Horticulture
Hydroponic food production is not just a
fad. It is the wave of the future. Hydroponic vegetable production is intensive
agriculture that takes only one-tenth the space of traditional farming. Therefore, a 1
acre greenhouse equals 10 acres of conventional farmland. Even though hydroponic 
plants are grown in water, they only require one-tenth
the water of traditional crops because the water is either recycled or injected precisely
into each plant. Any plant or crop can be grown hydroponically; however, the top four
commercial crops are tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, and peppers. Herbs are also emerging as
a top hydroponic crop. Vegetables grown in this manner also have superior taste, quality,
appearance, uniformity and extended shelf-life.
The hydroponic crops grown at Johnson County Vocational School are: tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, and alfalfa sprouts. Students harvest 250-300 heads of Salina Bibb lettuce each week and 40-60 lbs. of tomatoes. All produce is sold to the school food service program and to the local restaurants.
Lettuce crops are grown using a nutrient
film technique (NFT) system. In this recycling system
nutrient water is constantly pumped to the plants and then returned to
the nutrient tanks by gravity. Tomato crops are grown using bag culture. In our
system, we use both rockwool and perlite bags to show students two types of medium. In
this system, 3-4 ounces of nutrient solution is injected into each plant once an hour
during daylight hours only. We grow an indeterminant variety of tomatoes called Trust
which was developed in Holland (the leading country in hydroponic food production with
over 10,000 acres of hydroponic greenhouses).
In the hydroponic greenhouse at JCVS, we use all biological insect control such as Encarsia formosia, a parasitic wasp used to control whiteflies; Phytoseiulus persimilis, a predatory mite to control spider mites; and lady bugs to control aphids. Insect populations are monitored closely using sticky cards and plant inspection.
The greenhouse management program at Johnson County Vocational School also trains students how to grow bedding plants, hanging baskets, potted plants, mums, and poinsettias. Students propagate plants from seed or cuttings until the final product is sold in the bedding plant greenhouse. Plants are sold retail by the students and wholesale to local florists and garden centers.
In the floriculture class, students learn everything from the history of floriculture to bow tying, corsage making, and all styles of floral designs.
The FFA is an integral part of all agriculture classes. Through the FFA club the students participate in many contests, trips, and activities which make classroom and greenhouse learning more meaningful and more fun.
Agriculture Department Home Page
Johnson County High School Home Page