Cultivating indoor plants in your classroom can be a great teaching opportunity. It is known to help improve the level of engagement of students in the classroom. It is also very stimulating for young people to be so close to nature. Teaching students how to cultivate indoors can spark curiosity and interest in farming. In fact, in many cases, some students create farming clubs where they organize their agricultural activities.
So if you are looking for plants to cultivate indoors, we have listed below the top 3 plants for your classroom.
Succulents
Do not be intimidated by succulents. Succulents are great plants for the classroom. They are small, so they do not occupy so much space. They are also resistant to stress since most of them are native to dessert and a hostile environment. Lastly, they are stunning.
When choosing the right succulent plants for your classroom, make sure to select the green plants. The darker the green color, the better for your plants and your classroom. Sure it is very tempting to get the purple and red plants. These colorful plants may even look better than the green ones with your classroom theme. However, the green succulent plants are the way to go. The reason for this is because of your classroom’s lack of light. As mentioned, succulents are native in deserts. As such, they have evolved to grow under bright sunlight all year round. Being indoors, your succulents get less sunlight than they should. Between the red and green succulents, the green ones will fair better since they have more chlorophyll to capture as much light as possible.
How Can Your Students Grow Them?
If you have a dimly lit classroom, you may help your class to grow them by supplementing your students with cheap grow light that you can buy online just anywhere. Once you have installed the grow light, you can allow the children to water plants. However, make sure to tell them water the succulent plants sparingly. The leaves of succulent plants are puffy because they store water. So make sure to guide students not heavy soak for the weekend. It is also essential that the soil is well-drained and has a neutral pH. You may help your students determine the pH of the soil for succulents with special soil tester. Find more information here.
Fiddle Leaf Fig
Fiddle leaf fig is among the most Instagram-worthy and magazine cover-worthy plants in the last five years. This native African plant has been featured in many interior design magazines. With a scientific name Ficus lyrate, this is one exotic plant that many newbies are intimidated to grow.
How Can Your Students Grow Them?
Many people think that the large but beautiful leaves of this plant are challenging to take care of. To be honest, they are pretty easy to grow, especially for students in your classroom. For your students, it is important that you teach them about how to take care of the roots of this plant. The roots grow better in a well-drained soil that easily dries out. Teach them not to overwater the plant. Also, help them choose the right pots. If you want to save up, you can reuse tin cans of powdered milk or cooking oil. Make sure to put lots of holes underneath the cans. Speaking of pots, the root system of this plant thrives in a smaller space. This is because it is native to rocky places in Africa. Thus, this plant loves to be “hugged.” Therefore, the container should be a little smaller.
Lucky Bamboo
Lucky bamboo is an extremely popular indoor plant already for many years. In fact, many people specifically use them as a desktop plant. Your students will surely learn to as well love them. These plants are extremely popular among East Asia, as they are believed to be very lucky. Often, it is seen on top of a desk beside a lucky Buddha or a lucky frog figurine.
How Can Your Students Grow Them?
Lucky bamboo is extremely easy to care for. All you need to do is to teach your students to find a vessel that can be filled with water to the brim. Make sure to put your lucky bamboo in a well-lit area of the classroom. You may opt to put a little bit of stone in the vessel or just let the plant grow entirely on the water. Just make sure that you add a teaspoon of vinegar on the water to kill off any bacteria. You may also add a few sprinkles of sugar to provide food for the plant. If the plant is not going to grow with soil, the most common problem is maintaining the health of the plant. Sugar will help the lucky bamboo stay healthy and well-nourished.
