Since its construction, the UOS Vegetable Garden, which is located in front of the 1st Engineering Building, has experienced various problems. Every year since 2013, the Division of Construction at UOS has provided the opportunity for UOS students to cultivate crops in the vegetable garden. While 12 teams applied for access to the vegetable garden, two additional slots remained available, so a reapplication period was opened from May 11 to May 12 on a first-come, first-served basis.

Regarding this problem, officer Choi Han-Su (the Division of Construction) said, “The reason for the shortage of volunteers in the application period is that we started to receive applications two months later than usual. We planted tulips in the vegetable garden this year, so it was impossible to recruit participants in March as we did until last year.”

Also, a lot of damage has been caused to plants by local citizens. Choi Soo-Jung (Dept. of Environmental Horiculture,’15), who used the UOS vegetable garden for two years, said it was hard to observe the whole growth process of the plants because of the citizens. Kids ran over the soil where seeds were planted, and some people took peppermints and geraniums with soil. Choi Han-Su said that “since the amount of the stolen plants was so small and the people who took the plants are mainly senior citizens in their seventies of eighties, it’s hard to impose strong sanctions.” So this year, the Division of Construction put up a sign about the problem, and they said that the damage has greatly decreased since last year.
The purpose of the vegetable garden is to foster community spirit and to raise understanding about the garden through the experience of growing plants. Anyone who is a member of the University of Seoul can join the garden as a team,

including students, professors and officers. A team has to be over seven people including a professor. Also, it’s possible to raise any plants desired, except tall plants and climbing plants which may cause damage to other plants. Choi Soo-Jung said the garden allowed her to grow the plants she wanted such as peppermint, potatoes, carrots, geranium and catnip.

On May 18, an opening ceremony was held for the UOS vegetable garden. The garden will be managed by the current teams until the middle of the November.


By An Yoon-hee
 

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