Gardening for kids.
Now is the time to get the children interested in gardening. Give them a small patch - let them define the shape with string and put stones around the border.
Choose easy-to-grow plants and as many different ones as you can get into the small space. Carrots, radishes, spring onions and beetroot are good vegetable choices.
Help them prepare the soil:
- remove all stones and clods
- dig the patch
- break the soil into small crumbs - they can jump up & down, or use a fork
Let the young ones design the planting scheme. Do they want:
- plants in rows
- or blocks of plants in different shapes
They can plan it on paper, draw out the design with a stick on the soil, then sow the seeds.
Keep an eye out for pests, & develop a strategy together for keeping pests out of the garden patch. Put up bird scarers made from CDs or ribbons hanging from sticks.
Find a small can or jug which can be used to water the seeds regularly.
Oversee the project to ensure rapid results - which will encourage further vegetable gardening!!
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Hi Top Veg,
I am a teacher and I am starting a gardening club with the children at school. I am going to plant radish as it germinates quickly, what else should I grow?
Sara
Comment by Sara - April 20, 2007 7:10 pm
Hi Sara
How wonderful to have a gardening club. Radish are good because you can have a crop to eat in a month.
A lot depends on your term times. It would be a shame to have crops ready to harvest when the children are away on holiday.
Crops ready to harvest within a couple of months are french beans, lettuce, perpetual spinach, turnips. French beans have the added advantage of large seeds, & you could grow some in jam jars just to watch the root develop. The spinach is very vigorous and can be picked for salads, or cooking. The turnips can be grown close together & used as mini veg.
It is good to grow several things so that you have something for everyone.
I hope the club grows into a succesful venture.
TopVeg
Comment by TopVeg - April 20, 2007 7:50 pm