foster-Bill
