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shirt-to-dirt gallery

See the visual data we've collected so far!

Simple science version

Laura

Simple Science

Raleigh
North Carolina
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8 weeks

Nov 12, 2023

Janet

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Mississippi
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I planted my #5 linen sample (the control) in a pot of same soil and watered it whenever I had to water deck plants. We are in extreme drought and #1-4 barely degraded. Just add water to highly acidic soil and linen degrades!

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Simple Science

8 weeks

Nov 8, 2023

Laura

Simple Science

Raleigh
North Carolina
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6 weeks

Oct 29, 2023

Janet

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Belden
Mississippi
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Got some precious rain; damp, acidic soil seemed to degrade the fabric. On week #2 I decided to place my control (fabric square 5) in a pot with same soil that was watered whenever my deck plants needed it. I’ll dig it up on week 10 and upload its photo if this site is available.

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Simple Science
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8 weeks

Oct 23, 2023

Laura

Simple Science

Raleigh
North Carolina
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4 weeks

Oct 15, 2023

Christin

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Corinth
New York
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8 weeks

Oct 16, 2023

Dana

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Olathe
Kansas
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8 weeks

Oct 7, 2023

Laura

Simple Science

Raleigh
North Carolina
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2 weeks

Oct 1, 2023

Laura

Simple Science

Raleigh
North Carolina
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Just buried!

Sep 17, 2023

Malia

Simple Science

East Lansing
Michigan
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Linen swatch is completely gone. Same as week 4. Big happy worms are in its place.

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6 weeks

Sep 28, 2023

Janet

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Belden
Mississippi
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So dry here…

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4 weeks

Sep 25, 2023

Sandra

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Savannah
Georgia
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I couldn't find even a scrap left after only 4 weeks. I dug around the entire quadrant but nada.Our weather has been unseasonably cool (but welcome) with some rainfall.

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4 weeks

Sep 24, 2023
Simple science
Linen biodegredation project
Buried Books

buried meditation books

Pam

8 weeks

Panama City
Florida
May 19, 2024

Dug up 5/19/24 wet sandy soil, and sunny at 10:00am. More rain over the 2 weeks than usual. Cloth linen book was wet, and darker but not much difference than 2 weeks ago.

Pam

6 weeks

Panama City
Florida
May 5, 2024

Dug up 9:50 am - Sunny, dry and 78 degrees. No visible bugs. Looks about the same maybe a little darker and holes a little larger.

Pam

6 weeks

Panama City
Florida
May 5, 2024

Dug up 9:50am 5/5/24 sunny 78 degrees. It’s been dry weather for a week or so. Dry sandy soil with no visible bugs, and it looks about the same- maybe a little darker with some holes a little larger.

Pam

4 weeks

Panama City
Florida
April 21, 2024

Dug up 4/21/24 3pm a cloudy day with rain earlier in the morning. 70 degrees with damp sandy soil. No bugs just darker linen, and edges with holes and few holes on the back cover page.

Pam

2 weeks

Panama City
Florida
April 7, 2024

The soil was dry, sandy under a cedar fir tree. Dug up this afternoon sunny out 70 degrees. There were tiny worm like bugs (my husband says termite larvae) on mostly the front and back cover of the book, and fewer on the inside pages. I can see holes eaten in the back cover, and eaten edges of the front flap and some page edges too. Mostly the inside pages look almost same color as when it was made.

Pam

Just made/sewn

Panama City
Florida
March 24, 2024

Pam

Just buried

Panama City
Florida
March 24, 2024

5pm 3/24/2024 Cloudy, temperature 70 degrees, buried 4” deep under outer west facing branches of our big cedar fur tree in backyard.

Pam

Just made/sewn

Panama City
Florida
March 24, 2024

Sunny today, 74 degrees, rain yesterday and we have a sandy soil mix here.

Annie

6 weeks

O'Fallon
Illinois
September 12, 2023

Starting to feel like autumn is blowing in. Consistently having drizzly cool mornings a few day a week. Definitely cooler in the am and still warm in the afternoon. Snow peas are popping up around the dig sight.

Janet

8 weeks

Houston
Texas
September 2, 2023

Very little decomposition. Slight breakdown on edge of wrap.

Emma

8 weeks

Oconomowoc
Wisconsin
August 29, 2023

It hasn't rained much and has been pretty hot here. The book is definitely more stiff and fragile. I am going to replant it in the ground and leave it there to fully decompose now!

Patricia

8 weeks

Minneapolis
Minnesota
August 28, 2023

Dry dry dry. No rain since last digging up of my book 2 weeks ago. Not much life in the dried out soil. Both front & back covers separated from the book, and in tatters. The rest is pretty well intact, with interesting patterns from plant material I tucked inside and from deterioration of fabric. The threads themselves held up well, and the indigo-dyed fabric is most intact.

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