BST - Mori Hills Workshop
Compost Experiment
We will be tracking the changes week by week in our composting experiment. You may remember at our workshop, we created two jars of compost using paper, food scraps, cardboard, sticks, and partially composted organic matter. Watch them turn into soil before your eyes! The jars are mixed once a week and are kept in the shade at a cool 24C all day every day.
Day 1: Propagation Instructions
Cloning Rosemary
1.Cut a length of rosemary about 10cm long, being sure to include the woody part of the stem
2.Remove the leaves from the bottom half of the cutting.
3.Scrape the bottom half of the cutting so that the brownish, woody stem is mostly green.
4.Dip the bottom half in honey – this will help prevent mold.
5.Fill a pot halfway with coconut coir (or soil).
6.Saturate with water but don’t flood it.
7.Stick the bottom half of the cutting into the mixture.
8.Cover the pot with clear wrap and poke a few holes in for air circulation.
9.Keep the pot moist and you will see your cutting become a new rosemary plant with its own root system in 3-4 weeks!
Propagating Ginger
1.Cut a piece of ginger off of the main root mass, make sure it contains at least one growth point – a shoot or frond. Use a sterilized knife or sharp scissors to prevent infection.
2.Fill a pot halfway with coconut coir (or soil).
3.Saturate with water but don’t flood it.
4.Push the ginger piece into the mixture, covering it slightly.
5.Cover the pot with clear wrap and poke a few holes in for air circulation.
Keep the pot moist and you should see a new ginger plant growing in a few weeks!
Day 1: Microgreen Seeding & Care
1.Start with a pair of paper cups, cut in half horizontally.
2.Punch 6 holes in the bottom of one of the cups.
3.Add 2-3cm of coconut coir to the bottom of the cup with holes.
4.Use the cup with no holes to press down on the coconut coir to form an even surface.
5.Apply one spoonful of seeds to the coconut coir in an even layer. Avoid seed overlap or piling.
6.Wet the seeds with 3 sprays of water.
7.Lay a piece of parchment paper over the top of the cup with the seeds and holes in it.
8.Use the other cup to press down into the seeds.
9.Use tape to secure the cups together for germination.
10.Leave the cups taped together and let the seeds germinate – about 3 days. Store them in a cool, dry place.
11.On the 4th day, remove the top cup and parchment paper.
12.Flip the cup with no holes upside down and tape it once more to the top of the seeded cup for the ‘black-out’ period.
13.Leave the seeds in black-out for 2 days.
14.On the 6th day, remove the top cup, then place the cup with seeds into the cup with no holes. This will be used to hold water from below – IMPORTANT – do not water the greens from above.
15.Add ½ cm of water to the bottom cup each day. Keep it in a cool, dry place for 5-8 days.
16.Harvest by cutting the greens at the base of the stem above the coconut coir.
Day 2: Compost
Day 2: Soil
Day 3: Common Companion Plants
1. Tomatoes and Basil: Basil repels pests like aphids, whiteflies, and hornworms, enhancing tomato growth and flavor.
2. Carrots and Onions: Onions deter carrot flies, while carrots help aerate the soil for onions.
3. Beans and Corn: Beans fix nitrogen in the soil, which benefits corn, and corn provides support for bean vines.
4. Cucumbers and Nasturtiums: Nasturtiums repel cucumber beetles and aphids, protecting cucumbers.
5. Lettuce and Radishes: Radishes help loosen the soil for lettuce roots, and they can deter pests from lettuce.
6. Cabbage and Dill: Dill attracts beneficial insects that prey on cabbage pests like caterpillars.
7. Peas and Carrots: Peas fix nitrogen in the soil, benefiting carrot growth, and carrots help loosen the soil for peas.
8. Spinach and Strawberries: Spinach provides ground cover to keep the soil cool and moist for strawberries.
9. Marigolds and Melons: Marigolds repel nematodes and other pests, protecting melon plants.
10. Rosemary and Beans: Rosemary repels bean beetles and other pests that can harm bean plants.