- December 8, 2025
A group of fourth and fifth graders at Osceola Elementary helped Master Gardeners Russ Royce and Karen Diedo set up a new hydroponic garden for their school garden on Friday, Nov. 17. Photo by Jarleene Almenas.
Master Gardener Russ Royce explains to the students of Osceola Elementary how the new hydroponic garden will look on their school grounds on Friday, Nov. 17. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Aidan Clements, 11, digs a hole for a solar tower for their school garden under the supervision of Master Gardener Russ Royce at Osceola Elementary on Friday, Nov. 17. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Jayce Gainer, 9, digs a hole for a solar tower for the school garden at Osceola Elementary on Friday, Nov. 17. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Kids gather around the master gardeners as they begin building the new hydroponic garden at Osceola Elementary on Friday, Nov. 17. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Master Gardener Russ Royce tells Jayce Gainer, 9, Aidan Clements, 11, Lorelei Shoaf, 9, and Madison Webb, 11, about the water pump that will be inside the new hydroponic garden at Osceola Elementary on Friday, Nov. 17.
Brody Belden, 10, digs a hole for the new solar tower in their school garden while fellow students watch his progress at Osceola Elementary on Friday, Nov. 17. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Students put together the piping for their new hydroponic garden at Osceola Elementary on Friday, Nov. 17. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Lorelei Shoaf, 9, helps with the water pump for the new hydroponic garden at Osceola Elementary on Friday, Nov. 17. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Students start building the tower for their new hydroponic garden at Osceola Elementary on Friday, Nov. 17. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Students start building the tower for their new hydroponic garden at Osceola Elementary on Friday, Nov. 17. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Master Gardener Karen Deido and 11-year-old Madison Webb make sure the pole for the new solar tower is level at Osceola Elementary on Friday, Nov. 17. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Master Gardener Russ Royce and a couple of other students pat down the nutrient base for the new hydroponic garden at Osceola Elementary on Friday, Nov. 17. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Jayce Gainer, 9, pours in the base for the new hydroponic garden at Osceola Elementary on Friday, Nov. 17. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
McKenzie Manhart, 9, pours in nutrient pellets for the new hydroponic garden at Osceola Elementary on Friday, Nov. 17. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Following the trend of going green, Osceola Elementary, under the direction of two master gardeners, took that up a notch and added the first hydroponic garden powered through its own solar tower on school grounds in Ormond Beach.
A team of science-loving fourth and fifth graders stayed after school to help Master Gardeners Russ Royce and Karen Diedo build the school's new garden, taking turns digging a hole for the solar tower, arranging pipes for the hydroponic garden and putting in the nutrients into the white baskets. The project will help to further the kids' STEM knowledge, as well as teach them discipline, said Royce.
The vertical hydroponic garden will be virtually self-sustaining, but it will still need to be checked by the students every so often.
“One of the unique things in using a vertical tower is that we use no soil," Royce said. "It’s soil-less. So in order to supply the plants with the proper nutrients, we have to put a nutrient in the water.”
Diedo said helping out in the school garden is helping the students see the process of planting and gardening firsthand, which is new for many of them.
“They like the produce, but none of them have ever had the chance to grow it themselves— or very few," Diedo said.
She said the very first day they began planting this year in early September, some of the students asked if they would be able to eat the produce the following week. Since then, they've learned that it takes a little bit longer than a week for seeds to sprout.
Osceola Elementary's garden is almost in full bloom, with Swiss chard, radishes, collards, tomato plants, pepper plants and beans ready to be harvested. The students have to wait a little longer for the lettuce, carrots and beets, which are just emerging.
Another lesson they hope the students take away from the new hydroponic garden is that it can be used to grow produce even if they don't have a yard back home, Diedo added.
“You don’t need to dig," Diedo said. "So even if you’re a renter, your landlord won’t let you dig up your backyard, you can still have one of these and grow your own produce.”
