Period 8 science class was selected to be the pilot group of students to participate in the school garden project being piloted in the school district for the 2015-16 school year. Mrs. Myers's first grade class will pilot in the elementary center, I will pilot one section in fifth grade, and Ms. Vitkauskas will pilot with some of her high school students.

Our hopes for this year is to raise some seedlings indoors and transplant them to the outdoor school garden located in the high school courtyard. Some seeds will be sown directly into the soil outside as early as possible to determine the effects a mini high tunnel has on the growing season.

UPDATES:

As of March 7, our green beans have sprouted along with the cucumbers and a few tomatoes. We are still waiting on the red bell peppers to peek through the soil. We are discovering that seeds require warmth and moisture to germinate. A heating pad was a bit more successful in speeding the germination rate as compared to a heat lamp. We discovered in a day or so that the heat lamp was quite difficult to regulate. Students checked temps. daily to regulate, as an ideal germination temperature for our plants ranged from 75-85 degrees.

As seedlings emerged, we quickly moved them to a plant light to avoid spindly growth. Once sprouted, seedlings need moisture, light, and a cozy temperature.

We were astonished to see how sturdy and rapidly the green beans grew. In 24 hours they had their first set of true leaves.