Students Learn About Eco-Friendly Gardening

CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS - Students in 19 schools in Corpus Christi, West Oso and Calallen ISDs will be learning about a new way to grow plants while helping the environment when their classrooms receive a new hydroponic gardening system. These gardening systems were purchased through a partnership with the City of Corpus Christi Solid Waste Services and Communities In Schools. The schools and teachers who will receive these hydroponic gardening systems will be recognized at a press conference on Thursday, April 27, at 8:45 a.m. at the Communities In Schools office located at 2212 Morris Street in Corpus Christi.

The hydroponic system of gardening is a method for growing plants without the use of soil. Instead, the root system of the plant is placed in a nutrient-rich water based solution that enables the plants to develop more fully. Because the plants do not have to work as hard to gain nutrients, they mature 25% faster and can produce up to 30% more than the same plants grown in soil.

In addition to learning about how to set up and manage a hydroponic gardening system, students will see how this method enables them to control the variables that lead to successful plant growth. They will also get a first-hand look at how indoor gardening leads to better water conservation, soil replenishment and successful maintenance of plant life during drought conditions.

For more information, contact Celina Ybarbo Pulcher, Program Outreach Coordinator at (361) 826-1655 or Celina@cctexas.com.