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Kids love growing their own veg!
We aren't all blessed with spinach loving
angels but almost all kids enjoy growing veggies themselves. And
once they have grown their own vegetables they are more likely to eat
them and
they'll have learned a bit about where food comes from. Plus
you'll be confident about the lack of pesticides on their food
and justifiably smug about the lack of food miles!
What do you need for your kids to grow
vegetables?
Not much - you just need somewhere to grow your veggies, sun, seeds & water.
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Somewhere to grow your veggies - you don't need much
space, in fact almost all vegetables can be grown in gaps in the flower
bed, pots or even window
boxes full of compost. Potatoes can even be grown in a gro-bag.
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Sun - most vegetables need a sunny spot, and tomatoes
do well in a gro-bag against a sunny house wall.
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You can buy basic vegetables seeds for about 70p
a packet in your local supermarket or for specific varieties &
home delivery
order online.
For more instant and reliable results buy seedlings but this will
be more expensive.
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Water - you will need to water the seeds/plants in, then
occasionally when dry. Kids
love to water but will forget so you'll have to keep an eye on this
yourself.
When should we sow the seeds?
Most vegetable seeds can be sown in the Spring. When you start
to see weeds appearing you know your seeds will be able to grow
too.
How do we sow vegetable seeds?
Just follow the instructions on the packet. The main thing is to let your children sow the
seeds themselves. Even if you end up doing the watering, they'll
still feel that the vegetables belong to them and want to do the picking!
What vegetables are best for children to grow?
It's probably best to let your kids choose which vegetables they
like but for inspiration here are the Kidsguide top ten vegetables for kids
to grow:
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tomatoes - cherry tomatoes picked off the
plant are irresistible and can convert the most ardent
tomato-hater
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sugar snap peas - sweet and crunchy -
you can hear them "snap". And
you can eat them raw straight from the plant every day
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radish - very quick, very reliable and an
attractive colour to present proudly to grandparents etc.
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mixed salad leaves - very quick, pretty and
you can cut off a few leaves and let them "come again"
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rocket - very quick and easy and will make
mum happy cos it's so expensive to buy
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carrots - not so worthwhile economically but
almost all kids like carrots and the home-grown flavour is so
much more, um, carrotty
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marigolds - OK they aren't vegetables but
they're quick, kids
think they're pretty and they keep off many predators when
planted amongst the veg.
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pumpkins - huge, orange and ready for Hallowe'en
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sweetcorn - these do need space but a
favourite with children & they grow taller than your kids
which is fun
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potatoes - grown from "seed potatoes" - fun to dig up and even the most
veggie-phobic child eats chips!
How do I get my kids interested in growing vegetables?
By not being too fussy and letting the kids do as much as possible - your
children can choose what vegetables to grow and help you buy them. They
can sow the seeds and water them in. They may be less enthusiastic
about the regular watering and weeding but they should still do the picking!
Why should our family bother growing our own?
It's fun and satisfying
You can teach your children about how food grows
It's healthier
It's much tastier
It's fresher
It's surprisingly easy
You don't have to go to the shops
You know where your food has come from and that no pesticides
are on it - so it's 100% organic
No food miles
It's a lot cheaper! A 70p packet of seeds will keep you in salad
leaves for about 4 months!
And you get quality time in the fresh air with your children
Keep it simple and give it a go!
They key is not to worry about it too much but just have a go with one or
two vegetables and see how you get on. A packet seeds costs less than £1 so
you haven't got much lose!
Useful links:
RHS growing vegetables in schools
BBC gardening with children
gardeningwithchildren.co.uk
www.growinggrub.co.uk
Other Kidsguide pages you may like:
child-friendly recipes
pick
your own & local food Cheshire
pick
your own & local food Merseyside
pick
your own & local food NE Wales
organic food, local produce and farm shops Cheshire
organic food, local produce and farm shops Manchester
organic food, local produce and farm shops Merseyside
If you would like to contribute a
non-commercial article please email
contact@kidsguide.co.uk
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Grow
your own for kids