Modoc High School AG students have officially completed their first harvest using a hydroponic tower installed in Mrs. Bickford's (DeMoss) classroom. The tower was funded through a "Grants for Growing" project she applied for last fall.
"Luckily, they were awarded the grant to purchase the tower and supplies so that they could expose students to hydroponic systems and grow their own food beyond the Ag Dept. Greenhouse."
At the start of the spring semester, horticulture students planted green leaf and romaine lettuce seeds into rockwool flats. "Being this was the first attempt with the tower, they only planted one tray of seeds so that they could understand how the tower and process fully works." In photos, Josh Minto is seen watering the seeds, and Eliza Peña reads the seed packages to understand their growing requirements.
Once the seedlings were strong enough, they were transplanted into the hydroponic tower. Hydroponics is a way of growing plants without soil, using a water-based nutrient solution instead. "Several times a week, the pH of the water and nutrient levels were checked and adjusted. The plants also received 17 hours of light from the grow light seen in the center of the tower."
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