Students and community members can now grow plants without soil at East Campus. The Department of Human Environmental Sciences opened an aeroponic greenhouse in May where a variety of vegetables were grown.
“In the summer we taught classes over there for the community,” said Jill Englett, instructor of Human Environmental Sciences. “We did a five-week class so they could plant, watch it, and harvest.”
At East Campus there are 10 industry-sized towers with bases that hold 20 gallons of nutrient-infused water. The towers hold a total of 44 plants and are equipped with a pump on a scheduled timer that propels water to the top to drip over the suspended roots, Englett said.
She said the classes grew eggplants, basil, lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, okra and peppers.