Preparing Growing Media
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This core idea is all about how you get your potting materials together to complete a planting. Students can use pre-prepared soil mixtures, or they can mix their own in an activity. Here are some things to think about when preparing your growing media: porosity of the mixture, the media components, container volume, and the chemical properties (pH). It is important to test your soil pH too. A lab can be conducted to test the soil media before beginning the planting process. You will most likely need to water the soil media before planting to help reduce the space between soil particles.
Resources
- Soil mixture “recipes” (PennState Extension)
- Homemade potting soil (PennState Extension)
- Preparing growing media article (UT Extension)
- Conducting onsite soil test for pH and electrical conductivity (Greenhouse Management)
- Local Greenhouse Manager
Teaching Methods
Lecture Discussion, Paired or Small Group Discussion, Demonstration, Field Trip, Resource People, Experiment
