Week 8 - Botany 1: Intro to Botany Class (part b)

Time in: 9am
Time out: 12am

Plant Processes



Seeds swell when dampened which breaks its dormant state. Roots come out and create root hairs which is the primary source for the uptake of water.

2 basic hormones a plant has are auxins and gibberellins.

Auxins are produced in the apical meristem. It controls lengthening of the stem and also inhibits lateral bud growth. Apical dominance can be controlled by removing the tip

Giberellins control internode elongation, dormancy, flowering and other processes.

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants capture the energy of the sun and convert it to chemical energy. This process generally happens in leaves.

6CO2 + 6H2O + energy = C6H12O6 + 6O2

(Carbon Dioxide + water + sun = sucrose + oxygen )

Respiration is the process by which cells release stored energy for uses.

C6H12O6 + 6O2 = 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy

(stored food + oxygen = water vapor + stored energy)

Transpiration is the process of movement of water through the roots, stems and leaves.

Plant Progress - Oct. 25th

These green-manure plants are growing so fast that I'm considering a second allotment of them. Especially the cereal rye since the directions suggest that I wait no longer than 12 inches in height before I till them into the soil. It's fun to see the almost immediate changes every week.

Aquadulce Fava Bean

Braco Mustard

Cereal Rye

Crimson Clover

Week 7 Arroyo Seco Park

Alnus rhombifolia
(A tall White Alder growing under the historic
Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena)

Time in: 9am
Time out: 12pm

This was my first visit to the Arroyo Seco Park, the largest park in the South Pasadena area, and I was thoroughly impressed. The CNPS native plant walk was led by two very knowledgeable and organized women. One of them focused on the scientific and European practices of each plant while the other chimed in with her knowledge of Native American uses. They did a wonderfully thorough job and it was clear they enjoyed sharing their knowledge with us.

Here are just some highlights of what must have been around 40+ species of plants we were introduced to:

Rosa canina
(Rose hips)




Datura stramonium
(Jimson weed)



Cucurbita palmata
(Coyote Gourd)



Stellaria spp.
(Chickweed)



Claytonia perfoliata
(Miner's Lettuce)



Ribes aureum
(Golden currant)



Rubus ursinus
(California blackberry)



Acacia baileyana
(Bailey's acacia)

Week 7 Botany 1: Introduction to Botany (part a)

Time in: 9am
Time out: 12:15pm

Today was the first official class for Botany 1 at the Huntington. We went over a brief analysis of the terms, general functions and types of diversity that consist in plant cells, plant tissues and plant organs. Here are just a few highlights:

Plant cells:

The primary cell wall, which is the outside structure of the cell, holds all the needed living organisms of the cell inside. It is used for protection and is made of cellulose.

The vacuole (the clear, bubble-shaped looking structures within the plastic cell model) are frequently filled with water and keeps the cell plump, also known as turgor pressure.

The nucleus (the yellow oval inside the cell model) is the DNA of the plant cell.



Plant tissues:

Apical (or primary) meristems leads to elongation of the plant. This is also where new cells form and are rapidly dividing.

Lateral (or secondary) meristems creates the width of the plant. This can lead to thickening in stems and roots. It helps to create wood.





Plant organs:

The three main organs of the plant are its roots, stems and leaves.

The root hairs grow out of the epidermis and is responsible for taking in water. Root hairs develop within a day of germination.

The root cap simply protects the very tip of the roots.

Roots absorb water and dissolved minerals, store food and water, and anchor the plant.


Next week, we will continue our talk about plant organs, discuss the functions and diversity of stems and leaves, and move on to plant processes.

Plant Progress - Oct 17th

The green manure plants are looking healthy and vigorous. They survived the two day rains and the 90 degree heat that immediately followed. The Fava beans have also come up!

Aquadulce Fava Beans

Braco Mustard

Cereal Rye

Crimson Clover

There were a few holes in the Crimson Clover patch, which I suspect are squirrels, so I decided to lay down some chili pepper flakes - a trick I learned from last spring's tomato patch project.


And while I was doing that, Jared planted some winter veggies in the newly mulched narrow plots. We decided on broccoli, beets, lettuce and spinach. Sounds like a nice winter stew!

Plant Progress - Oct. 5th

I planted the seeds on Monday, October 5th and by Saturday, October 10th, they started sprouting! It's always exciting to see the first sprouts come up.

Braco Mustard


Cereal Rye



Crimson Clover

The Aquadulce Fava Beans have yet to come up. It has been about 5 days since I have visited the plot and two of them were pretty rainy. Of course now they are saying the teperature will climb back into the 90's. I will be checking in on everything today and because of the quick weather changes we've been experiencing, I'm a little anxious. they only just started sprouting so I hope they are making it through ok...

Week 6 (part 2) - Botany I Class Orientation

Time in: 9am
Time out: 12pm

In between the Conservatory and the Children's Garden there is a building called the Botanical Auditorium. Among many other events (including the annual orchid show that will be held this weekend), this is were the Huntington's Botany classes for interested volunteers take place. These classes are given primarily for those who wish to become docents.

Today was a day to acquaint ourselves with this building, our teachers and our fellow classmates. The lower floor consists of an auditorium (where our classes are held), a volunteer room, offices and a botanical library. the upper floor consists of more offices and classrooms. We were introduced to a very knowledgeable staff who invited us to ask them questions whenever we felt the need.

Botany classes are divided into 3 sections with 2 classes per section. The first section (Botany 1) is called Introduction to Botany. The second section (Botany 2) is called Plant Diversity. The third section (Botany 3) is an optional course (some of the gardens requires it, such as the cactus department, others do not) and is called Plant Adaptation. After these courses, volunteers then take another set of classes that are specifically required for their field. Currently, they are only offering courses in the camellia, rose and desert gardens because these gardens are the most in need of volunteers at this time.

Everyone I met so far is friendly, helpful and interested, which will make for a good time in class!

Here's a picture of the orange orchard located right next to the Botanical Auditorium. These orange trees are the original trees that have been here since Mr. Huntington bought the property.

Week 5 (part 3) - Last Year's Food Scraps

Time in: 4pm
Time out: 6:30pm

A year has gone by since I we first started to fill the compost bin. I figured that now is the perfect time to use it. We had just enough to fill up the grape-vine plot (located behind the shed) and the narrow aisles that run along the north and east ends of the main 8 x 8 square foot garden. Jared had a great idea to plant winter veggies in these plots. There is not too much to discuss here, just a lot of digging, pickaxing, shoveling, mixing and filling. Would've taken twice as long without Jared around.

Week 5 (part 2a) - Soil Testing

Time in: 2pm
Time out: 3pm

Knowing that lab testing would take some serious dough, I decided to purchase a simple soil testing kit. These are available at any nursery, very affordable ($17.99 at Osh) extremely easy to use, and they give you enough equipment to use the kit multiple times. Of course, I'm not sure if I can count on any extreme sense of accuracy, however, this kit will at least give me an idea on how my soil is doing on general terms.

I first started off with the pH. The results looked quite neutral. This is no surprise since soil the our area consists primarily of clay, resulting in more alkalinity. It's good to know that there isn't overabundant alkalinity in the soil.


The results for the Nitrogen (N), Potash (K), and Phosphorus (P) tests:



I waited about 48 hours until I tested the N, K and P from the soil sample since the directions requested to only test the water. The water, in turn, has to be as clear as possible. Since my backyard is full of clay soil, it took quite a while for the soil to settle and even still, the water was quite murky. Does waiting 48 hours to test effect the soil? Does the still-murky soil effect the color of the results? These are questions I keep in mind when considering the findings.

Generally speaking, the first sample looks as though there is a sufficient amount of Nitrogen. What surprises me is the Potash (K) and the Phosphorus (P). I always thought that our soil in the valley is devoid of all nutrients. Is this just a myth? What should I do when there is a surplus involved?

Week 5 (part 2) - Soil Testing

Time in: 3pm
Time out: 4pm

Since I live in Pasadena, I wanted to find the closest soil testing lab to my place. Turns out there's one just a few blocks away, on N. Lake Ave called Sassan Geosciences Inc. I gave them a call and asked for a quote. Depending on what I wanted them to test for, the quote started off with a "few hundred to fifty thousand dollars".

The closest soil lab I found near Pierce is Brownfield Subs Lab. Here is the address: Pierce is Brownfield Subs Lab Canwood St.Agoura Hills, CA 91301 (818)597-1448

Of course, I'm sure there are also soil testing labs located in several universities in the California area. It was difficult, however, to figure out which ones tested for the public and at a reasonable rate.

Through an Eaton Canyon bird walk I took a few weeks back, I had the pleasure of meeting a very friendly woman who works for NASA. She helps with environmental restoration and clean up with land that dealt with rocket testing. I asked her if she can suggest any labs or sites she uses. "For environmental samples," She replied, "We are required to use laboratories approved by the California Department Public of Health (CDPH) and the Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP). The website provides an Excel spreadsheet of approved laboratories."

Although the Univeristy of Rhode Island is nowhere near Pasadena, Ca, I came across a pdf file of theirs which was chalk full of information on their URI soil testing lab. It gave me a general idea on what labs do and it was very easy to understand.

And of course there was the National Sustainable Agriculture InforService (ATTRA) another slew of good information. Their labs focus on "a range of soil testing labs and supplies that support the special analytical needs of farmers using organic or sustainable production methods."

Week 5 - ...In With the New II

Time in: 5:15pm
Time out: 7:15pm

Another useful resource I learned about when visiting the L.A. Arboretum Library was their plant information phone number (located at the bottom of the library link). I gave it a try when I couldn't quite figure out when and how long to water after sowing the seeds.

Initially, they suggested, hand-watering a couple minutes every day is the best thing to do. The seeds need to be kept moist at all times in order to sprout. However, since I no longer live in the area, I have to rely on my irrigation system to do it for me.

This made me reevaluate my set-up. Is the water pressure from my single sprinkler enough to keep the soil moist?

When I visited the plot Monday night, I figured the first thing to do was to remove the remaining tomato plant (goodbye summer, hello fall) till and hand water the soil, then sow the seeds. I decided the best way to sow them was by alphabetical order: Aquadulce Fava Beans in the north-west square, Braco Mustard to its right, Cereal Rye below the fava beans, then Crimson Clover on the south-east square.

After the seeds were sown, I checked the water pressure on my sprinkler. I have a slight suspicion that it just isn't quite enough to do the job on its own. To be sure, I decided to test it out for the week.