Strawberry Garden

This past weekend I removed the hay from the strawberry plants. I would say approx 75% made it through the winter. I guess that is a pretty good amount for our first attempt. The children have spread calcium nitrate in the strawberry garden as suggested by Clemson extension. We will continue to spread that weekly in the amount of 1/2 cup per 50 feet until the plants begin to set fruit. Can't wait to see if we actually are able to have good ole strawberries for our school snacks!

Spring Garden of 2010

The weekend of March 6th, my husband and I tilled under the rye that I had planted in the fall. It took a couple of hours with my husband's larger tiller. On Tuesday, March 9th, Mrs. Camp our substitute teacher and master-gardener, and several boys from the after school program, worked in the garden. Mrs. Camp and I tilled using the small Mantis tiller I bought for the school with grant money. The boys spread Poconite (deer and rabbit deterent) and calcium nitrate which we were able to till in. These three young men were such a great help. They not only carried the bags, and spread the fertilizer, they were instrumental in marking off the garden for the different grade levels. They were able to use their multiplication skills with this indeaver. So I want to again give an extra thank you, to Cameron Alley, Jackson Van Herwynen, and Noah Layton. Great job, boys!

On Wednesday March 9th, our third grade classes planted their garden peas. They also planted around 9 of their Bonnie Cabbage plants. A couple of the second grade classes were able to plant their beet seeds. See pictures. I am anxious to see how the children like the beets. So many of them have never tried them. They are so healthy and provide so many vitamins and iron. I like the fact that they are good raw and also cooked.

Its Almost Planting Time

We are gearing up for our spring garden planting. We have asked the fourth graders to bring in spinach and lettuce seeds this week. We will plant the spinach seeds outside the middle of March. We will plant the lettuce seeds in milk cartons inside and then transplant outside the middle of March. We are using our milk cartons from our breakfast and lunches in the cafeteria. We will wash them and use them to grow our lettuce on our classroom window sils.

Our fifth graders will be planting broccoli. We have asked them to go ahead and start bringing in seed packets. They will plant their seeds in milk cartons also and then transplant to the garden the middle of March.

We are making a difference

Today in Mrs. Cranford's first grade class. Their lunch orders are: Choice 1: Spaghetti-3

Choice 2: Hot Dogs-0 Choice 3: Fruit and Cheese Plate-14. Way to go healthy kids!

Composting

As of January 11th, 2010, our composting is under way. A new large trash can was bought and placed in the cafeteria. The trash can is labeled with what kitchen waste products can be composted. After the students finish eating, their teachers choose one student from their class to monitor the dumping of the lunch trays. These monitors ensure only what can be composted goes into that trash can. At the end of each week, this trash can will be dumped into our outdoor composting bin and turned. We should have good fertilizer for our spring vegetable garden by planting time. At this time only a handful of classes are participating, but I believe it will become school wide soon.

The shredded newspaper over our strawberry patch has mostly disintegrated over the holidays. One third grade class in currently collecting newspapers. They will shred and place back over the strawberries this Friday. I believe we lost a few of the plants during the extreme cold but all and all they seem to be holding up.

Planting Our Strawberries

Thursday October 22nd, Ginger and George from Clemson Extension brought us strawberries to plant. George explained to our Youth Advisory Council/ 4 H group (consisting of 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders) how to plant up to the crown of the plant. Then they assisted this group plant the strawberries into our bed. The children enjoyed learning about the crown of the strawberry plant and how it acted like the lungs of the plant. Since it needs air and light, they were instructed to plant to the crown only. The bed was planted in a grafting pattern. Math and science lessons were intermingled with the fun. Pictures included.

Preparing the Strawberry Bed

Clemson Extension will be delivering strawberry plants to our school. We had the district office construct us another bed. This one is 8x8 and we are again using the plastic surround to have a raised bed. Mrs. Wetmore's third grade class mixed the top soil and the mushroom compost together to fill our strawberry bed. I have enclosed pictures of these students working so diligently to prepare this bed.