Thursday, September 16, 2010

Some notes on harvesting:
-When harvesting, take bigger, older leaves on the lower part of the plant first.
-For each plant, up to about half of the leaves can be removed without affecting the plant’s vitality too much.  However some time should be allowed after harvesting for the plant to recover.
-The choice is yours whether to harvest the entire plant at once or to pick leaves off over time.  I couldn’t imagine a recipe with a whole plant of Cilantro in it, so the latter option would most likely be ideal.
-The remaining stalk and dirt can be composted, so if it’s convenient please return that with the pot at the farmer’s market.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Some pointers

Hey all,

I'm glad all of you decided to be a part of this project and increase sustainability on and off campus.  The following are a few tips about some basic plant care which will ensure a tasty harvest.

-Water the plants every couple of days or so, or if the soil starts to dry out.  Use a few cups of water or until water comes through the holes in the bottom of the pot.  Be careful though because water should run through the bottom during and after watering, so make sure the pot is on a plate or something.
-Make sure not to water too frequently because the roots need oxygen to survive.
-The plants can be kept on a balcony, in a yard, near a window, etc.  Just be sure that they are getting at least a couple hours of direct sunlight everyday.
-Don’t let the plants get too hot (>30 degrees) or cold (<10 degrees).  Ideal temperatures would be a typical indoor temperature (15-20 degrees).
-If your plants get bugs on them, that doesn’t mean you have to throw them away, you can instead simply put the plant under a water faucet and remove the pests by force.  This of course comes down to personal preference.

I hope this helps, and let me know if there are any more specific questions.  I'll post about harvesting soon.