Hooking up Hydroponic Growing Stations
Yesterday the science teachers and I worked with the Environmental Club students to hook up and plant the hydroponic units. This is at the school where the largest school/community garden is located.
We have three hydroponic units in each of the sixth grade science classrooms. Three-four weeks ago, the students started seedlings so we had plants. With the giant, sunny windows at the school, the seedlings had grown to be a few inches tall. They were cold weather plants: broccoli, lettuces, cabbage.
Here's what the unit looks like when it's put together. This photo is from the mfr's website:
The units are made by a carpentry company that assembles them for science departments in the schools all over the nation.
Plugging in and setting the timers for the lights and the pump:
We filled the container on the bottom with water and hooked up the aerator and pump. This 10-second video shows how it works:
While we were doing the connections and plugging in the units, the students were transplanting their seedlings in the containers. The seedlings had earlier been grown in plastic cups. Now it was time to put them in the units.
They will look a little straggly for days, but soon they will perk up.
Here's a second unit in another classroom which was planted:
We had seedlings left over, so I will plant them in the greenhouse. Here's how I am storing the seedlings until after this cold snap leaves:
They are wrapped in an unbleached paper towel, sprayed with water, and rolled up and put in a glass and stored in a window. Then, when it comes time to plant them, I will simply unroll the seedlings into a covered raised bed or greenhouse container--no need at all to transplant each one.
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It’s important that we learn where and how our food grows. It’s a first step toward independence, controlling our food sources. Hydroponics is especially important, not everyone has access to an outdoor growing environment. Climate change causing unpredictable weather patterns it may be forcing more indoor grows. The lessons learned will be invaluable.
