From seedling to showcase

While most people are still soaking up the summer sun, K-State horticulture students are already cultivating the colors of the holiday season. In HORT570: Greenhouse Operations Management, a semester-long fall course, students take the lead in growing poinsettias for the Kansas State University Gardens' annual poinsettia sale. Through this longstanding partnership, students master the science — and the art — of growing holiday cheer.

Students in the course develop practical greenhouse skills, from lighting and irrigation to potting and fertilizing, all through the poinsettia growth process. The immersive experience strengthens the continued partnership between the Department of Horticulture and the K-State Gardens and enhances student skills in teamwork, time management, plant development and more.

"I knew at the beginning of my major that I was interested in production, but I didn't have the full picture of what that would look like," shared Alana Wood, a junior in the horticulture program. "I learned a lot in lecture, but the greenhouse lab was where the magic happened. Growing the poinsettias from start to finish truly solidified my passion for plant production."

Alana Wood stands among poinsettias inside the K-State Gardens greenhouse, a key learning space for Greenhouse Operations Management students.

Within the approximately 30-person class, students work in teams of three to four. They are responsible for both cultivating their own plants and collaborating with their groups to ensure proper care and maintenance. Students are expected to have one member visit the greenhouse and care for the plants each weekday, building trust and laying the groundwork for peer-to-peer collaboration.

"As a team, we have to manage how we are going to tackle checking on everyone's progress," said Allie Stuchlik, a sophomore currently enrolled in the class. "It's a big commitment, and it takes a lot of trust and time management."

While the class produces a tangible outcome, many students' most meaningful takeaways go beyond the plants themselves — rooted in the value of community engagement and its role in developing confidence and connection.

"When the community supports the gardens, they're supporting the next generation of horticulturists," Stuchlik said. "This class and my interactions with the gardens have made me more knowledgeable in my field and better prepared for life after college."

The 2025 in-person poinsettia sale, showcasing the fall 2025 HORT570 plants, will take place in the Quinlan Visitor Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21. For more information, visit the K-State Gardens event page.

-Submitted by the Office of External Engagement