Top Growing Tips
Top tips for children and growing vegetables
Check out our top tips for growing your own vegetables in your school garden – let us know if you have a good idea that might help others with their vegetable growing.
- Decide how big an area you’d like to use as a vegetable garden – you can grow them in almost any container – it doesn’t have to be a big area, it could be a pot, sack, old tyre, container or even old bath.
- Choose a spot where there’s both shelter and plenty of sunshine.
- If you don’t like digging, perhaps think about planting in a raised bed – this can be easier to maintain.
- Once you’ve chosen your area, the soil needs to be turned over and broken up with a fork – push down and turn – this will give a great environment for the baby plants to grow in.
- Don’t forget to keep your plants well watered – they like a good drink on a regular basis.
- Keep weeds down, but make sure you don’t mistake a vegetable for a weed and pull it up.
- Check the spacing of the vegetables on a regular basis, thin the plants out when necessary to encourage growth.
- Keep your baby plants covered with a net if possible to keep the birds away from having their own little meal.
- If you’re having problems with slugs, a good way to get rid of them is to submerge a container of stale beer in among the plants. Slugs will be attracted and will drown
- Make sure you label up your plants so they are easily identifiable – cutting up old milk cartons and writing on them is a good idea.
How to prepare the ground
Fertile, well-drained soil is necessary for a successful vegetable garden – the exact type of soil is not too important but it needs to be well-drained with plenty of organic matter, free of stones and at the same time keep the moisture in.
Soil gives plants nutrients and allows their roots to anchor them so they can take in water and air.
You can improve the quality of your soil by digging manure or compost into the ground in the autumn or alternatively you can put organic matter like rotted down leaves, kitchen waste, grass clippings or manure on top of the soil. Worms will drag it down into the soil and mix it up.
Mostly you just need to dig over your soil, so it’s well broken up and there is plenty of air, goodness and moisture mixed in. The best soil to plant baby vegetable seedlings in tends to be well-broken down soil, not hard clumpy, clay based soils.
Digging some natural worm cast fertiliser into the soil where the seedlings are going to be planted is a good idea. It is important to remember to label your plants so you can identify them then all they need is soil, water, food and some care!
How to plan planting
Don’t worry about planning your planting – it’s not as daunting as it may seem. Many vegetables are quite resilient once they get established and can grow in most conditions, provided there is plenty of sunshine and water to keep them happy – it’s not rocket science.
Choose your site
The first thing you have to do is choose your site – where is the best place for my vegetable garden? To pick a good site, think about the following:
- Sunshine – choose a site that gets plenty of the yellow stuff for most of the day. Remember most plants like at least six hours a day.
- Water – you will need to make sure your vegetables get plenty of water when they need it, particularly during dry periods. Your garden will need at least 2.5cm (1 inch) of water per week. Don’t over water though – good drainage is essential.
- Shelter – make sure your vegetables are protected by the wind and heavy rain. Strong winds can cause the soil to erode and break tall crops like beans or peas.
Decide on the size of your plot – think about whether it’s a container that you’re planning on growing your own vegetables in, a ground plot or raised bed. Some vegetables will grow better depending on the size of the plot you allow. A small plot can produce lots of vegetables with a little planning – many vegetables can be grown on a patio or in pots in a sunny spot.
Planning and organisation - make a plot plan of your garden using some paper and a pen or pencil – think about the end size of your vegetables and how big they will potentially grow.
When laying out your plants in the vegetable garden, it’s best to make rows and run them from north to south to stop taller plants overshadowing the shorter ones. Finally, decide what planting system you want to use – rows, wide rows, raised beds or trellises and poles for example.
When you’ve done this you’re ready to start digging and popping the plants in the ground!
Be aware of pests – some crops are more susceptible to pests than others, but it could be birds, slugs, caterpillars, beetle larvae or flies that might be particularly interested in your vegetables. Keep a regular eye on your vegetables so that you can take action quickly to prevent the damaging effect of a pest.
