Mr. Hank’s Corner 3/19
- Bella Mente Charter
- Mar 19, 2018
- 3 min read
Pollinators Part 3
I have been just touching on pollinators over the last few editions of Mr. Hank’s Corner and just giving a slight look into this very important part of our world. Back in 2015 I had a chance to speak at a conference on behalf of The Green School Alliance and BMMA on this important subject. I called it, “The Birds and the Bees.” Kind of fitting isn’t for a talk on pollinators wouldn’t you say?
What you grow in your garden and what kind of seeds you plant play a huge part in attracting pollinators. Today, there is so much talk about GMO food, seeds and the damage it has done towards our food systems that it is also important for the home gardener not to use these types of seeds when planting in your own garden. It is more than likely that the average person will not be able to get their hands on GMO seeds because most of these seeds tend to go to the large agriculture companies. Still however, best practice would be to look for seeds labeled organic, heirloom, hybrid or open pollinated. Also, limit the use of pesticides in your own garden by applying soap and water to plants with aphids, purchase ladybugs, learn to companion plant and also rotate your crops within your garden beds.
So you may ask what are heirloom seeds? Think about heirloom rings, same concept. These seeds have been passed down from generation after generation and the most common seeds you will find are tomato seeds. Varietals include, Black Krim and Cherokee Purple just to name a couple.
Hybrid seeds are those typically more resistant to pest and disease and have been cross pollinated. The term “hybrid,” which you’ll often see in seed catalogs, refers to a plant variety developed through a specific, controlled cross of two parent plants. These such as Flame Star orange cauliflower will also have F1 next to it and can be found in catalogs such as Johnny Selected Seeds. Typically these plants will only grow for 1 season making you to have to go out and buy more of these seeds
I mentioned in part 2 some of the companies I suggest to purchase seeds from. Prices are good and if you plant heirlooms you could save your own seeds and start your own seed library.
I hope you found this 3 part series to be helpful as we continue to do our part at BMMA from planting natives like the California Poppy shown below or as many heirloom and organic seeds as possible. Happy gardening.
Spring Break is upon next week and I have been speaking to your child about 5210 Everyday San Diego. You may wonder what this is? 5210 stands for 5 fruits or veggies everyday, 2 hours or less of recreational screen time each day, 1 hour or more of physical activity each day, 0 sugary drinks and drink more water each day. Students are excited to want to eat more fruits and veggies and have said they are excited to get out and be more physical over this spring break. Here is a link for more information on this amazing initiative. https://sdcoi.org/resources/5210-everyday/ Here is a 5 day challenge to keep you all healthy and strong during the week and if it is raining not a problem. This will also help keep your child ready for their upcoming Physical Education testing.
Monday 5 push ups (either traditional, against a wall or at your desk.)
Tuesday 10 jumping jacks,
Wednesday 20-30 minute family walk through your neighborhood,
Thursday 20 sit ups and stretch that body out by reaching high to the ceiling and finally
Friday last day grab yourself an extra 30 minutes of time outside. Maybe do some weeding over the week or take that walk down at the beach, walk your dog if you have one.
Starting your day with a good stretch by reaching for the ceiling is a great way to get the body limbered up and what is a great way to get your digestive system working (your 2nd brain) properly is start your day with 12-20 ounces of room temperature water. Remember too, for every cup of coffee we drink we need to drink 8 ounces of water. Your body is already cooled down from sleeping during the night, so getting that body going with some room temperature water may have been exactly what the doctor ordered.
Here is a link as well for things to possibly do over spring break. https://www.trolleytours.com/san-diego/spring-things-to-do
Enjoy your time off and away from school. See you when you return.
Mr. Hank
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