This semester the Hillsboro FFA business class has been growing and marketing poinsettias while learning about the business aspects of running a greenhouse.
The class of eight students has had poinsettia plants since August and continues to manage with the plants weekly by watering, fertilizing and handling pest management. This year the class decided to try growing a small amount of white poinsettias and those will also be for sale as well as the red ones. The poinsettia sale will run from Nov. 21 to Dec. 18, and the poinsettias will be $10 for one, or if you buy three or more the price drops to $8 each. To order poinsettias call 937-393-3458 ext. 1580.
The greenhouse isn’t only used for poinsettias. It has also been used by the middle school students for a phototropism lab that they completed to see if the plants would follow the sunlight through a maze. They also did a geotropism lab to see if gravity would affect how the plants grow. The greenhouse will also be used later this school year when the students will have spring flowers and vegetables which the greenhouse management class will facilitate.
Students learn about asexual reproduction of plants, greenhouse maintenance, troubleshooting plant problems, and about running a greenhouse business.
Submitted by Larkyn Parry, Hillsboro FFA.
