051906 White Elephant Sale

May 19 2006 WhiteElephant Sale, originally uploaded by ps39.

052306 7pm PTA Meeting

PS 39 May Meeting, originally uploaded by ps39.

Mother's Day Plant Sale -- Plant Care Guidelines

Plant care guidelines:

Light needs: S=sun (at least 3-4 hours a day direct sun) I=bright indirect light ST=shade tolerant

H=houseplant O=outdoor plant HO=can be grown inside or outside in garden or planter

General instructions: Nearly all potted plants will grow more vigorously and bloom more profusely if their roots are “tight” in the pot. This means that there are lots of healthy roots growing throughout the interior and around the outside of the rootball. Optimally, root systems should occupy three quarters of the volume of the pot. A moderately potbound or rootbound plant usually dries out within 2 to 7 days following a thorough watering and that is a good sign. If your plant can go two days or more without needing water, then your plant does not need to be repotted. Just because a plant “looks too big for its pot,” is NOT a good reason to repot.

Cut back on fertilizing for most plants when the plant is resting between bloom times.
Resume full fertilizing when the plant actively grows, usually in the spring. Spring is also a good time to cut plants back.

These are not perennials, so if you plant them in your garden, they won’t come back next year.

1. Dahlias, Mums, Geraniums, Ranunculus: S, HO. Keep soil moist but not wet. Feed weekly to keep them blooming.

2. Begonias: I to ST, HO. Keep soil moist but not wet. Feed every 2-3 weeks to keep them blooming.

3. Mini-roses: S, H. Prefers humid environment. (Try placing pot on tray of pebbles and keep pebbles wet.) Feed every 2 weeks in spring and summer, and keep soil moist while in bloom. After blooming in fall and winter, soil can dry almost completely out between watering, and fertilize once a month using ½-strength solution.

4. Cactus: S, H. Potting mix can dry out almost completely between watering, but they can take more water than most people realize. Feed 3 times a year (spring, summer, fall). If you pot them up, use 1 part potting mix (not actual soil) , 1 part washed sand, and 1 part course gravel, perlite, etc. (Cactus potting mix is readily available.)

5. Kalanchoe: S, H. S - I. You can let soil go dry between waterings. Fertilize very lightly when the plant starts to show new growth. Remove blossoms and stems after flowering. Reduce watering and end fertilizing starting Sept. 1, keep out of light or block light from 6 pm to 8 am, and keep cool (as close to 55 degrees F as possible) for 8-10 weeks. The plant should then rebloom in December. If you prefer it to rebloom in February, wait until November and follow the same steps.

6. African Violets: I, H. Soak soil but let it dry out between waterings. Try not to wet leaves. Prefers humid environment. (Try placing pot on tray of pebbles and keep pebbles wet.) These fussy plants don’t like their roots kept wet. They also do better if you remove dead flowers and leaves. (They’ll look better, too.) Use African violet fertilizer whenever you water and if you can make them happy, you’ll find that these plants will bloom 9 months of the year, and rest for 3 months. If you need to repot them, use African violet soil mix, which is readily available.

7. Tillandsia: I, S, ST. These are air plants. They are not grown in soil. They like a daily misting. If they dry out, soak completely for several hours or overnight with a mild fertilizer solution like ½ t. of fish emulsion Don’t leave in water more than 1 day or they will “drown.”

There are lots of good sites online for plant information.

Here’s one good one of many: http://www.horticulturalhelp.com/

052506 Children Identification System

052506 Security, originally uploaded by ps39.

051006 Plant and Bake Sale

051006 Plant Sale, originally uploaded by ps39.
The Annual Plant and Bake Sale outside of PS 39 for the entire school day, 8a-4p May 10th 2006.

051006 Children Mental Health Awareness Fair

May Is Children’s Mental Health Month

COME JOIN US FOR A CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS FAIR

AT P.S. 39

Wednesday May 10^th

7:45 am – 3:00 pm

Psychologists from Interfaith Medical Center will be available

to answer your questions about child depression and other mental health issues

051306 Sat Brooklyn Family Festival

Region 8 Flyer, originally uploaded by ps39.

051006 Plant and Bake Sale May 10 2006

The Annual Plant and Bake Sale outside of PS 39 for the entire school day, 8a-4p May 10th 2006.
No Rain date yet Flyer to be posted here soon!

So anyone who has any time from 8-4 is welcome to come by and help us for as long or short a stretch of time
as they have. And please do donate baked goods, if you wish.
Proceeds go to the kids to help pay for the Chess Team's trip to Denver on the 11th of May.
We are about $1,000 short of covering their expenses.

We will have 4 or 4.5" annuals in pots, for those who want plants for their window boxes or gardens.
Most of the annuals will be growable indoors and out.
There will be an informational sheet to hand out to every buyers with basic instructions for the care of the plants.

You can contact the organizers, Mark Lorenzen and/or Ruth Mandel via email thru the Yahoo group.
PS39@yahoogroups.com.