School Garden Week of March 18th, 2024

This is a weekly look at what is happening in the school garden to assist teacher educators engage their students in agriculture.  It can be used by garden students of all ages however!

Send me some pics!  I know we have some growing going on right now!


Guess what?  The online modules to support Growing Teachers Throughout the Seasons are LIVE!! You can access them HERE, or check out the go link  –> go.osu.edu/GTS


First up a weather report to get us through the week for planning on our season extension:


Outside in the raised beds:

Hopefully you had a chance to plant and harvest last week.  We have some colder weather this week.   I do not recommend any outdoor work this week unless it warms up better than the prediction says.  Lots of opportunity next week to plant and harvest.

Once we get to the 50 degree days and the plants start to increase their growth rate, we will need to fertilize using either the Shake and Feed or the pink crystals that mix in with water that you got from Katie, not the Aerogarden fertilizer.  Make sure to follow the label instructions. Check for your fertilizers now, and if you do not have any, then contact Katie.

This week:

  • Monday – Friday look pretty cold for working in the beds.  We have some overnight lows that are really cold.  Make sure that your season extension garden cover is protecting your plants.

Once the warmer weather gets here, plus the extra sunlight, we anticipate fast growth of the outdoor veggies.

Have questions about how your plants are doing or if they are big enough to harvest?  Just send me questions and pictures to mcdermott.15@osu.edu


Inside under LED lights:  

We should have some good growth in the 2″ pots. You may need to start fertilizing your plants under the LED lights.  Add fertilizer to the bottom watering according to the package directions.  Email me or Katie if you have questions. Here is a bottom watering video to guide you if you have questions. 

All of the seedlings we are planting now can will be able to be transplanted outside later on, or if you want to let them grow indoors until they are harvested you can do that too.  Collard greens may get too large under the lights so plan on a later transplant date.


Inside in the Aerogarden:

Hopefully your tomatoes are doing great.  Let me know if you have any questions or problems.  CLICK HERE for the Aerogarden tomato planting guide. If you need tomato pods then contact Katie.

I have heard that some schools have tomato plants that are growing very slowly.  If you have a slow growing tomato plant, gently lift up the tray of the Aerogarden to check on root growth.  Take a picture of the roots to email to me and Katie, then gently replace the tray back onto the Aerogarden. We are trying to investigate why some tomato plants are growing slower than others.  One other thing to do is make sure that you shake your fertilizer bottle before you add fertilizer so that the fertilizer is mixed before you add some to the reservoir. 

Basic Aerogarden Tomato Planting

  • Plant just one tomato pod in the Aerogarden Harvest.
  • Keep the small plastic dome on the pod until germination.
  • Remove the small plastic dome after the seed sprouts.
  • Thin to only one tomato plant in the system.
  • Keep the other holes covered with the black or white plastic caps to keep light from entering into the reservoir with the nutrient system.

 

If you started in January you should have some tomato seedlings coming up.  Make sure to thin to one tomato plant per pod and with the Aerogarden Harvest, it is best to only have one in the system although I have seen some teachers do two.  Keep in mind if you keep two growing, they will use up water twice as fast and you will need to check and add water twice as much!

The Aerogarden website has a tremendous amount of content to assist with maintenance of the units, troubleshooting problems, or how to take care of the plants in the system.

 

Hopefully you have some good tomato growth in your Aerogarden. Once the yellow flowers open up, have your kiddos pollinate them according to Aerogardens instructions.

Do you need seeds or seed starter for your project?  Contact Katie.

Any questions about your growing?  Email me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu

Spring Gardening Basics Class at The Urban Farm Church on Wednesday March 20th, 2024 @ 6pm

Spring Gardening is here!  We are getting some sun and some nice weather.  Right now is the time to start thinking about planning and planting.  What seeds can we put outside and what do we need to start indoors under lights for transplanting?  What about soil testing? What can we do right NOW! All this will be addressed at The Urban Farm Church on 3/20 at 6pm.  This class is free and open to the public but does require registration (so they know how many snacks to make!) so bring your friends and your questions!  If the weather is nice we can do a little garden walk too!

CLICK HERE to Register

It is leafy green and brassica time!

You can also use the QR code to Register

You can learn more about The Urban Farm Church HERE plus find directions to the class (lots of free parking!) HERE

School Garden Week of February 26th, 2024

This is a weekly look at what is happening in the school garden to assist teacher educators engage their students in agriculture.  It can be used by garden students of all ages however!

Send me some pics!  I know we have some growing going on right now!


First up a weather report to get us through the week for planning on our season extension:


Outside in the raised beds:

What an odd Ohio weather weekend.  Snow on Saturday, Sun on Sunday!  The good news is that the future predictions look pretty darn good for growing.  Once we get to the 50 degree days and the plants start to increase their growth rate, we will need to fertilize using either the Shake and Feed or the pink crystals that mix in with water that you got from Katie, not the Aerogarden fertilizer.  Make sure to follow the label instructions. Check for your fertilizers now, and if you do not have any, then contact Katie.

Make sure you do not try to open your season extension garden cover if it is frozen! It will tear and decrease its ability to protect the plants.

This week:

  • Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday – Great rainfall for growing.  Good days to take a harvest if it is not too stormy outside.
  • Wednesday night – gets cold again,  make sure your raised beds are covered up tight.
  • Thursday/ Friday – looks a little chilly to harvest.

If you did not get a chance to plant spinach and kale last fall,  you will have an opportunity to plant next week.  I will add that to next weeks email.  If you need spinach and kale seeds please contact Katie. 

Have questions about how your plants are doing or if they are big enough to harvest?  Just send me questions and pictures to mcdermott.15@osu.edu


Inside under LED lights:  

We should have some good growth in the 2″ pots. You may need to start fertilizing your plants under the LED lights.  Add fertilizer to the bottom watering according to the package directions.  Email me or Katie if you have questions. 

 

This month’s seed starting under LED lights is collard greens.   If you and your kiddos really liked the bok choy and you have the space under your lights and have some bok choy seed left then you can plant that as well. It can be a little crowded under the lights right now!  Make sure you have some space to start your collard greens however as they will need started indoors now for a spring harvest.   Email questions to me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu

We have been creating videos to support this project and have 4 done so far at our OSU Extension County YouTube channel.  We get lots of questions about seed starting under the LED lights.  Check out the video below for a super quick, kid-safe (can show in class to your kiddos) seed starting video using the materials you have for the pilot:  The same technique as for kale in the video below works for spinach, collard greens, lettuce, and bok choy.  

 

 

All of the seedlings we are planting now can will be able to be transplanted outside later on, or if you want to let them grow indoors until they are harvested you can do that too.  Collard greens may get too large under the lights so plan on a later transplant date.


Inside in the Aerogarden:

Hopefully your tomatoes are doing great.  Let me know if you have any questions or problems.  CLICK HERE for the Aerogarden tomato planting guide. If you need tomato pods then contact Katie.

Basic Aerogarden Tomato Planting

  • Plant just one tomato pod in the Aerogarden Harvest.
  • Keep the small plastic dome on the pod until germination.
  • Remove the small plastic dome after the seed sprouts.
  • Thin to only one tomato plant in the system.
  • Keep the other holes covered with the black or white plastic caps to keep light from entering into the reservoir with the nutrient system.

 

If you started in January you should have some tomato seedlings coming up.  Make sure to thin to one tomato plant per pod and with the Aerogarden Harvest, it is best to only have one in the system although I have seen some teachers do two.  Keep in mind if you keep two growing, they will use up water twice as fast and you will need to check and add water twice as much!

The Aerogarden website has a tremendous amount of content to assist with maintenance of the units, troubleshooting problems, or how to take care of the plants in the system.

 

Hopefully you have some good tomato growth in your Aerogarden. Once the yellow flowers open up, have your kiddos pollinate them according to Aerogardens instructions.

Do you need seeds or seed starter for your project?  Contact Katie.

Any questions about your growing?  Email me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu

Seed Starting for Your Spring (and Summer!) Garden Class @ the Mt. Carmel Healthy Living Center on Tuesday February 27th, 2024 @ 2pm.

One of my favorite local partners that I do programming with is Mt. Carmel Healthy Living Center in Franklinton.  I have a class on Seed Starting coming up on February 27th, 2024 @ 2pm at the center.  While the class is free and open to the public, they do ask for registration to ensure enough space.  They offer a ton of other programs as well.

 

Click HERE for the registration link for their classes,  you will need to scroll down a little bit to click on the Seed Starting class.

Bok choi seedlings looking ready to transplant.

 

Here is the address of the center plus contact information if you have questions about the program.

Click HERE for a map to the center,  note the parking garage right next door for easy parking.

Thanks and hope to see you there!

School Garden Week of February 19th, 2024

This is a weekly look at what is happening in the school garden to assist teacher educators engage their students in agriculture.  It can be used by garden students of all ages however!

Send me some pics!  I know we have some growing going on right now!


First up a weather report to get us through the week for planning on our season extension:

Wow!! This looks like some great growing and harvesting weather upcoming.


Outside in the raised beds:

Well that was an unexpected snowfall!  The good news is that the future predictions look pretty darn good for growing.  Once we get to the 50 degree days and the plants start to increase their growth rate, we will need to fertilize using either the Shake and Feed or the pink crystals that mix in with water that you got from Katie, not the Aerogarden fertilizer.  Make sure to follow the label instructions. Check for your fertilizers now, and if you do not have any, then contact Katie.

This week:

  • Monday/Tuesday – looks a little chilly to harvest.
  • Wednesday/Thursday – good days to harvest around mid-day when it warms up.  Make sure to replace the cover when done.
  • Friday – looks a little chilly to harvest.

If you did not get a chance to plant spinach and kale last fall,  you will have an opportunity to plant next week.  I will add that to next weeks email.  If you need spinach and kale seeds please contact Katie. 

Have questions about how your plants are doing or if they are big enough to harvest?  Just send me questions and pictures to mcdermott.15@osu.edu


Inside under LED lights:  

We should have some good growth in the 2″ pots. You may need to start fertilizing your plants under the LED lights.  Add fertilizer to the bottom watering according to the package directions.  Email me or Katie if you have questions. 

 

This month’s seed starting under LED lights is collard greens.   If you and your kiddos really liked the bok choy and you have the space under your lights and have some bok choy seed left then you can plant that as well. It can be a little crowded under the lights right now!  Make sure you have some space to start your collard greens however as they will need started indoors now for a spring harvest.   Email questions to me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu

We have been creating videos to support this project and have 4 done so far at our OSU Extension County YouTube channel.  We get lots of questions about seed starting under the LED lights.  Check out the video below for a super quick, kid-safe (can show in class to your kiddos) seed starting video using the materials you have for the pilot:  The same technique as for kale in the video below works for spinach, collard greens, lettuce, and bok choy.  

 

 

All of the seedlings we are planting now can will be able to be transplanted outside later on, or if you want to let them grow indoors until they are harvested you can do that too.  Collard greens may get too large under the lights so plan on a later transplant date.


Inside in the Aerogarden:

Hopefully your tomatoes are doing great.  Let me know if you have any questions or problems.  CLICK HERE for the Aerogarden planting guide. If you need tomato pods then contact Katie.

Basic Aerogarden Tomato Planting

  • Plant just one tomato pod in the Aerogarden Harvest.
  • Keep the small plastic dome on the pod until germination.
  • Remove the small plastic dome after the seed sprouts.
  • Thin to only one tomato plant in the system.
  • Keep the other holes covered with the black or white plastic caps to keep light from entering into the reservoir with the nutrient system.

 

If you started in January you should have some tomato seedlings coming up.  Make sure to thin to one tomato plant per pod and with the Aerogarden Harvest, it is best to only have one in the system although I have seen some teachers do two.  Keep in mind if you keep two growing, they will use up water twice as fast and you will need to check and add water twice as much!

Here is an Aerogarden Harvest with one tomato right in the middle under the lights looking great. All the rest of the holes are capped.

The Aerogarden website has a tremendous amount of content to assist with maintenance of the units, troubleshooting problems, or how to take care of the plants in the system.  CHECK IT OUT if you are having problems.

Do you need seeds or seed starter for your project?  Contact Katie.

Any questions about your growing?  Email me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu

School Garden Week of February 12th, 2024

This is a weekly look at what is happening in the school garden to assist teacher educators engage their students in agriculture.  It can be used by garden students of all ages however!

Send me some pics!  I know we have some growing going on right now!


First up a weather report to get us through the week for planning on our season extension:

I am out of the country on my laptop and my snipping tool is not working!  For a look at the ten day for Columbus check out THIS LINK.


Outside in the raised beds:

It looks like the weather is good for growing, but not so much for harvest.  Were you able to get a harvest last week with your kiddos?  If so, send me some pics!!

This week:

  • Monday – Friday:  I recommend unless the weather changes that you keep your beds covered.  We will have a little sun and a little rain, but it gets to freezing overnight so let’s keep the beds covered unless it really improves.

Have questions about how your plants are doing or if they are big enough to harvest?  Just send me questions and pictures to mcdermott.15@osu.edu


Inside under LED lights:  

We should have some good growth in the 2″ pots. You may need to start fertilizing your plants under the LED lights.  Add fertilizer to the bottom watering according to the package directions.  Email me or Katie if you have questions. 

 

This month’s seed starting under LED lights is collard greens.   If you and your kiddos really liked the bok choy and you have the space under your lights and have some bok choy seed left then you can plant that as well. It can be a little crowded under the lights right now!  Make sure you have some space to start your collard greens however as they will need started indoors now for a spring harvest.   Email questions to me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu

We have been creating videos to support this project and have 4 done so far at our OSU Extension County YouTube channel.  We get lots of questions about seed starting under the LED lights.  Check out the video below for a super quick, kid-safe (can show in class to your kiddos) seed starting video using the materials you have for the pilot:  The same technique as for kale in the video below works for spinach, collard greens, lettuce, and bok choy.  

 

 

All of the seedlings we are planting now can will be able to be transplanted outside later on, or if you want to let them grow indoors until they are harvested you can do that too.  Collard greens may get too large under the lights so plan on a later transplant date.


Inside in the Aerogarden:

Hopefully your tomatoes are doing great.  Let me know if you have any questions or problems.  CLICK HERE for the Aerogarden planting guide. If you need tomato pods then contact Katie.

Basic Aerogarden Tomato Planting

  • Plant just one tomato pod in the Aerogarden Harvest.
  • Keep the small plastic dome on the pod until germination.
  • Remove the small plastic dome after the seed sprouts.
  • Thin to only one tomato plant in the system.
  • Keep the other holes covered with the black or white plastic caps to keep light from entering into the reservoir with the nutrient system.

 

If you started in January you should have some tomato seedlings coming up.  Make sure to thin to one tomato plant per pod and with the Aerogarden Harvest, it is best to only have one in the system although I have seen some teachers do two.  Keep in mind if you keep two growing, they will use up water twice as fast and you will need to check and add water twice as much!

Here is an Aerogarden Harvest with one tomato right in the middle under the lights looking great. All the rest of the holes are capped.

The Aerogarden website has a tremendous amount of content to assist with maintenance of the units, troubleshooting problems, or how to take care of the plants in the system.  CHECK IT OUT if you are having problems.

Do you need seeds or seed starter for your project?  Contact Katie.

Any questions about your growing?  Email me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu

School Garden Week of January 29th, 2024

This is a weekly look at what is happening in the school garden to assist teacher educators engage their students in agriculture.  It can be used by garden students of all ages however!

I hope everyone had a safe and restful break.  Welcome Back!!

Send me some pics!  I know we have some growing going on right now!


First up a weather report to get us through the week for planning on our season extension:

 


Outside in the raised beds:

We have had a tremendous amount of rain lately.  That means we do not need to water outside right now.

We did have some serious cold for quite a long time so we may have some replanting to do. 

If your plants did not make it then do not worry!  We will be able to still plant and get a harvest in other ways. Let Katie know if you do not have any more spinach or kale seed but still need to plant spinach and kale.  We will be watching for a planting time outside in the raised bed.

If you still are getting your raised bed set up, let me know so we can talk about an individual plan for you at your school.

Otherwise keep the row cover on top of the raised bed and only check when temperatures get close to or above 50 degrees.

This week:

  • I do not recommend you do much outside with your beds this week.  If your bed is in a protected area, it is not frozen, and it warms up a bit, then you can pop the top for a harvest.  Looks like Thursday is our best chance to do that.  Just make sure it is not too cold, and the fabric is not frozen, or it will tear when you try to open it.  Make sure to replace the cover after.

Have questions about how your plants are doing or if they are big enough to harvest?  Just send me questions and pictures to mcdermott.15@osu.edu


Inside under LED lights:  

This month’s seed starting under LED lights is lettuce.  If you did not get a chance to plant spinach or kale you can seed start them as well this month.  If you and your kiddos really liked the bok choy and you have the space under your lights and have some bok choy seed left then you can plant that as well.  If you do not have space to plant all of those,  and remember that we will be planting collard greens in pots in February (on pg. 3 on the GTS manual it states broccoli in March,  but we start collard greens in February and I will remind you all of that) so we need to plan on a little space for them.  Prioritize spinach and kale if you do not have any outside in the raised bed since the kiddos will be tasting them in the next two months. Email questions to me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu

Here is a planting example:

Example: There are 32 pots in the tray.  You could plant 8 lettuce, 8 kale, and 8 spinach now.  Then plant 8 collard greens in February.  Or substitute some bok choy or collard greens in for some of the kale and spinach.  Let me know if you have questions. 

We have been creating videos to support this project and have 4 done so far at our OSU Extension County YouTube channel.  We get lots of questions about seed starting under the LED lights.  Check out the video below for a super quick, kid-safe (can show in class to your kiddos) seed starting video using the materials you have for the pilot:  The same technique as for kale in the video below works for spinach, kale, lettuce, and bok choy.  

 

 

All of the seedlings we are planting now can will be able to be transplanted outside later on, or if you want to let them grow indoors until they are harvested you can do that too.


Inside in the Aerogarden:

This month we are planting tomatoes in the Aerogarden.  If you planted herbs in the Aerogarden last semester you will need to clean out the unit before you plant your tomatoes so you can start fresh with a clean Aerogarden.  Follow the instructions for tomato planting carefully.  CLICK HERE for the Aerogarden planting guide. If you need tomato pods then contact Katie.

  • Plant just one tomato pod in the Aerogarden Harvest.
  • Keep the small plastic dome on the pod until germination.
  • Remove the small plastic dome after the seed sprouts.
  • Thin to only one tomato plant in the system.
  • Keep the other holes covered with the black or white plastic caps to keep light from entering into the reservoir with the nutrient system.

 

One tomato pod in an Aerogarden Harvest centered in the middle to get the most light, with the rest of the holes capped off.

The Aerogarden website has a tremendous amount of content to assist with maintenance of the units, troubleshooting problems, or how to take care of the plants in the system.  CHECK IT OUT if you are having problems.

Do you need seeds or seed starter for your project?  Contact Katie.

Any questions about your growing?  Email me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu

School Garden Week of January 22nd, 2024.

This is a weekly look at what is happening in the school garden to assist teacher educators engage their students in agriculture.  It can be used by garden students of all ages however!

I hope everyone had a safe and restful break.  Welcome Back!!

 

First up a weather report to get us through the week for planning on our season extension:

 


Outside in the raised beds:

Hopefully everyone’s plants made it through the holiday break under season extension garden cover.  Make sure to do a visual inspection of your outside bed, but do not remove the cover until later in the week.

We have lots of rain in the forecast which will be beneficial to the plants. We did have some serious cold for quite a long time so we may have some replanting to do. 

If your plants did not make it then do not worry!  We will be able to still plant and get a harvest in other ways. Let Katie know if you do not have any more spinach or kale seed but still need to plant spinach and kale.  We will be watching for a planting time outside in the raised bed.

If you still are getting your raised bed set up, let me know so we can talk about an individual plan for you at your school.

Otherwise keep the row cover on top of the raised bed and only check when temperatures get close to or above 50 degrees.

This week:

  • Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday – I recommend leaving the cover in place.  If you do want to check, make sure temperatures are approaching 50 degrees and pop the cover off closer to mid-day when it is warmer.  Replace cover when done.
  • Thursday – stay dry, but this is a good day to potentially check your spinach and kale.
  • Friday – another chance to check under the cover when it gets close to 50 degrees.  Make sure to replace cover before leaving for the weekend.

Have questions about how your plants are doing or if they are big enough to harvest?  Just send me questions and pictures to mcdermott.15@osu.edu


Inside under LED lights:  

This month’s seed starting under LED lights is lettuce.  If you did not get a chance to plant spinach or kale you can seed start them as well this month.  If you and your kiddos really liked the bok choy and you have the space under your lights and have some bok choy seed left then you can plant that as well.  If you do not have space to plant all of those,  and remember that we will be planting collard greens in pots in February (on pg. 3 on the GTS manual it states broccoli in March,  but we start collard greens in February and I will remind you all of that) so we need to plan on a little space for them.  Prioritize spinach and kale if you do not have any outside in the raised bed since the kiddos will be tasting them in the next two months. Email questions to me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu

Here is a planting example:

Example: There are 32 pots in the tray.  You could plant 8 lettuce, 8 kale, and 8 spinach now.  Then plant 8 collard greens in February.  Or substitute some bok choy or collard greens in for some of the kale and spinach.  Let me know if you have questions. 

We have been creating videos to support this project and have 4 done so far at our OSU Extension County YouTube channel.  We get lots of questions about seed starting under the LED lights.  Check out the video below for a super quick, kid-safe (can show in class to your kiddos) seed starting video using the materials you have for the pilot:  The same technique as for kale in the video below works for spinach, kale, lettuce, and bok choy.  

 

 

All of the seedlings we are planting now can will be able to be transplanted outside later on, or if you want to let them grow indoors until they are harvested you can do that too.


Inside in the Aerogarden:

This month we are planting tomatoes in the Aerogarden.  If you planted herbs in the Aerogarden last semester you will need to clean out the unit before you plant your tomatoes so you can start fresh with a clean Aerogarden.  Follow the instructions for tomato planting carefully.  CLICK HERE for the Aerogarden planting guide. If you need tomato pods then contact Katie.

  • Plant just one tomato pod in the Aerogarden Harvest.
  • Keep the small plastic dome on the pod until germination.
  • Remove the small plastic dome after the seed sprouts.
  • Thin to only one tomato plant in the system.
  • Keep the other holes covered with the black or white plastic caps to keep light from entering into the reservoir with the nutrient system.

 

One tomato pod in an Aerogarden Harvest centered in the middle to get the most light, with the rest of the holes capped off.

The Aerogarden website has a tremendous amount of content to assist with maintenance of the units, troubleshooting problems, or how to take care of the plants in the system.  CHECK IT OUT if you are having problems.

Do you need seeds or seed starter for your project?  Contact Katie.

Any questions about your growing?  Email me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu

School Garden Week of January 8th, 2024

This is a weekly look at what is happening in the school garden to assist teacher educators engage their students in agriculture.  It can be used by garden students of all ages however!

I hope everyone had a safe and restful break.  Welcome Back!!

 

First up a weather report to get us through the week for planning on our season extension:

 


Outside in the raised beds:

Hopefully everyone’s plants made it through the holiday break under season extension garden cover.  Make sure to do a visual inspection of your outside bed, but do not remove the cover.

For this week, I recommend leaving the cover on undisturbed. No need to water when using season extension garden cover as the water passes right through it and we are getting plenty of precipitation plus the plants are growing slowly. If you are using plastic consistently, you may need to water on a day when the temperatures approach 50 degrees. 

If your plants did not make it then do not worry!  We will be able to still plant and get a harvest in other ways. Let Katie know if you do not have any more spinach or kale seed but still need to plant spinach and kale.  We will be watching for a planting time outside in the raised bed.

If you still are getting your raised bed set up, let me know so we can talk about an individual plan for you at your school.

Otherwise keep the row cover on top of the raised bed and only check when temperatures get close to or above 50 degrees.

Have questions about how your plants are doing or if they are big enough to harvest?  Just send me questions and pictures to mcdermott.15@osu.edu


Inside under LED lights:  

This month’s seed starting under LED lights is lettuce.  If you did not get a chance to plant spinach or kale you can seed start them as well this month.  If you and your kiddos really liked the bok choy and you have the space under your lights and have some bok choy seed left then you can plant that as well.  If you do not have space to plant all of those,  and remember that we will be planting collard greens in pots in February (on pg. 3 on the GTS manual it states broccoli in March,  but we start collard greens in February and I will remind you all of that) so we need to plan on a little space for them.  Prioritize spinach and kale if you do not have any outside in the raised bed since the kiddos will be tasting them in the next two months. Email questions to me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu

Here is a planting example:

Example: There are 32 pots in the tray.  You could plant 8 lettuce, 8 kale, and 8 spinach now.  Then plant 8 collard greens in February.  Or substitute some bok choy or collard greens in for some of the kale and spinach.  Let me know if you have questions. 

We have been creating videos to support this project and have 4 done so far at our OSU Extension County YouTube channel.  We get lots of questions about seed starting under the LED lights.  Check out the video below for a super quick, kid-safe (can show in class to your kiddos) seed starting video using the materials you have for the pilot:  The same technique as for kale in the video below works for spinach, kale, lettuce, and bok choy.  

 

 

All of the seedlings we are planting now can will be able to be transplanted outside later on, or if you want to let them grow indoors until they are harvested you can do that too.


Inside in the Aerogarden:

This month we are planting tomatoes in the Aerogarden.  If you planted herbs in the Aerogarden last semester you will need to clean out the unit before you plant your tomatoes so you can start fresh with a clean Aerogarden.  Follow the instructions for tomato planting carefully.  CLICK HERE for the Aerogarden planting guide. If you need tomato pods then contact Katie.

  • Plant just one tomato pod in the Aerogarden Harvest.
  • Keep the small plastic dome on the pod until germination.
  • Remove the small plastic dome after the seed sprouts.
  • Thin to only one tomato plant in the system.
  • Keep the other holes covered with the black or white plastic caps to keep light from entering into the reservoir with the nutrient system.

 

One tomato pod in an Aerogarden Harvest centered in the middle to get the most light, with the rest of the holes capped off.

The Aerogarden website has a tremendous amount of content to assist with maintenance of the units, troubleshooting problems, or how to take care of the plants in the system.  CHECK IT OUT if you are having problems.

Do you need seeds or seed starter for your project?  Contact Katie.

Any questions about your growing?  Email me at mcdermott.15@osu.edu

School Garden Week of November 27th, 2023

This is a weekly look at what is happening in the school garden to assist teacher educators engage their students in agriculture.  It can be used by garden students of all ages however!

 

Thanks for sending me pictures!  I am responding to them as fast as possible.  Keep sending them to me,  I enjoy seeing your progress.


Let’s check out the forecast.

 

I recommend you keep the row cover over your plants due to the overnight temperatures.


Outside in the raised beds:

This month is planting of spinach and kale.

This week planting recommendations:

  • All days this week – keep your beds covered with the season extension garden cover.
  • If you have not had a chance to plant spinach and kale outdoors, you could try to plant on Thursday but would need to wait until mid-day for the beds to warm up and then cover with the season extension garden cover after you plant. This is probably our last window to plant outdoors in 2023.
  • If the season extension garden cover is frozen, do not try to open it or it may tear.

For CCS teachers if you need soil, seeds, or fertilizer let Katie know.

Thanks to Cedric for the pics of the amazing Bok Choy he is growing with his kiddos at CCPSB.


Inside in the Aerogarden:

Hopefully you have had good germination and are getting good plant growth in your Aerogarden.  Send me some pictures and I will post them in the weekly email.

 Aerogarden has some great information on planting on their website.  CLICK HERE for their product manual website.

Click here for the Aerogarden planting guide for herbs –> herb_tending_and_harvesting_guide

If you have germination already, you should be thinning to one seedling per pod.  Make sure to cover up the unplanted openings to keep light from the nutrient solution.


Inside under LED lights.  

How are your plants growing under your LED lights?  Send me some pictures and I will use them in the weekly email.  You will need to fertilize every two weeks.  The fertilizer for indoor LED lights is the pink crystals delivered through bottom watering mixed according to the instructions on the package.

Tips on Bottom Watering:  We have been getting lots of questions regarding bottom watering.  Here is a step by step look at the process:

  1. Be sure to bottom water twice per week under the LED.  Watering before you leave school on Friday is recommended as one of the times.
  2. Remove the insert tray holding the pots from the the bottom tray.
  3. Fill the bottom tray half full of water.
  4. Place the pots in the water so that they can absorb water through the holes on the bottom of the pots to fully hydrate the soil.
  5. Leave them in the water for about 30 minutes until fully hydrated.
  6. Dump the extra water from the bottom tray.
  7. Replace the insert tray into the bottom tray and put the pots back into the insert tray to drain.
  8. Every two weeks add fertilizer to the bottom water according to the label.

Check out this portion of the seed starting video that shows bottom watering.

 

  • Check below for thinning pictures.  The seedlings are kale, but the technique is the same.  Bottom water if you are going to gently pull the seedling from the pot as it will slide out of moist soil.  If the seedlings are too mature, or too close together, then trim the seedlings off at the soil level with scissors.
  • As your plants grow, keep the seedlings within a few inches of the LED light panel so that they do not get too leggy.

I planted three seeds and all three germinated. I need to thin to one seedling. Any of them would make a good plant, but if I keep all of them they will compete. I need to thin to a single plant in the pot.

 

 


Let me know what questions you have!  Make sure you engage your kiddos in the process. Looking forward to a wonderful Ag in the Classroom season!