Framingham Nature Blog - Desktop Gar...

I started a garden on my desk last month. It uses my incandescent desk lamp for light. This is simply because I can't garden outdoors in the winter. I am growing Strawberries, Eastern White Pine , Flowers, Dragon fruit, Thyme, Garlic, Blueberries, and Aquatic Plants. I am stratifying Potatoes, Bald Cypress, Pitch Pine, and Native Flower Seeds. Stratifying is the process of cooling a seed for several months to "Trick" it into thinking winter has passed. Some seeds (Especially ones from around here) have evolved to go dormant over the winter, and sprout in spring.

Potatoes:

I am saving a bunch of potatoes, to become next year's potato plants. Potatoes can sprout and root, giving the plant the ability of asexual reproduction, Since a potato is an exact genetic clone of the plant that made it. This means all the russets that are sprouting in my closet have the EXACT same DNA as the russet I started in March. Potatoes also produce flowers and seeds, but most farmers start the next year's crop with the smaller potatoes from the previous year, called "seed potatoes" to ensure it has the same genes.

As well as russet, I am also trying "Yukon Gold". Yukon gold is a yellow flesh potato. I obtained mine from local grocery stores and Hanson's Farm. My largest one, for some reason, has been absolutely exploding with sprouts. All my other potatoes are slowly getting greener and greener, and are still pretty much dormant, While the "Yukon Giant" keeps progressing toward becoming a green, leafy plant. In November. I am worried that I will have a massive, demanding potato plant in the fall, And will not be able to take care of it all the way up to the spring. The smaller, more dormant potatoes in my closet are much more manageable. I will say, though, that watching the Yukon Giant develop has been interesting.

Oct 10th

Oct 15th

Oct 30th

Nov 15th

It has been through multiple temporary, experimental pots, setups, etc. It was at one point resting in a clay pot, with it's roots dangling down, into a vase filled with water and fertilizer. It didnt react well to that though, because two days later, the roots were brown and dead. It will get a second chance though, in the

Strawberries

A month ago, I decided to dig up the strawberry plants and bring them inside, which i realize now was unnesessary because strawberries are native, and have evolved to go dormant and can survive a cold, Massachusetts winter. Strawberries arent a tropical plant like my tomatoes are. It's too late now though, because they definitely wouldn't survive being transplanted in a time of year when every night reaches freezing temperature. Most of my strawberries died in the first week of being indoors, but the 2 or 3 plants that did make it are now doing well and are growing new leaves and runners. I recently added a Juniper seedling and a small raspberry plant to take up the empty space where most of the plants had died.

Oct 13th

Oct 30th

Nov 15th

Poppies, Teasel, and Morning Glory

My cousin Nick sent me a package of seeds last month, some of which I planted, and some of which i am saving for springtime. I have planted the Dipsacous Teasel, Morning Glories, and California Poopies. I moved the most healthy, tallest looking plants from each flower, and planted them in one, slightly larger pot. Consolidation. This unfortunately was too much of a change for the poopies, and they died after a few days. I now only have Morning Glories and Teasel left.