Gardening, and planting your own vegetables is a lovely activity to do with your children.
It's also a great way to get kids engaged in what they eat. It’s fun, tasty and (can be) truly organic. It’s also not overly difficult (our favourite kind of activity!) and outside, so any mess can be left at the back door. Here are some easy starting points for planting vegetables with children. You can plant in anything too so you don’t need loads of equipment.
You’ll need…
- A container of any kind – hunt around your garden for old pots not used anymore
- Soil/fertiliser – available at most supermarkets or garden centres
- Stones (for drainage) – get some from your garden
- Plant food - just like us, they need to eat to grow
And some really simple instructions:
- Put stones at bottom of container to help with drainage
- Add soil
- Add seeds
- Water
- Feed weekly (or when you remember)
Here is a handy guide to get you started…
Growing carrots
When to sow: April When ready: September How to sow: Use sandy soil (add sand to pots) Space needed: 20cm between seeds Depth of soil: ½ cm
Growing peas
When to sow: March/April When ready: June/July How to sow: Use loam soil Space needed: 5-10cm between seeds Depth of soil: 6cm
Growing potatoes
When to sow: March/April (sow in a grow bag and invest in some canes) When ready: 3–4 months after sowing How to plant: Lots of manure! Space needed: 25cm between seeds Depth of soil: 10cm
Growing tomatoes
When to sow: March/April (sow in a grow bag and invest in some canes) When ready: July/August How to tend: Sun, ideally a green house! Space needed: 30-40cm Depth of soil: 1cm
Growing strawberries
When to sow: April/May (get plants from garden centre) - put straw under fruit to stop rotting before it ripens When ready: June/July/August How to tend: Well drained soil and sunlight Space needed: 10cm Depth of soil: 8cm Simply harvest when ready.
It’s a doddl – give it a go! You'll find some delicious veggie recipes here. If you feel inspired then why not try creating your own children's garden. It can be as small as a couple of pots on a windowsill. Or as big as you have space for!