Ms. Connors' 2nd Graders Celebrate Earth Day

Yesterday Ms. Connor's 2nd graders celebrated Earth Day. They planted in peat pots that they took home, planted seeds and seedlings in their salsa bed and composted.

Ms. Carolyn, a volunteer, helped the children plant in the pots. She explained that the peat pots were biodegradable. The children chose seeds from our selection of donated seeds.

Next, the children planted seeds and seedlings in the newly constructed raised bed. 2nd graders plant salsa gardens in the spring so they planted jalapeno peppers, tomatoes and onion seeds. They also planted chives and marigolds which are companion plants for tomatoes.

Finally, the students put vegetable and fruit scraps and paper in the compost bin. We discussed that composting is a way to help the environment. Instead of throwing out the scraps we compost them and eventually will add the compost to the garden.

How to take care of the plants in the peat pots:
- Put the pot on a plate or bowl.
- Keep the pot wet
- Ideally keep the pot in a warm spot
- Cover with saran wrap or plastic until the seeds spout
- Remove the plastic
- Keep the pot in a sunny area inside
- Before transplanting, first harden off by having plant outside (not in direct sun) for a few hours each day
- When planting, get bottom wet and tear it off so roots will go into ground; also tear off top of pot to soil line
- Plant so all of pot is covered by soil and water.