The Requirments to grow Hardy Kiwis

The Kiwi plant is a long term project. They are called perennial plants because if they are cared for in the right way, they can live longer then 2 years and up to 50 years. A Hardy Kiwis size is determined by the trellis/support structure that helps it grow. Kiwi's prefer full sun to light shade. they can grow to zone 5 on the hardiness scale. The flowering period is late May/Early June which works well for our garden and the school semester. The soil must be well-drained because Hardy Kiwi's are prone to a disease called Root Rot. You can use seeds but it is better to use cuttings and grafts to start your plants.

The first growing season for Kiwi's is the hardest. It is recommended that you plant them in a 5 gallon bucket with many holes on the bucket to keep the soil well-drained.

It is recommended to apply compost to the hole when planting the kiwi's to give them the nutrients they need. I must plant the Kiwis 4-5 feet apart because these vines they can grow crazy if they are not cared for and pruned correctly. I can use a fence as a trellis or I can make one myself. Once you plant the Kiwi, you prune back the stem 2 buds to encourage development. After they begin to grow, you choose the largest as your main body of the vine. Using wire or a stake, you train the main body to climb up the fence. Once the vine has reached the height, you prune off the growing tip and when shoots begin to form from, you use them for the main branches of the plant.

Reading Reflection

This reading was very interesting and it helped build my view of our impact on the world. After reading that paper, I have come to notice our major need for oil as a daily necessity. This fixation must be destroyed as fast as we can before we see the world fall apart around us. The reading points out many places in our current government that can be fixed to better help the health of our country and its citizens.

The first thing I think that the government should do is start caring out quality over quantity instead of the latter which is why many Americans are overweight. What caught my eye the most was the fact that if all U.S. citizens didn't eat meat 1 day of the week, then we would be the equivalent, in carbon saved, of taking 20 million mid size sedans off the road for a year. This just shows how much oil is used to produce the meat we depend so strongly on.

America has always been about industialization and made the population believe that farming and agriculture was a poor mans job. I agree with the author that the goverment should start doing the opposite, we need more farmers to create farms with more biodiversity then the farms we have today. Today's farms are made to produce as much of a certain product for super cheap prices. By using organic methods of farming and organic and natural pesticides, we can produce healthy crops and cattle.

Relatives in agriculture

Well during my research of my family, I found out that noone on my either parents side of the family were in agriculture. On my fathers side, everyone was either a businessman or a seamstress. On my mother's side, her father was a engineer and her mother was a teacher.

My Expectations from Enviromental Science

I am really looking forward to this semester in Enviromental science. I have always have had a passion for the earth and biology. I really hope to learn more about how we can interact with the enviroment and the creatures that live here. I also am looking forward to working on the garden and planting some cool fruits and veggies.