Week in the School Garden September 22nd, 2025

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!


Let’s check out the forecast.

A great week to plant! Make sure to keep watering until germination if we do not get the potential rain in the forecast. 

 


Outside in the raised beds:

There are some tasks we are looking to get started outdoors this week if possible.  Some action items for those who are using GTS:

Want to learn what Growing Teachers Throughout the Seasons (GTS) is?  Check out the Guidebook HERE and the 20 Online Modules HERE!  It is a great way for a teacher to learn how to engage their kiddos in agriculture in a data driven and teacher tested method based on the academic calendar. 

MODULE ALERT! –> OSU migrated the modules to a new online platform.  They are now live and can be subscribed to.  Unfortunately there is a $10 cost to access the modules due to the new migration.  We are looking for ways to mitigate this so I will keep you posted as soon as I know more.

 

  1. Uncover your raised bed by removing the black plastic  if you covered the beds over the summer.  Add soil if needed to bring the level up.
  2. Save the black plastic!  Fold it up and store it for use at the end of May next year.
  3. Add some fertilizer according to the label on the package.
  4. For GTS we are planting radishes, cilantro, and peas outdoors in the raised bed.  Other veggies that could be seeded if you have the seeds would be leafy greens, carrots, and green onions.
  5. Plant according to seed size.  We plant seeds about 3 times as deep as the seeds are large.  Radish and cilantro seeds are tiny so they are planted only about 1/4 inch deep. Peas are larger so they are planted about 1 inch deep.
  6. Make sure to thin your seedlings when they come up so that they end up about 3-4 inches apart.
  7. Water as needed, but likely once or twice a week based on rain until harvest.

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

If you did not cover your raised bed make sure to remove all the weeds in the bed before you start!

Do you need to get raised beds started and want to learn how to do that?  I made a quick little video to walk you through the process.

 

Here is a quick and engaging video with information on best varieties to seed or plant directly.


Inside in the Aerogarden:

It is time to get some herbs started in the Aerogarden! Make sure you have seed pods and fertilizer.  Any CCS teachers who need supplies should contact Katie.

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

 

Here are some tips for success:

  • Remove the humidity dome when you see the seedlings germinate
  • Thin the seedlings to one per pod so they do not compete.
  • Make sure to harvest to keep the herbs under the light canopy.

 


Inside under LED lights.  

Make sure you have all of the pots, seed starting mix, lights, cord and timers needed for indoor planting.  We can direct sow cilantro in 2″ pots for either growing and harvesting indoors or for transplanting outdoors.  I have a video below that will help you with direct sowing seeds in pots.

  • Even though the video shows kale being planted, the technique is the same for cilantro.
  • Remove the humidity dome after germination.
  • Thin to one seedling per pot as shown in the video.

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!

School Garden Week of September 15th, 2025

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!

Welcome Back!!  I am excited to get started growing with you and your kiddos.


Let’s check out the forecast.

A great week to plant!  Just make sure to water until you see germination, then water twice per week or as needed. No rain in the forecast at all!


Outside in the raised beds:

There are some tasks we are looking to get started outdoors this week if possible.  Some action items for those who are using GTS:

Want to learn what Growing Teachers Throughout the Seasons (GTS) is?  Check out the Guidebook HERE and the 20 Online Modules HERE!  It is a great way for a teacher to learn how to engage their kiddos in agriculture in a data driven and teacher tested method based on the academic calendar. 

MODULE ALERT! –> OSU migrated the modules to a new online platform.  It is not currently active but you can sign up for when they activate it.  Unfortunately, our free online modules will now have a cost to use them.  We are actively working to address that problem. 

 

  1. Uncover your raised bed by removing the black plastic  if you covered the beds over the summer.  Add soil if needed to bring the level up.
  2. Save the black plastic!  Fold it up and store it for use at the end of May next year.
  3. Add some fertilizer according to the label on the package.
  4. For GTS we are planting radishes, cilantro, and peas outdoors in the raised bed.  Other veggies that could be seeded if you have the seeds would be leafy greens, carrots, and green onions.
  5. Plant according to seed size.  We plant seeds about 3 times as deep as the seeds are large.  Radish and cilantro seeds are tiny so they are planted only about 1/4 inch deep. Peas are larger so they are planted about 1 inch deep.
  6. Make sure to thin your seedlings when they come up so that they end up about 3-4 inches apart.
  7. Water as needed, but likely once or twice a week based on rain until harvest.

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

If you did not cover your raised bed make sure to remove all the weeds in the bed before you start!

Do you need to get raised beds started and want to learn how to do that?  I made a quick little video to walk you through the process.

 

Here is a quick and engaging video with information on best varieties to seed or plant directly.


Inside in the Aerogarden:

It is time to get some herbs started in the Aerogarden! Make sure you have seed pods and fertilizer.  Any CCS teachers who need supplies should contact Katie.

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

 


Inside under LED lights.  

Make sure you have all of the pots, seed starting mix, lights, cord and timers needed for indoor planting.  We can direct sow cilantro in 2″ pots for either growing and harvesting indoors or for transplanting outdoors.  I have a video below that will help you with direct sowing seeds in pots.

  • Even though the video shows kale being planted, the technique is the same for cilantro.
  • Remove the humidity dome after germination.
  • Thin to one seedling per pot as shown in the video.

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!

School Garden Week of September 8th, 2025

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!

Welcome Back!!  I am excited to get started growing with you and your kiddos.


Let’s check out the forecast.

A great week to plant!  Just make sure to water until you see germination, then water twice per week or as needed. No rain in the forecast at all!


Outside in the raised beds:

There are some tasks we are looking to get started outdoors this week if possible.  Some action items for those who are using GTS:

Want to learn what Growing Teachers Throughout the Seasons (GTS) is?  Check out the Guidebook HERE and the 20 Online Modules HERE!  It is a great way for a teacher to learn how to engage their kiddos in agriculture in a data driven and teacher tested method based on the academic calendar. 

MODULE ALERT! –> OSU migrated the modules to a new online platform.  It is not currently active but you can sign up for when they activate it.  Unfortunately, our free online modules will now have a cost to use them.  We are actively working to address that problem. 

 

  1. Uncover your raised bed by removing the black plastic  if you covered the beds over the summer.  Add soil if needed to bring the level up.
  2. Save the black plastic!  Fold it up and store it for use at the end of May next year.
  3. Add some fertilizer according to the label on the package.
  4. For GTS we are planting radishes, cilantro, and peas outdoors in the raised bed.  Other veggies that could be seeded if you have the seeds would be leafy greens, carrots, and green onions.
  5. Plant according to seed size.  We plant seeds about 3 times as deep as the seeds are large.  Radish and cilantro seeds are tiny so they are planted only about 1/4 inch deep. Peas are larger so they are planted about 1 inch deep.
  6. Make sure to thin your seedlings when they come up so that they end up about 3-4 inches apart.
  7. Water as needed, but likely once or twice a week based on rain until harvest.

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

If you did not cover your raised bed make sure to remove all the weeds in the bed before you start!

Do you need to get raised beds started and want to learn how to do that?  I made a quick little video to walk you through the process.

 

Here is a quick and engaging video with information on best varieties to seed or plant directly.


Inside in the Aerogarden:

It is time to get some herbs started in the Aerogarden! Make sure you have seed pods and fertilizer.  Any CCS teachers who need supplies should contact Katie.

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

 


Inside under LED lights.  

Make sure you have all of the pots, seed starting mix, lights, cord and timers needed for indoor planting.  We can direct sow cilantro in 2″ pots for either growing and harvesting indoors or for transplanting outdoors.  I have a video below that will help you with direct sowing seeds in pots.

  • Even though the video shows kale being planted, the technique is the same for cilantro.
  • Remove the humidity dome after germination.
  • Thin to one seedling per pot as shown in the video.

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!

Urban Farm Education Field Day on Wednesday September 24th from 2-5pm

You are invited to an Urban Farm Education Field Day on Wednesday September 24th from 2-5pm on Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory where I will be participating with a number of my colleagues.  The event is free and open to the public, but they ask for registration in order to be able to email the participants the parking and travel instructions due to construction on the farm that changes our traffic patterns. The event takes place at the Student Farm section on Waterman.  The link to register is below, there is also a QR code on the flyer listed below the agenda.

CLICK HERE to Register

There is a great line up of topics:

  • [2:00 pm] Welcome to the Student Farm
  • [2:20 pm] Remote-Controlled System for High Tunnel Ventilation Management
    Matt Kleinhenz, Professor & Extension Specialist, Vegetables
  • [2:40 pm] Low Tunnels for Season Extension & Insect Exclusion
    Tim McDermott, Assistant Professor, Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • [3:00 pm] Integrated Pest Management Scouting in Fruit Tree & Vegetable Crops
    Logan Minter, Statewide Field Specialist/Associate Professor, Extension in Specialty Crops
  • [3:20 pm] Fresh Vegetable Disease Management
    Andres Sanabria-Velazquez, Assistant Professor, Vegetable Crop Pathology
  • [3:40 pm] Management Practices for Urban Soil Health: Cover Crops & Compost
    Fernanda Krupek, Assistant Professor, Urban Food Systems, Amy Hurst and Peri Forbes, Graduate Research Associates, Urban Food Innovations Team
  • [4:00 pm] USDA Funding Support for Urban High Tunnels & Ohio Urban Ag Resource Hub
    Yiyun Lin, Assistant Professor and Urban Agriculture Specialist
  • [4:20 pm] Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Enabled Robotic Weeders for Vegetable Production
    Eugene Law, Assistant Professor, Weed Ecology
  • [4:40 pm] Adjourn
  • [2-5 pm] Produce U-pick
    Annika Anderson, Student Farm Production Coordinator

CLICK HERE to Register

CLICK HERE to print, view, or download the flyer –> Urban Farm Education Field Day Flyer_Final

School Garden Week of September 1st, 2025

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!

Welcome Back!!  I am excited to get started growing with you and your kiddos.


Let’s check out the forecast.

A great week to plant!  Just make sure to water until you see germination, then water twice per week or as needed.


Outside in the raised beds:

There are some tasks we are looking to get started outdoors this week if possible.  Some action items for those who are using GTS:

Want to learn what Growing Teachers Throughout the Seasons (GTS) is?  Check out the Guidebook HERE and the 20 Online Modules HERE!  It is a great way for a teacher to learn how to engage their kiddos in agriculture in a data driven and teacher tested method based on the academic calendar. 

MODULE ALERT! –> OSU migrated the modules to a new online platform.  It is not currently active but you can sign up for when they activate it.  Unfortunately, our free online modules will now have a cost to use them.  We are actively working to address that problem. 

 

  1. Uncover your raised bed by removing the black plastic  if you covered the beds over the summer.  Add soil if needed to bring the level up.
  2. Save the black plastic!  Fold it up and store it for use at the end of May next year.
  3. Add some fertilizer according to the label on the package.
  4. For GTS we are planting radishes, cilantro, and peas outdoors in the raised bed.  Other veggies that could be seeded if you have the seeds would be leafy greens, carrots, and green onions.
  5. Plant according to seed size.  We plant seeds about 3 times as deep as the seeds are large.  Radish and cilantro seeds are tiny so they are planted only about 1/4 inch deep. Peas are larger so they are planted about 1 inch deep.
  6. Make sure to thin your seedlings when they come up so that they end up about 3-4 inches apart.
  7. Water as needed, but likely once or twice a week based on rain until harvest.

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

If you did not cover your raised bed make sure to remove all the weeds in the bed before you start!

Do you need to get raised beds started and want to learn how to do that?  I made a quick little video to walk you through the process.

 

Here is a quick and engaging video with information on best varieties to seed or plant directly.


Inside in the Aerogarden:

It is time to get some herbs started in the Aerogarden! Make sure you have seed pods and fertilizer.  Any CCS teachers who need supplies should contact Katie.

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

 


Inside under LED lights.  

Make sure you have all of the pots, seed starting mix, lights, cord and timers needed for indoor planting.  We can direct sow cilantro in 2″ pots for either growing and harvesting indoors or for transplanting outdoors.  I have a video below that will help you with direct sowing seeds in pots.

  • Even though the video shows kale being planted, the technique is the same for cilantro.
  • Remove the humidity dome after germination.
  • Thin to one seedling per pot as shown in the video.

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!

Cover Crops Class at the Urban Farm Church on Wednesday September 10th @ 6pm

I will be teaching a free class on cover crops in partnership with The Urban Farm Church.   Come to The Urban Farm Church on Wednesday September 10th at 6pm to learn about how you can use cover crops to improve your soil and increase your yield. After a short presentation we will walk outside to the farm for some experiential learning. The class is free but registration is asked for so they know how to plan for snacks!

We will walk out to the farm to check out demonstration plots of multiple cover crop species after the presentation.

CLICK HERE to Register

CLICK HERE for directions to the Urban Farm Church

 

Community Dinner and High Tunnel 101 Class at Highland Youth Garden on Thursday September 4th!

Come visit Highland Youth Garden for a night of community and learning on September 4th, 2025.  The evening starts off with a Community Dinner at 4:30 – 5:30pm and following dinner I will be teaching a High Tunnel 101 class to go over the basics, with Paul Kemmer, the HYG Garden and Facilities Manager, speaking about his plans for fall and winter growing in their tunnel right after.

 

This event is free and open to the public, so bring your appetite, your friends and your questions!

Highland Youth Garden is located at 85 S. Highland Ave. Columbus, OH 43223

IPM and Fall Planting Class at Mid-Ohio Farm at NBC4 on Tuesday August 26th @ 6pm

Did you know there is a multi-acre urban farm behind the NBC4 studios on Olentangy River Rd.?  Have you ever wanted to see what Mid-Ohio Farm at NBC4 looks like in person?  I will be teaching an IPM and Fall Planting class in collaboration with my friends from Mid-Ohio Farm at NBC4 on Tuesday July 15th at 6pm.  We will discuss what you can plant NOW for fall, what is in harvest, and how you can implement late in the season integrated pest management strategies to continue your harvest longer.  Plus you will get a chance to walk around the farm, meet the farmers, learn more about this unique urban farming project, and how it is positively impacting the community.



Check out an overhead view of the farm!  They have fruit trees, high tunnels, lettuce towers, and a community garden for the local residents.

The farm is located at 3165 Olentangy River Rd. Columbus, OH 43202. When arriving: pull up to the front gate and press the call button. Tell them you are heading to the farm. Once through the gate drive to the back of the parking lot and turn left. Drive along the back of the parking lot until you see a gravel drive on your right. Take that gravel drive back to the farm. You can also park in the back of the NBC4 lot and walk back to the farm. 

Check out the registration link below.  The class is free and open to the public but they do ask for registration.  Bring your friends and your questions and hope to see you there!

 

Click HERE to register or use the QR code on the flyer located HERE –> IPM fall planting 2025 Flyer

What to Plant NOW for Fall at the Bronzeville Growers Market Thursday August 7th at 4pm

I am excited to continue my many year partnership with the Bronzeville Growers Market to celebrate National Farmer’s Market Week by partnering with them for an in-person class at the Market on Thursday August 7th @ 4:00pm.  We will talk about what you can plant right NOW! to get a Fall harvest.  The market is open from 3-6pm and will have a fabulous assortment of produce and products. Bring your friends, your questions, and your wallets for some learning and shopping!

Learn more about the Market on their website  –> Bronzeville Growers Market

 

CLICK HERE for Directions to the Market. They are located at 925 Mt. Vernon Avenue at the MPACC’s Box Park.

Hope to see you there!

Last Chance to Plant Summer Veggies for Fall Harvest Class at the Mt. Carmel Healthy Living Center on Tuesday July 29th at 1pm

I will be teaching a class on Planting Summer Veggies for Fall Harvest in partnership with the Mt. Carmel Healthy Living Center, 777 West State St.,  on Tuesday July 29th at 1:00pm.

Ohio is a four season growing environment and fall is one of the best seasons to grow in.  We still have great sun, good weather, decent rain, and less bugs. We will discuss what you can plant NOW to get a final fall harvest of summer vegetables.  If the weather is nice we will walk outside to their community garden as well. The class is free and open to the public but they do ask for registration to ensure there is enough space.  Bring your friends and your questions and hope to see you there!


 


Check out the registration link below to register for this class as well as view a ton of other free learning opportunities.

CLICK this LINK to Register -scroll down to find the class

CLICK HERE for directions to the center