Children are continually bombarded with advertising for fast
food and unhealthy treats. One of the most important lessons you
can teach them is how to tend and grow their own food from the
garden.
There are plenty of quick and easy projects that the children
can get involved in. The projects will teach them about
nutrition, nature, recycling and organic gardening. That's a
good outcome!
The no dig garden is a particularly good project for children
because the garden can be built and planted in just a couple of
hours. You do not have to prepare the garden for weeks in
advance, as with other growing methods. There are detailed
instructions for building a no dig garden on my website
(www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com). If a full on garden seems too
ambitious at the start, try something simpler.
Growing bean shoots is the quickest way to grow edible
things. In just a few days, the kids will be able to pop fresh
bean shoots in a salad or sandwich or just eat them as they
come. This will also work with alfalfa, cress and snow pea
seeds. Put the seeds into a clean, wide mouth jar and place a
mesh material over the mouth. It must be a material that water
and air can pass through, but not the seeds. A bit of discarded
pantyhose secured with a rubber band will do. Soak the seeds
overnight in water. Next morning, drain the excess water and
place the jar on its side in a bright room, near a window. A
couple of times a day, re-wet the seeds, drain and return to the
bright space. The seeds will sprout and grow very quickly and
within a few days will be ready to eat.
To propagate your own garden seedlings build this portable
greenhouse! Wash a 2Lt plastic bottle (soft drink or soda water
type) and using a knife or sharp scissors, cut it in half along
one side. Force it open and fill one side with good quality
potting mix. Plant your seeds and water gently. A very light
mixture of water and liquid fertilizer will kick start the
seeds. Close the bottle back up and seal with tape. Place the
bottle in a sunny position. Your seedlings should be well on
their way and ready for repotting in 2-4 weeks.
Do you know very young children? Introduce them to Hairy
Harry! Take one of those pairless socks every household has and
sew on some eyes and other facial features. Put some lawn seed
in the sock end and fill with garden soil, potting mix or
compost. Fill the sock until the face is filled out and tie a
knot in the sock, making sure the mix inside is packed tightly.
Water the sock regularly, or prop it on top of a container with
water. The loose end of the sock will act as a wick to draw up
the moisture. Place in a sunny position. In a couple of days,
Harry will have a full head of green hair! In a couple of weeks,
he will be ready for a hair cut or styling makeover!
Children love eating things fresh from a garden. For
convenience, you might want to plant close to the kitchen where
the children can harvest items under your watchful eye. So
consider doing quick growing plants in containers. Cress,
radishes and lettuce will be ready the quickest in 6-8 weeks.
Next in line are dwarf beans, cucumber, cabbage, tomatoes and
onion which will be ready in 8-12 weeks. Most others, including
the popular carrots and potatoes will need 16-20 weeks to
mature. You could be harvesting from this little garden for
months!
Encourage your children to nurture their little garden, which
ever project you choose. It's a great way to teach them
practical skills and fill them forever with the wonder of nature.
About the author:
Judy Williams (www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com) aspires to become
a fulltime earth mother goddess. This site acts as a primer for
all vegetable gardening aspects covering topics like how to
build a garden, nurture seedlings, container gardening and
composting.
Author: Judy Williams
