Hydroponic and Vertical Gardens

Funded Oct 4, 2019

Thank you SO much for the amazing gift! My students had never seen a hydroponic system before. They built it in 30 minutes the first time, only to find they out they had to rebuild the bottom so it would sit and drain correctly. They love the idea of putting a seed in and watching a little plant grow. We began by growing three different types of lettuce. Some of them had never tried lettuce, because it was green. They were amazed to find out that different types of lettuce have different flavors.

When the boxes first arrived, I placed them on a table next to the door. Everyone wanted to unpack and build immediately. They were puzzled by the pvc parts for the hydroponics the most, and found it hard to imagine what it would become. They thought the vertical planters and worm house were really neat though. They then went through the seeds and voted on what they wanted to plant first. Strawberries were everyone's favorite. We have tried four times, with seeds from multiple vendors, and have not found the magic touch. Luckily though, no one wants to give up on them. We are keeping track of our trials and still researching ways to get them to germinate.

The most amazing part of teaching students how to garden, and the different ways to grow plants, is watching them harvest and try the food fresh out of the ground. Many of my students have not tried fresh herbs, lettuce, radishes, or even tomatoes. They are amazed at the flavors and how different they taste from store bought produce. The first question they ask is what they are doing that day with the plants, and what can they plant next. We have a list of requests and after each harvest plan out the next batch.

Thank you again for allowing me to experience the reactions of my students when their seeds begin to grow and when they sample their harvest. They all think the worms are gross, slimy and wiggly, but understand how important they are and how much they contribute to healthy food.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Pasarin