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Kids
'n Gardening
Gardening is an activity everyone can enjoy whatever your age, where ever
you live. Bev boorer has written these articles. She has lots of
ideas to start children gardening.
On this page you will find articles about:
Click on the headings on the right for more articles
A fun activity
Why not make gardening into a family fun activity?
Encourage your kids to help out, or give them their own little plot. Most
kids love to play in the dirt. Give them a trowel and a square metre of
earth to call their own and you will be surprised at what they accomplish.
Keep pre-schoolers close to you so they don’t get
into trouble. Dirt in the eyes and mouth is not good. What you choose to
allow your children to do in the garden will depend partly on their age.
Here are some ideas:
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Point out the wonders of nature while teaching them
to take care around bees and spiders.
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Give them a tiny watering can of their own.
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Don’t worry if they slop and spill water.
Plan your garden with the children in mind.
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Create a ‘cubby-house’ from a semi-circle of
sunflowers or other tall growers.
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A pathway of stepping-stones will keep children
from treading on your flowers.
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Small edible treasures like cherry tomatoes or
strawberries near the cubby will delight them and be a healthy treat as
well.
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Older children can safely decide what they want to
plant in their own spot. Suggest seeds that germinate quickly so they
don’t lose interest.
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Seedlings are a good. Hardy flowers like petunias,
daisies, sunflowers and nasturtiums are good choices.
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Growing vegetables
If your garden is large enough, your children might
like to grow vegies for the table, or to sell for a bit of pocket money.
The neighbours may be happy for the chance to buy freshly picked beans,
corn or tomatoes. You could even offer to buy them yourself.
Competitions are fun.
See whose flowers or vegetables grow first or fastest or bear the biggest
crop. A gardening journal to record their plans, sowing date and results
of their hard work will also keep them interested. They could have a
special tape measure to keep track of the height of those sunflowers.
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Container Gardening for Kids
Get your kids away from the TV and into the real
world. Let them have a go at container gardening. It is a great holiday
project, and let them do their own thing right from the start. They can go
with you to buy a large black plastic pot and some paint to brighten it
up. Maybe they’ve collected shells from the beach that will look great
glued to the outside of the pot. Thick string wound around the pot and
glued is another idea for decoration. Not much room? Go for a smaller pot.
Once decorated and planted it will look terrific on a sunny windowsill or
patio. A foam box or an ice-cream container is just as good to decorate.
The children can paint a different picture or pattern on each side.
Buy the kids their own set of tiny tools and a small
pair of gloves for when they are working with their container gardens. If
you use potting mix in the container, gloves will be a safety precaution.
Find a suitable plant –a hardy one that won’t die if watering is forgotten
for a few days. Choose seeds that germinate very quickly if they want to
go for seeds, but the younger child may not understand that the soil needs
to be left undisturbed after planting seeds. Older children may enjoy
growing something that they can eat, like cherry tomatoes.
To make things more interesting while they wait for
the fruit of their labours to flower or fruit, they can have a windmill or
insect on a stake to poke into the soil. Or decorate the top of the soil
with pebbles or small ornaments. If you don’t want your kids to dabble in
dirt, use sand and let them create a fake garden with a fishpond made from
a lid. They can make a pretend underwater scene with any tiny toys they
might have. Kids love shiny pebbles and these can be bought quite cheaply
at two-dollar stores. They can be glued to the outside of the pot or used
to make a pathway through the world they’ve created.
Discarded fish tanks, make lovely indoor gardens.
Help your children choose miniature plants with attractive foliage. Add an
edging of marbles or coloured pebbles, and make a fence by gluing
discarded Popsicle sticks together.
Provide the
opportunity and you’ll soon see your child’s imagination and creativity
blossom.
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Gardening in the classroom
Here is a fun and easy project to teach
children about seed germination. It can be done in the home or classroom.
Ask the children to bring a clean, empty container to class. It can be
something like a yoghurt or margarine container. They could also save a seed
to bring. Suggestions are apple or orange seeds; rockmelon, watermelon or
tomato seeds; pumpkin or cucumber seeds. Alternatively, the teacher could
bring some, as well as potting or seed-raising mix.
The children
could have a show and tell session about their seed, then they could all
plant them in the containers and place them on a tray. Depending on the age
of the children, records could be kept to see how long each seed took to
germinate and what the first two leaves looked like compared with the other
leaves. Height (or length) and rate of growth could be noted and the
children could even draw their plant at various stages of growth.
Each child
could be responsible for watering their own seed, or they could form groups
for this job. To prevent over-watering, let them use a medicine measure or a
spray bottle. If possible, find a spot in the school garden to transplant
the seedlings into, or allow each child to take theirs home.
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Kids
and bonsai
If you are looking for
something a little more unusual in the gardening line to interest your
kids, maybe they would like a bonsai tree, or a bonsai kit so they can grow
their own. While children are often impatient for results, an older child
may have the patience to become interested in bonsai growing, especially if
they have grown out of the liking dirt stage. Just think, there is no
weeding to be done with bonsai!
Unless you know a bit
about bonsai yourself, a small handbook or ebook on the subject would be
useful to make sure the tree doesn’t die from the wrong kind of care. Bonsai
trees are so attractive with their wonderfully twisted and gnarled trunks
and tiny foliage, it would be a shame to lose it.
Bonsai could be the very hobby for the
child who is interested in growing things, but doesn’t want to spend a lot
of time looking after a garden.
For the beginner bonsai
grower, you would also need basic tools such as concave pruners for cutting
branches and bud scissors for dealing with leaves and more delicate parts of
the plant, a pot especially for bonsai, the right kind of potting mix and of
course the tree are other components of your bonsai kit gift. When choosing
the tree, decide whether it will be for indoors or outside, as some trees
are more suited to outdoors than others.
Wire and wire cutters are
also necessary for the bonsai kit. Get plenty of wire, as your child is
sure to make a
few mistakes and will need to cut it off and start again. You child might
like to go with you to the nursery to choose and purchase the bonsai tree
and pot.
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Growing donkeys
One great way to help save the environment and have fun
at the same time is to grow a donkey! No, not the four-footed variety, but a
donkey orchid. These are Australian natives that almost became extinct in
the wild; until scientists found out they needed a special kind of fungus to
grow with them before they could survive.
This fungus was fast disappearing due to pollution and
disease, but those clever guys found out ways to grow it, saving 800 species
of orchids in the process. In fact, each kind of ground orchid needed a
different kind of fungus as a companion to help it grow, so there are 800
different types of fungus to match the 800 species of orchid! Some of the
orchids are called cowslip, leopard cowslip, blue fairy and blue lady.
Growing a native ground orchid is as easy as growing
mushrooms. You can buy a special kit with the fungus and some seeds in it
for about $9.95. Mail-order details can be had from (08) 9480 3600.
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Getting Creative
There are many ways in which kids can get creative in their own bit of
garden. They could set up a birdbath. To do this they could borrow a small
log left over from the winter set it in the middle of their garden on its
end and place a flat dish on top. The saucer from under a plant pot would
do. A rock in the middle of it would ensure that the wind didn’t tip it
over. Small plants all around it would look very attractive.
If you don’t have a log you could use several bricks piled up, an old stool
(wonderful with a plant twining around the legs), a chair, a box (at least
until it rained) a pile of rocks or a pile of dirt. The idea of getting it
up from ground level is so that the birds can see any danger like lurking
cats. If your area is cat-free, it could go on the ground.
If your child has a larger receptacle, e.g. a bucket, they might like to
bury it in part of their garden and use it for a miniature rock pool.
However, birds could still use it and if the water level gets low, they may
be unable to fly back out and so they will drown. To prevent this
possibility, always leave a thick stick in the bucket. It should be slightly
longer than the bucket so that it reaches up to the top. Any bird in trouble
can then simply climb up it instead of trying to fly out of a confined space
with wet wings.
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More creativity
If you are at your wit’s end to know
how to entertain your kids, why not let them get creative in the garden?
Give them their own corner, or a special piece to call their own, then
suggest that they use an old toy to decorate it with. A bike, dinky or pedal
car will look fantastically rustic with plants twining through the wheel
spokes or over the seat.
Potted plants can be hung from the
handlebars or sat on the seat. Ivy geraniums are hardy plants that will
climb and twine beautifully. Even a rusted bicycle wheel propped up near a
plant would make an unusual support for plant tendrils.
If you have no garden, find an old
pair of boots for them to stuff with potting mix and plant with any number
of small plants. Cacti, succulents, or even annuals like pansies or petunias
are all good. An old teapot or saucepans can be pressed into service as a
pot for plants, though if there is no hole in the bottom, be sure to keep
them out of the rain.
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Kids Going Nuts in the Garden
Kids Going Nuts in the Garden For a change, why not get
the kids interested in growing a tree in the garden? Nut trees are a bit
unusual and would appeal to kids who love nuts, or just like something a
little different. Almond trees are not hard to grow and the pretty blossom
resembles that of the peach tree. The fruit also could be mistaken for a
peach when it is small, as each almond is coated in a furry pod. This will
split open when the time comes to pick the nuts. And just imagine what you -
ahem, the children -will save by growing almonds. Almonds thrive in cool,
wet winters and warm, dry summers, but they don’t like humidity. They don’t
take up much room in the garden. If you’ve more room, hazelnuts are even
easier to grow, not caring if the climate is cool or warm. The trees are
somewhat untidy; they grow to seven metres tall and spread out quite a bit
too, hence the need for room. You’ll also need two for pollinating purposes.
If you like nuts but not trees, try growing peanuts. Unfortunately, unless
you live in the tropics or can provide shelter from frosts, it’s a bit late
to start one off now. You can buy raw unroasted peanuts from the health food
shops suitable for growing. They have to be shelled carfully as if the nuts
split, they will not germinate. They like well-drained, sandy soil. Sow the
kernels about 50-100mm below the soil surface and water in well. If growing
in a pot, cover the soil with a few sheets of newspaper and place in a
sheltered spot. Do not water the peanuts again until they have sprouted
about a week later. After that, be careful not to overwater, as peanuts
dislike water close to their roots for long periods Kids would be intrigued
with these ‘upside-down’ plants. Once the flower is pollinated, the stem
turns upside down and grows underground, where the nuts are formed.
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Growing fruit trees
Most kids like fruit, so why not suggest they grow
their favourite fruit on a tree? They could experiment with growing a seed
from a piece of fruit they just ate, or they could purchase one from the
nursery. If they grow their tree from a seed, it may not turn out the same
as the one they just ate, since most are hybrids. However, they can still
have fun growing it and finding out what the base of the hybrid was like.
Of course, certain trees may not grow in your area, but
the kids can still have fun experimenting, and to save disappointment, you
could get them a tree that does grow well in the area. Citrus seeds usually
germinate readily and could be placed in small pots on the windowsill until
they germinate.
Orange and lemon trees grow readily in a wide variety
of climates and don’t take up too much room. Peaches, plums nectarines and
apricots are others to consider if your climate is right for them. Measuring
how quickly the trees go can be made fun when they compare it with their own
growth rate. Allow them to measure their height on a nearby fence and mark
in the date with a waterproof pen. Then let them do the same with the tree.
Of course, once the fruit is ripe the fun will really begin.
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Kids 'n bamboo
We often see those wonderfully curly lucky bamboo plants growing in pots.
Bamboo are hardy plants and are in the kid-proof range, so why not get your
kids growing them, or some more unusual bamboo plants?
Black bamboo starts off green, grows quickly and the stalk changes to a
deep, glossy black over a few months, while the leaves remain deep green.
During the change its mottled appearance is quite fascinating. Black bamboo
will grow in full or partial sun and needs to be cut back each year to
control it.
If grown in the garden, the roots need to be contained so it does not become
invasive. It may be better off kept in a pot. One plant is quite enough - it
will eventually grow to 5 metres high and spread 3 metres across. Black
bamboo is very hardy and definitely possesses the wow factor.
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Growing walking sticks
For something totally unusual try getting some rare seeds from the seed
man. This rare plant from the cabbage family will grow into a walking stick
in a maximum of 300 days. In fact people have been growing walking sticks
from this plant for some centuries.
It is Brassica oleracea longata. Plant the seeds 40 inches apart early in
the spring. With good growing practices, the slender stem grows straight and
strong. Allow it to harden in the garden. In late winter pull the plants,
cut off the roots and crown, and hang inside to dry. When it feels as solid
as a cricket bat it is ready. You get 15 seeds per package $2.15.
You could also encourage the children to eat healthy by letting them grow
a bright orange cauliflower. The colour is not affected by cooking. This
cauliflower is called the cheddar Hybrid Cauliflower and is available from
the same website as the walking stick. See
http://www.seedman.com/gard2000.htm
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Toddlers in the garden
Toddlers love the outdoors and
playing in the garden while you are weeding is a great introduction to
gardening. It is always necessary to supervise as they may want to taste the
earth or plants, and some of the creatures that live in our gardens are
dangerous. Always look for spiders, centipedes and other bitey creatures and
make sure your garden doesn’t contain areas that will harbour something
nasty. Water left in a watering can or a bucket can be a drowning hazard and
will not be clean enough to drink.
Here are some suggestions for
toddlers in the garden.
Toddlers can
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learn to pull up small weeds
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put weeds into a container for
the compost
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water with the hose
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smell flowers
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look for butterflies, snails,
caterpillars and ladybirds
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put mud into small pots
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pick up leaves
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pick dandelions and clover
flowers
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make mud pies in a mud patch
patch
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jump in puddles
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A Garden Makeover
2
If you want to let the kids
loose in the garden with the idea of creating a
garden makeover but you’re afraid of the result,
let them think what they would like and then
submit a plan to you - or someone else whom you
trust. In this way it can still be a surprise
for you and you could have them copy the ending
of those popular TV makeovers by having a
special celebration complete with blindfold.
Some ideas for simple
makeovers with a low budget would be the
addition of pot plants under trees or hanging
pots from low branches; adding purchased
stepping stones; edging an existing garden with
bricks, rocks or bought edging or adding outdoor
wind chimes and/or statues. A birdbath will add
both coolness to the garden and give a place for
birds to cool off.
Any kind of shallow
container could be used for a water feature.
Simply setting a found container in the garden,
filling it with water and planting some
flowering annuals of perennials nearby would
enhance the garden and give your child a great
deal of satisfaction. If your child is big on
enthusiasm, but short on ideas, bring home some
books from the local library, or take them
walking past other gardens for ideas. The local
nursery could also be a place for ideas.
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Kids Growing Giants
Kids love to grow seeds that
germinate quickly and giant red mustard is one of the Asian greens
that will not only poke its shoots out quickly, but continue to grow well in
the cooler months of autumn and early winter. It is so attractive that it
can take a place in the flower garden as well. If planted in the hot
weather, Asian greens will bolt to seed, so April and May are the ideal
time.
To keep them growing quickly,
fertilise with liquid fertilizer once a fortnight. Asian greens include bok
choy, pak choy, tatsoi, kailan and Chinese cabbage as well as giant red
mustard. Many can be found in the same packet and can all be planted
together.
They can be thinned out as they grow
if they seem to be too close together. Those that are removed can be
transplanted or eaten. Don’t sow the whole packet all at once, but keep some
for another two or three weeks so that you’ll have another crop coming on.
Watch out for slugs and snails, as
they simply adore Asian greens. Protect the plants with bait - but be
careful that little children and pets don’t get near the poison. Also try
placing a barrier of thick sawdust around the garden. Snails don’t like
trying to slide over that. Growing them in a pot or box on a sunny patio can
solve the snail problem.
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Kids growing Broad Beans by
Bev Boorer
Broad beans have lovely big, fat seeds that kids will
delight to plant in the garden. They can be planted in May in climates
similar to Sydney and Melbourne. Broad beans love lime and potash. The first
should be mixed in with the soil when digging and raking while the latter
should be sprinkled over the top after planting and watered in. this will
help to keep them free of disease.
Choose the broad beans that have red flowers. Why? Just
because kids love bright colour, so they will enjoy seeing their broad beans
with brightly coloured flowers. Broad beans are ideal to grow in the garden
because they actually put nitrogen back into the soil. So the next crop you
grow can be something that loves lots of nitrogen.
Broad bean seeds can be planted out 15-20 cm apart -
but if they are closer it doesn’t matter. You can make a furrow, or simply
push them into the soil to the depth of your finger. They will take two or
three weeks to germinate, so push a small stick in next to each seed. Then
you’ll remember where you planted them.
There are two ways to eat broad beans. Pick them when
young and eat them as you would ordinary beans, or let them grow a bit more
and shell them. You then discard the pods and only eat the seeds.
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Growing
sprouts
When the weather is freezing cold
and kids simply cannot get out into the garden, it’s the ideal time to
introduce them to growing sprouts. What are they? Sprouts are seeds that
have gone through the germination process and are just beginning to show
their first set of leaves. Seeds that have been sprouted in a controlled and
clean environment are extremely nutritious. We often see sprouted alfalfa (lucerne)
seeds in the sandwich shop, ready to go on top of your salad sandwich.
Showing kids how to sprout their own
seed will teach them all about germination and also provide a nutritious -
and cheap - supplement to the family diet. Use seeds from a health food
shop, not those marketed for planting out in the garden. These often have
fungicide or pesticides added.
Equipment needed for sprouting
seeds: -
Place 1 tablespoon of seed into the
jar and half fill with tepid water. Fix the pantyhose over the top of the
jar. Let it stand overnight or for 2-4 hours, then drain off by tipping the
jar up. The pantyhose will keep the seeds in, but let the water out. Swish
the water and seeds around the jar so that they stick to the sides rather
than clumping at the bottom. After this pour water over the seeds twice a
day and drain if off immediately. This will wash away any toxins and keep
the seeds moist.
The jar should be kept in a warm
dark place such as the kitchen cupboard near the pipes, which have warm
water draining through them. It could also be kept on the cupboard and
covered with a cloth. If the jar is kept on its side, the seeds will be less
likely to clump together and not sprout.
After 4-5 days or when the sprouts
are about 2 cm long, place the jar on a sunny windowsill for about 4 hours.
The light will make them go green and they will then be ready to eat. If you
want to wash away the brown seed shells, submerge the sprouts in water and
most will float to the top. Kids will be fascinated to watch the process of
germination and eating their own sprouts will keep them healthy. Other sees
that can be sprouted are mung beans, chickpeas, sunflower seeds, barley,
rice and wheat. After sprouting, keep them in the refrigerator.
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Kids
Making Seed Pots
When spring is in the air we start to think about
planting seeds in the garden, but some seeds are only small and need special
care to germinate and grow a little before they are put out into the garden.
Without this extra care they will either fail to germinate due to the soil
drying out, or they will germinate only to have snails or some hungry insect
gobble up the tender shoots. So to save your seeds grow them in pots first.
The only trouble with growing seeds in pots is that
they sometimes suffer transplant shock when you remove the plant from the
pot. This is because the delicate roots have been crushed or broken when
trying to get them out of the pots. You need a magic wand to make that pot
suddenly disappear. Or you could plant them in special pots that will
disappear…
You can get a pot that will last just long enough to
grow seeds until they are ready for the garden by making one out of
newspaper.
You will need:
- A drinking glass with straight sides.
- Newspaper.
- Scissors.
- And perhaps some sticky tape.
Do this:
- Measure the height of the glass.
- Cut the newspaper sheets into long strips 2-3 cm
wider than the glass is high - and much longer.
- Wrap 2 strips loosely around the glass
several times with the excess at the bottom.
- Fold in the excess like you would wrap a present.
- Carefully slide the glass out just a little way.
- Pinch all around the edges of the folded part.
This will help your paper glass to stand and help to stop it unfolding.
- Take the glass out.
- Carefully fold down the top of your paper glass
about 2 cm to the inside.
- If the bottom unfolds you can secure it with one
strip of sticky tape, but be sure to remove this before planting, as
sticky tape will not rot down.
If you make
several paper glasses you will have enough seed pots to place one seed in
each. Stand them together on a tray and fill them with potting mix very
carefully. When your plants are ready for the garden, simply pop the
paper cup into a hole the same size. It will soon rot away.
Hint: Just before planting cut or tear slits in
the sides of the paper glass to help the roots escape.
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Making Snail Traps -Bev
Boorer
No matter what kind of seeds you plant, there will
nearly always be a hungry snail or slug ready to start chomping as soon as
it is dark. You can sprinkle snail bait around, but pets will sometimes
nibble on this and may die because it is poisonous. Rather than take the
risk of losing your pet, make your own snail and slug trap - with stale
beer. It is quite simple.
You will need:
- A margarine container or something similar.
- Stale beer.
- A trowel to dig a hole in the garden.
Do this:
- Ask Dad or Mum for some stale beer.
- Dig a hole in the garden just big enough to hold
your container. The top of the container should be level with the top of
the ground.
- Place the container into the hole and smooth the
soil around the edges so the snails can slide right up to the edge.
- Fill the container up with stale beer. The snails
and slugs love the smell. They will fall in and drown.
- Empty the container and snails out every day, or
it will become very smelly.
Hint 1: Place the container near your plants so
the snails will go to it, instead of eating the plants.
Hint 2: If you cannot get stale beer, ask mum to
save up all the eggshells. Dry them out in the sun for a few days, and then
crush them into eggshell grit. Sprinkle this around your plants to keep off
snails and slugs. They don’t like sliding over the sharp pieces of grit.
Hint 3: If you use commercial snail bait, hide
it under rocks or a short length of timber. Slugs and snails can still get
it, but pets won’t be able to. Always wash hands after using it, even though
you have sprinkled it from the packet.
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Growing carrots by Bev Boorer
Carrots are not that easy for kids
to grow in the garden because the seed is very fine. This means that the top
layer of soil where they are planted tends to dry out too quickly to allow
successful germination, or get washed away if the kids are too enthusiastic
with the hose. But don’t let this stop you getting those kids to grow
carrots. They can do it in a container much more easily.
While it is possible to grow carrots
in a foam box, using a deep pot can also be a good alternative. A pot is
easier for those little fingers to handle and light enough for them to carry
it off to a sunnier position after the seed germinates. So choose a small
pot, but make it deeper by inserting a roll of waxed cardboard, or several
layers from a glossy brochure catalogue. The paper in this kind of catalogue
is stronger than newspaper. Make the pot twice as deep in this way.
Once the paper has been fixed in,
fill the pot up with potting mix, reserving the last several centimetres for
a finer seed-raising mixture. Don’t fill it right to the top of course, or
your water – and seed – will just run off the top.
Carefully put one or two carrot
seeds in the pot, following the directions on the packet. Keep the pot in
the shade and spray it carefully with water in an old spray bottle such as
you get for cleaning products. Twice a day is not too much if it is hot. You
can also place a small plastic bag over the top to shorten the germination
time.
Once the carrot has germinated it
can be carried to a sunny position. Carrots have feathery tops, so your
child will be able to identify the shoot easily from any weed seeds that may
have blown into the pot. Don’t stop at just one pot of course, but do a
whole line-up. Once the carrots are a decent size, one can be pulled for
eating raw, while the other can be left to grow bigger.
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Growing Squash
Kids love to see quick results when
they plant things in the garden and vegetable seeds are both easy to
germinate and quick to grow. Yellow or white bush squash are fascinating
plants that grow quickly into a fairly large bush that flowers and sets the
squash in the middle of the plant.
The squash can be harvested quite
quickly too, because they are picked well before they grow to any large
size. If you have bought them from the supermarket you’ll notice they are
only as round as a small child’s palm.
Children will find them fun and easy
to grow simply by digging a small circle and placing three seeds in a
triangle inside it. Show them how to sprinkle a little organic fertilizer
over the circle first and rake it in. Or they can be purchased from the
nursery ready to plant out.
It won’t be long before the plant
starts to flower and these will be in the centre of the bushy shape. The
stalks and even the leaves are covered with stiff hair that can be quite
prickly, so encourage the children to wear gloves when they are
investigating their squash.
They will be interested to see that
some of the flowers will form fruit at their base as they die off, while
others will not. These are the male and female flowers, but you can choose
whether you go into that explanation or not. If the child is very young,
they will be more interested in seeing the squash form that any
explanations. And once the squash is big enough to pick they will be proud
to see them on the plates at tea time.
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Copyright 2009 (Bev Boorer)
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