Science in the Garden

I've just finished three courses on Futurelearn exploring Citizen Science and its role in sustainable food production, gardening, and climate change monitoring.  The courses,Grow From Soil To Sky  Grow Earth Sensor  Grow Soil To Food were very interesting, informative, and inspiring.  One of the things that came out of the courses was the realization that there isn't a lot of science focused on small scale food production.  As we start moving toward a more sustainable, less climate damaging  way of producing food we are going to need some good science to help us make good decisions.  So I'm launching my own science project that I hope will become a Citizen Science project and help develop a scientific approach to sustainable food production.

Purpose – Identify growing methods that increase or maintain soil organic matter, water retention, nutrient balance, and nutrient availability at my location in East-Central Ohio.

Procedures

1. Create 3 parallel garden plots 10ft x 15 ft in the same location, one using standard tillage method, one using French Intensive method (see New Organic Grower), and one using deep mulch low/no till method.
2. Identify an undisturbed area in the same location to be the control.
3. Take a soil sample from across the three plots after initial clearing but before amending and gave soil test done on the sample.
4. Amend soil across all three plots per soil test recommendations.
5. Set up plots in accordance with the standard for the each of the three methods.
6. Record any additional inputs.
7. Install soil moisture probe in each of the plots and in the control
8. Install weather station in area of the plots to record location specific weather (temp hi/lo, precipitation, wind, humidity)
9. Plant selected crops across the three plots.
10. Maintain each plot and crops for the growing season using methods specified for each plot.
11. Test soil from each plot at the start of each growing season

Plot Layout

Each plot will be a 10 ft x 15 ft rectangle with the long side running up the slope. The plots will be laid out side by side. Planting beds within the plots will run across all three plots so that I can plant the same crops in the same profile on the slope. I will have 4 beds.

Crops

One bed each of corn, sweet potatoes, and winter squash plus one bed divided into sections for the polyculture experiment.

Sensors

1. soil moisture/temp sensor from http://www.wirelesstag.net/index.html 
2. weather station from Ambient Weather https://www.ambientweather.com/amws1400ip.html. 

Data
As data become available I will post it on new pages