If you thought I was keeping a garden in my backyard because I love fresh summer produce you’d be only half right. At heart I’m really a big kid who loves to do science experiments, and a garden is nothing less than an outdoor biology lab with ongoing informal research on horticulture, entomology, and botany. If right now you’re thinking that it might be rather predictable for a geneticist to be cross-breeding peas in his backyard, you’d be a lot more than half-right. Over the summer I’m going to conduct a series of experiments in the garden — and none of them will involve Mendelian genetics.

Trial 1 of 8: The Drywall Test

Problem: It has come to my attention that soil ‘enriched’ with common construction refuse, particularly unpainted sheet-rock drywall containing gypsum may have beneficial effects on the plants growing there.

Method: Plots 2, 5, and 8 (approximately twelve foot square and containing a fairly balanced mix of black dirt, peat, and composted manure and garden refuse) will be enriched with varying quantities of crushed drywall and planted with a collection of typical garden plants (potato, tomato, carrots, beans, and leaf lettuce). Quantities of crushed drywall will be set at 0g/sqft (control), 25g/sqft, and 50g/sqft respectively. Results will be monitored.

Hypothesis: Expecting a positive impact on tubers and root plants, but insignificant impact on others.

Expect more reporting over the summer. More experiments to follow soon.