Week 3

When we arrived at ICN this week there was a soil bed all ready and made for us. We were going to plant both Striped Maple and Sugar Maple in these beds. They were hoping that this new method would mimic the likes of a natural environment and find a new way to grow the maple trees.

We first smushed our fingers into the soil and drew a line. Then we filled the little trough with seeds and repeated until we ran out of room. Next we drilled screws into the wooden planks to mark where the rows were. Then we covered the seeds with the soil surrounding them, and covered the whole bed with a think layer of leaves. The leaves act as an insulator from the harsh winter environment. We then laid down a table over the bed to keep the squirrel from getting at the seeds. Who knows what may come from this experiment, but it something cool thats going on, and something to follow up with. 

-Rachel