Leadership Projects

Education Leadership project - Tomato Comparison (By: Loish)

Tomatoes have two different kinds of plants. Determinate and indeterminate are what they are called. Each plant is different in unique ways.

The determinate tomato plants are also called bush plants. Determinate tomato plants grow to a certain height and when the tomatoes are all ready then die. The certain height thy grow to is about 4 feet. Also, you should not prune, or cut away, this plant. It will reduce the amount of product you get from that tomato plant. These tomatoes don't require cages but it's still nice to have. Some examples of determinate tomatoes are Rutgers, Roma, and Celebrity.

Indeterminate tomato plants grow until killed by frost. 6 feet is about the normal height of a indeterminate tomato plant. The tomato plant grow and ripen at the same time throughout the season. These indeterminate tomato plants require a cage to support their size. Examples of indeterminate tomato plants are most "cherry" tomatoes and most heirloom tomatoes.

In conclusion, there are two different kinds of tomato plants. They are called determinate and indeterminate. The indeterminate tomato plant is probably best to have because it continues growing until it's cold. Even though it takes more care, it will give you more than the determinate tomato plant.

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Education Leadership Project - Sustainable Gardening (By: Brianna)

According to the American sustainable sites initiative, sustainable gardening is when you attempt to protect, restore and enhance the ability of landscapes to provide ecosystems that benefit humans and other organisms. Sustainable gardening practices are when you balance the input to the output to your garden. By using a little bit of labor and water, you can have a thriving sustainable garden in your own backyard. Also, by using the right plants that are adapted to your climate and area's weather it helps to conserve resources that could be used for something else while still getting great results.

This definition of sustainable gardening definitely includes the Dallas youth garden because we use no chemicals other than the ones nature makes itself to protect our plants and ecosystem. We use things like marigolds to keep away pests and fish fertilizer to strengthen our crop instead of chemicals that could potentially be harmful. Sustainable gardening practices are something everyone should use when thinking of gardening at home or anywhere actually. By using sustainable practices we can ensure a greener future for the world's inhabitants.

Sources:

http://www.premierirrigation.net/uploads/6/6/7/5/6675671/sustainable_gardening_em8742.pdf

http://www.sustainablesites.org/