Sippican School students are learning that they don’t need soil to grow fruits and vegetables.

Peppers, cucumbers, lettuce and more plants have sprouted in a new hydroponic garden set up inside the school.

Under the direction of Band Director Hannah Moore, along with help from Sippican Community Garden Club coordinator Diane Cook, students planted seeds in a mixture of moss and vermiculite earlier in the school year. After sprouting, the seedlings were placed inside the garden, which is a nearly seven-foot tall tower.

“I’ve always been interested in hydroponics,” said Moore, who purchased the equipment with personal funds. “I thought this would be a good way to keep students thinking about gardening in the middle of winter.”

Called Tower Garden, the machine bathes the plants’ roots in a solution of water and nutrients. The solution is pumped up to the top of the tower where it filters down. Above, a grow light shines to provide the plants with UV rays.

As with any new technology there’s tinkering involved as some plants flourish while others need a helping hand.

“Part of the fun is figuring everything out,” Cook said.

For students, growing plants in the dead of winter is a good way to keep their garden club engaged throughout the year.

After planting the seeds, club members, along with help from music teacher Patricia Richard, experimented with using heated pads beneath the plants. Cook said the group wanted to see if the heat would speed along the process and it did.

Through all of the trial and error, Cook, Moore and the students are looking forward to tasting the produce when it’s ready to harvest.

That hands on approach is something Cook and Moore encourage in the club.

“You can read about this information in any book, but it’s something else when kids have to try out and see what works and what doesn’t,” Cook said. “That’s why gardening is so great.”