Teresa Crouse This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. www.growingedge.com

   www.growingedge.com/magazine/c - [Cached]

   Published on: 12/8/2007   Last Visited: 12/8/2007

   "It's a long process from beginning to end," said Teresa Crouse, program director at Liberty.
   
   Nine hundred tiny cuttings of the cultivar 'Freedom' are purchased from the Jolly Farmer Co. "This one has fewer problems and is very forgiving for students," Crouse said.
   
   Liberty students got right to work raising poinsettias soon after school began in August. Two seedlings are placed in an 8-inch pot filled with Fafard Middleweight Mix #2B, a soilless growing mix composed of peat moss, perlite, vermiculite and aged pine bark.
   
   "This is a critical period, as too much water will cause rot," Crouse said.
   ...
   Student growers learn about the requirements of hydroponic and greenhouse culture, Crouse said. Poinsettias are a tropical plant, so temperatures inside the greenhouse must be carefully monitored. Daytime temperatures should be 70 F; nighttime around 60 F. They also must be careful not to overwater, check daily for signs of insect and disease pests, and maintain correct spacing to avoid overcrowding on greenhouse tables.
   
   "Last season, only 5 plants were lost from the 400 grown," Crouse said. And the high quality for her part, Crouse has learned to place her poinsettia order early to receive a larger discount and to have everything ready to place in pots when the tiny plants arrive. She advises other teachers and students who may want to begin a school-based greenhouse plant program to start small and slowly increase the number of plants annually. Each year she orders an additional 100 plants.
   ...
   Students produce a high-quality plant, and they have no trouble selling what they grow, Crouse said.

2. 2. Liberty High School Staff

   www.jmcss.net/liberty/liberty/ - [Cached]

   Published on: 9/15/2007   Last Visited: 9/15/2007

   Teresa Crouse

3. 3. Discover Jackson and West Tennessee - jacksonsun.com - Public Schools

   www.thejacksonsun.com/discover - [Cached]

   Published on: 3/23/2004   Last Visited: 3/4/2005

   ERIKA ALEXANDER/The Jackson Sun - Teresa Crouse, left, an argiscience instructor at Liberty Technology Magnet High School, talks to students about aqua-science maintenance.