News+from+SLUG+Headquarters

=**News from SLUG Headquarters**=

Here at SLUG we like to put in to practice all the techniques that we encourage teachers to use in their classrooms. We'd like to document some of the growing process here, and hope that it inspires you to keep on planting!

Here is a picture of our mini-greenhouse setup. These help to keep the seedlings moist and allow them germinate without having to water them everyday. This strategy is perfect for a teacher who can't pay attention to the seedlings everyday. For more information on how to set these up come to one of our trainings!

We planted these seeds on March 18th, and some of them have already started to pop up! Check out how beautiful these seedlings are as the cotyledons begin to emerge from the seed husk!

We have had incredible success with this round of plantings. Barely ten days later almost everything has sprouted! In the picture on the right you can see our six-pack wicking system. The six-packs sit inside of a tub filled with water and are elevated off the bottom to keep their roots from rotting. A wet rag connects the water to the bottom of the six-packs. This is enough to keep the six-paks watered over as long as there is water in the tub.

Below is a great example of why we use the grow lights and keep them so close to the plants. The seedlings on the left grew for a few days with grow lights about 10 incehs above them, and the ones on the right had the light only an inch or two above it. The seedlings on the left have spent a lot of energy reaching for the light, making them very leggy and with underdeveloped leaves. The plants on the right are short and stout with large, deep green leaves.

Some of the seedlings from previous plantings are already ready to be transplanted. Here they are in their new homes: On the left are some eggplant, and on the right, tomato plants.

The tomatoes look very small in their giant pots right now, but the one below was transplanted a few weeks ago. Look how hardy it is! All these little guys need is some root space and a steady supply of light and water and they will be well on their way.