Classroom Rooting Project Started

ohiobruce

ohiobruce

Well-known member
Yesterday I mixed my potting mix using what I had on hand. I used 15 qt totes. Three filled with peat moss, two filled with Optisorb DE, and one filled with pumice. I used about 5 gallons of water and added Mykos mycorrhiza. Hopefully it will work.

I cleaned and soaked the cuttings and then let them dry.

I hauled everything to school and treated the ends. Some with Titebond III wood glue, some with paraffin wax, some with the scented wax used in a wax melter, some with parafilm on just the end, and some with parafilm from the dirt level to the end.

I put these in 24oz cups. It's always dry in my classroom during the winter months and with the first day of snow, the heating system was going at full blast. So rather than tying the plastic bags around the cutting, I enclosed the whole thing and temporarily fastened it with a paper clip. I figured that I could ask here for advice on what to do.

So, I made these fig cups until I was out of counter space. I ended up with 91. Now I'm going to have to get another heating mat and controller.

Hopefully no more than a third fail. The kids were pretty interested and I have some staff members wanting some too.
 

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That's so cool. I am praying that you have 100% success. I hate the thought of a kid being disappointed because his or her cutting didn't grow. Maybe you could make some extras. I'm doing my cuttings in clear cups and plastic bags too.
 
ktrain said:
Are you funding this out of pocket?
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Yep, but it's worth it to me.

Yesterday I had a student ask if he could take home a cutting and try it himself. I put some parafilm on the end and gave him some brief instructions.

Today a student told me her mom wanted to know if she needed another plant to pollinate. She said her mom used to eat fresh figs, but hasn't had one in a long time and was looking forward to it. I sent her home with several cuttings for her mom. I parafilmed the ends and drew an arrow so she wouldn't plant them upside down.

A fellow teacher took home a few cuttings and another will get some Thursday.

Now the pressure is on. I sure hope I didn't screw up something. :unsure:

On a side note, I wish I would have kept the leafy ends of a couple of branches. I'd stick them in cups before the kids arrived and pretended that they grew overnight... :ROFLMAO:
 
ohiobruce said:
Yep, but it's worth it to me.

Yesterday I had a student ask if he could take home a cutting and try it himself. I put some parafilm on the end and gave him some brief instructions.

Today a student told me her mom wanted to know if she needed another plant to pollinate. She said her mom used to eat fresh figs, but hasn't had one in a long time and was looking forward to it. I sent her home with several cuttings for her mom. I parafilmed the ends and drew an arrow so she wouldn't plant them upside down.

A fellow teacher took home a few cuttings and another will get some Thursday.

Now the pressure is on. I sure hope I didn't screw up something. :unsure:

On a side note, I wish I would have kept the leafy ends of a couple of branches. I'd stick them in cups before the kids arrived and pretended that they grew overnight... :ROFLMAO:
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Thats awesome Bruce,

You know the spring brings a great bit of excitement to watch them wake up and grow, but the fall brings another exciting time.
Everyone looks forward to getting the cuttings they want, sort of like Christmas. lol
Then watching them take root and grow....good times!
 
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ktrain said:
Thats awesome Bruce,

You know the spring brings a great bit of excitement to watch them wake up and grow, but the fall brings another exciting time.
Everyone looks forward to getting the cuttings they want, sort of like Christmas. lol
Then watching them take root and grow....good times!
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Idk if I get more excited for green growth in the spring or roots during winter. Honestly probably the roots.
 
SFswiss said:
Bruce that’s awesome what you’re doing for your students and their family! Hats off to you! You’re generous and awesome - that’s the kind of teacher I would want my kids to learn from!
I’m looking at your WL… I will DM you once my trees go dormant 😉
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Thanks for the kind words. I hated school when I was a kid and so now I try to do things to keep it interesting.

Thanks too for checking out my WL. (y)
 
I think it's wonderful that your students are excited enough to share information with their parents about the upcoming project. Typically a student shares very little about what's happening at school. Also to have other teachers and parents get involved is another plus.

It's teachers like you, who think outside the box, to motivate students to enjoy learning new things.

I hope you will share your experiences with your students here as the project progresses.
 
LadyGT said:
I think it's wonderful that your students are excited enough to share information with their parents about the upcoming project. Typically a student shares very little about what's happening at school. Also to have other teachers and parents get involved is another plus.

It's teachers like you, who think outside the box, to motivate students to enjoy learning new things.

I hope you will share your experiences with your students here as the project progresses.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'll keep updating this thread - even if it fails miserably. Lol.
 
Maybe another option to keep the momentum going while you’re waiting for the roots to grow is to put them into some videos (there is a thread going on here about that) + maybe a how to link or about figs in general sort of link.

Maybe some folks here can make suggestions?
What age are your students?

Maybe you could offer some extra credit points for kids sharing things about figs or a good video they found, etc.? It’s motivating, and the sharing is motivating, and giving extra credit kinda helps take away the embarrassment of the geek factor, like I’m only doing it for the extra credit.
 
BucksCountyFigs said:
Maybe another option to keep the momentum going while you’re waiting for the roots to grow is to put them into some videos (there is a thread going on here about that) + maybe a how to link or about figs in general sort of link.

Maybe some folks here can make suggestions?
What age are your students?

Maybe you could offer some extra credit points for kids sharing things about figs or a good video they found, etc.? It’s motivating, and the sharing is motivating, and giving extra credit kinda helps take away the embarrassment of the geek factor, like I’m only doing it for the extra credit.
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Thanks for the suggestions. My kids are 11 and 12 years old. We're definitely going to do some research about figs, how to take care of them, their cultural/historical significance, etc.

Right now we are starting our 3D printing unit. That will help them pass the time. I bring in my 3D printer, teach them how to design a very basic object, and then let them print it. That will keep them busy until the cuttings (hopefully!) root.

In the spring, we have a unit on the Great Depression. That covers the CCC program and the millions of trees that were planted and the difficulties many families had just finding food. At that point the kids will have taken home their tree. I'll point out that they can plant their tree and grow something for their families to eat. And I can point out to the kids who killed their tree, that they probably doomed their family to starvation. ...Sort of like the Oregon Trail game we used to play. ;)
 
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