Abbie Tillman’s biology class at Eisenhower High School is where the green things grow.
Tillman received a Lawton Public School Foundation grant this year for a hydroponics system and she and her students have been busy planting — and harvesting — all sorts of edible plants. Tillman said she wanted the system because the class covers a lot of material involving plants and parts of plants.
“I wanted something in class for the kids without a ton of planters,” Tillman said. “I wanted something the kids can grow, watch and participate in.”
Tillman received the system in January and students chose which plants they wanted, including different kinds of lettuce, cabbage, sugar snap peas, cilantro, strawberries, bell peppers and chives.
“They picked out a lot of lettuce. I’m not sure why,” Tillman said. “It has the added bonus of if they want to take something home, they can. All the plants are edible.”
Tillman said students have mixed reactions to the gardening experiment.
“Some are clearly not interested in gardening. Some are really invested in picking the plants. Some like getting their hands dirty. Some try to figure out why something like this is happening,” she said, referring to some plants that are not thriving.
Travis Harrop, 15, is one of those who enjoys gardening. He helped his grandparents with their garden in Marlow where they grew okra, peppers and corn. He has noticed a difference between outdoor gardening and hydroponics.
“Gardening that way (outside) can go either way, the threat of too much rain, drought, or bugs getting them,” he said. “With the hydroponic system, you don’t have most of those risk factors.”
Harrop also enjoys troubleshooting why some plants are struggling, such as why the strawberry plants are too small and the sugar snap peas are dying. His theory is that the hydroponics stand is not level or the plants are not getting the proper amount of water.
“It’s very hands-on. I love it. It’s nice to see the handiwork of some of the students,” Harrop said.
Tillman said one benefit of the hydroponics system is that students see the growth process from seed to fruition. Once plants reach a certain stage, they are transplanted into pots and placed on the windowsill. Currently, the windowsill is lined with several varieties of lettuce.
A basil plant also is doing very well.
“A giant basil plant is taking up a lot of space,” she said. One student wants to take the basil plant home at the end of the year.
Another benefit is that students get to enjoy the fruits of their labors. Tillman said every once in a while a student will snap off a lettuce leaf and eat it.
Harrop said he is one of those.
“When it’s fresh, it’s not as juicy. It’s a little dry,” he said of the lettuce. “It could be the way it is grown. It depends on the soil and how much water and sunlight it gets.”
The hydroponics system also has been a learning experience for Tillman. She said next year she will start the strawberries earlier and is considering planting squash in the fall.