The first step

Yesterday, I met with my mentor, Mrs. Holbein at the school to go over my plan for the garden. We covered a lot! I plan to start composting at the school on Monday- in the 4th grade classes and in the Senior Commons. I will introduce the idea of composting and give instructions to everyone as well. This weekend, I will purchase what I will be needing to start composting immediately! No meats, cheeses, or things like twinkies (which, if it has no nutritional value for a human, how can it be beneficial to soil to help sustain a plant?) are allowed in the compost- only left-over foods (bread crusts, banana peels, egg shells, etc) or coffee grounds (as well as the filter). I will be emptying the composts in the senior commons and 4th grade classrooms every day to the larger compost outside near my garden. Today, I got the number for the man who maintains Oakbrook's grounds because I need to collect the grass clippings that accumulate whenever he mows the fields to add to my compost! I also need to start raking and collecting leaves for it. So, I will contact Mr. Clark, hopefully tomorrow, and ask him if he can pile the grass somewhere where I can access it. Tomorrow (Friday), I am going to take a soil sample from the area I plan to have the garden and take it to the Clemson Extension Service so that they can tell me what the soil is lacking. Mrs. Holbein told me it's very important for the soil to have a balance of nitrogen (for the leaves), phosphorous (for the roots), and potassium (energy) for my garden to be successful.

I want to start planting lettuce and broccoli as soon as possible (hopefully sometime next week) with the 4th grade class in small trays and let those plants start to grow. Once I get everything situated with my garden (tilling the ground, adding what needs to be added, and getting my raised beds built), I can trans-plant (is that the right word?) those vegetables into the raised beds. The reason I still need to get the soil tested and the earth tilled is because I want to plant potatoes directly into the ground in February, as well as perhaps some other vegetables. I want to have the experience of having both raised beds and a regular garden straight out of the ground. So, as well as getting the materials for starting the compost, I need to get the seeds this weekend (at the Piedmont Farming Supply) to start growing next week. I was a little worried about growing plants in the winter because I thought that a frost might ruin everything, but Mrs. Holbein assured me that there are ways to protect my "crops"! I feel much more confident about my project and am eager to get started!