Today the students had a very exciting and hands-on in-school field trip from Ms. Plasky’s horticultural high-schoolers. The Wamogo students engaged the first graders with a skit about how to take care of plants. They reviewed with students how each plant needs a source of water, sun, and soil to help it survive and grow. The students then talked to first graders about their experiences with plants. Wow! Did they have a lot of experience. They mentioned how they have gardens with flowers, vegetables, pumpkins, and who could forget chives! Our morning spent with the Wamogo students transitioned to how to take care of potted indoor house plants, by transplanting them into a new pot! Students learned to make certain there are one or more holes in the bottom of a container to allow water to flow out freely. In their skit, first graders were able to learn that insufficient drainage can cause roots to drown, and the plant to die prematurely. They also learned about potting mix and how leaf plants need different soil than plants that produce a fruit or vegetable. We were surprised to learn that we should not use soil from the yard or garden. It can be filled with weed seeds, insects, and fungal diseases. At the end of our lesson, students learned how to remove the plant from its nursery container. They had to support the top of the “root ball” (the semisolid mass of soil and roots) by placing a finger on each side of the stem; then tip the pot and let the plant fall gently into their hands. If it was stuck, they tapped the sides of the pot to loosen it. It was a bit messy, but so much fun!
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June 2017
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