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Nursery veg patch

• Message 1. 

  Posted by dreamyclaire (U14819195) on Sunday, 20th March 2011

  Hi all am struggling !
  Im a nursery nurse working with 3-5year olds and have a small plot to turn in to a veg patch I have got the least green fingers possible I have no idea where to start last year we grew potatoes and that went really well and the kids loved it ! have got some carrots started of and tomatoe and onion seeds but would love to grow some fruit (we have apple trees in the garden but we don't know anything about them) I can't grow rubarb as the leaves are poisonus and all the strewberry plants that someone planted had the strawberrys eaten by bugs !
  Any help would be gratefully recieved many thanks

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• Message 2

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  Posted by daintiness (U3887838) on Sunday, 20th March 2011

  Hi I run a gardening club at primary school - I have a thread on the Garden inspiration board called 'Kids' Club' that might help with ideas/pitfalls. Some quick crops might help as I find the kids expect things to happen quickly. Lettuce and radishes are quite quick and with peas you can see changes in growth with speed whereas with carrots and potatoes everything happens under the ground and can't be seen. Cress can be done on the window sill and sandwiches made at harvest.Sweet corn/ peas/runner beans have large seeds for the children to handle and the children can plant them indoors, then planted out and they could be measured as they grow...You can also grow flowers in the veg patch - eg marigolds, nasturtiums and herbs eg mint, thyme - good scents - hope this helps, good luck!!

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  Posted by Tee Gee (U10012255) on Sunday, 20th March 2011

  I agree with Daintiness and to help this link will give you sowing dates and cultural info,plus some slide shows of sowing methods.
  
  

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  Posted by kiocarp (U2370311) on Monday, 21st March 2011

  Hi Claire Try growing some raspberrys really easy to get hold of and grow the kids will love then.As for veg turnips are good not many bugs will entertain out door tomatoes are really good Lettuce but try cut and cum again variety ,(this where you cut and you can keep cutting right throught the summer and the plant will re grow ) spuds as you have tryed broad beans and best of all dwurf french beans where you dont need any support for them.Good luck any way but just keep trying different things and the kids will love it we need more teacher like you in our schools to get the kids to eat better.

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  Posted by As_Iff (U13951957) on Monday, 21st March 2011

  I`d like to just add - if you only have a small plot, don`t be tempted to keep planting the same veg in the same place year after year. This allows diseases to build up in the soil.
  It`s best to rotate the crops.
  The place where you had potatoes last year is the place to sow your peas and beans this year.

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  Posted by whatalottie (U9072847) on Tuesday, 22nd March 2011

  Hi dreamyclair,
  
  Rasperries are great, but maybe a bit high, children like to see the end product. Whatever you grow make sure it's harvested during term time.
  
  Squash and pumpkins are a good idea, you harvest them in the autumn and there is a BIG result! The problem with this is that they are so large. You can grow squashes upwards, even relartively large ones, the ones called little Bear (I think, I've probably got it wrong) which not too large might be good. Courgettes and cucumbers need picking most days so school holidays are a problem, unless you have volunteers!
  
  I'd try strawberries again, possibly in a raised container so slugs don't get at them. They'll be ready in June so children can see and eat them (draw for who gets one to eat?). If you have a large container you can grow quite a lot of plants, althought you might need fertiliser if you have a lot of plants in one place.
  
  Sugarsnap peas are EASY, although you'll have to protect them from pigeons. They'll be ready in term time, and have lots of peas to harvest. They don't need to take much room if you plant a row at the back.
  
  You could put out snail traps, with saucers of beer, children are extremely bloodthirsty! and there may well be a continual supply!
  
  Another idea is those little summer cabbages, primo, or golden acre, planted very close together to make small heads. They should be ready before the end of term and they'll convert non-cabbages eaters, they do taste good.
  
  These things have occured to me because the school next door to our site has a plot. It's run by a 'gardener' who 'knows everything' about growing vegetables.(I don't trust people who boast about how much they know). It seems such a shame, they put a crop in, cabbages for instance, and either don't protect them properly so they get eaten by pigeons, or he pulls them up because they're not doing particularly well, he doesn't even leave it to the kids he goes round after school.
  
  Good luck,
  
  Lottie
  
  
  
  

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  Posted by madtaff (U14777254) on Thursday, 24th March 2011

  Hi I work with little ones in reception, I'm a TA and interested in gardening although have only just got my own allotment. This week i have planted onion sets with my class and some peas! We also planted some tomatoes and put them in our portable green house. We did plant some daffs in the autumn which have now come through. I have bought some quick growing salad leaves which have sprouted within 5 days which i will now do with reception class! Cress they love so easy ! Make egg and cress sandwhiche / rolls for snack! Sweet peas are easy to grow as are broad beans and green beans make a wigwam and plant beans at the base of the poles and the children will love seeing these grow!! good luck it is great fun. The little ones love the soil, don't forget sunflowers they grow so quick! good luck!!

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• Message 8

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  Posted by dreamyclaire (U14819195) on Sunday, 27th March 2011

  Hi thanks for all the suggestions and advice ! I don't have the term time problame as I work in a day nursery and don't get the lovely long holidays unfortunatly :..(
  
  It is quiet a small plot and we definatly have a pigion problame In fact I found a decapitated one whilst digging in there the other day (good job I found it thats why we always wear gloves !) so I think the local cats/foxes are trying to take care of it for me ! we have planted some broad beans as part of our jack and the bean stalk project and the kids are loving them they are growing really quickly and we also have onion, tomato and carrot seads and some seed potatoes from the potato council !

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