So, I will be using the black oil seeds after all! Funny how things go. I was so reluctant to use them in the beginning, but they just performed too well! Their biomass/grams of seed was three times that of the confection variety and they were very consistent in all Read more
Ok, well, my yellow bucket has been sitting in my locker at school for about 5 weeks now. I have not been using it that much lately as I am quite busy and a bit disorganized these days. The bucket contains a mix of urine, of course, as well as Read more
Well, one day you are growing sprouts and the next day you are measuring them in a laboratory! Day , Monday ended up being measurement day because the sprouts had been growing so well that they had already reached the size they would be outside. In fact, by day 9 Read more
So today is Saturday and I thought I should check on the sprouts even though I wasn’t really planning on going to campus. They made a such huge growth in the last 24 hours it was almost unbelievable. Sprouts were sticking out the side of the trays; the trays were Read more
Well, things are still looking good besides the mess the rats leave behind! The sprouts are now starting to push up on their covering trays so by Monday we should really be able to see where things are at. I can see with some of the higher density plantings that Read more
Well, day four has been reassuring as the sprouts are growing very well, but the rodents were back! I will be really curious to see how production is at the different seed planting densities, especially taking into account the different germination rates for the two seed types. The black oil Read more
So technically, day one is the day I soak the seeds, day two is the day I ‘sow’ the seeds, and day three is, well, the next day after that. The sprout grown on an eleven day cycle. I was a bit nervous about these trials as I can usually Read more
And off we go. I started sprout trials in the horticulture greenhouse at UBC yesterday. Last night I prepared trays of growing medium and soaked seeds to be planted this morning. Everything went according to plan! I have posted three videos and a picture below detailing some of the work Read more
Well, stressed out or not, on the project continues. I met with Professor Andrew Riseman today to discuss my proposal to do some sprouting trials in the greenhouse at UBC. I want to learn more about planting density, soil type and depth, and other growing criteria about the sprouts, so Read more
Well, as much as I love this project and am dedicated to it, I am seriously considering putting it on hold until next season. even though I am already more than a hundred hours into planning this year, it may have to wait. I have a meeting with UBC Farm Read more