LEARNING ACTIVITY
Creating a food garden: planting
Category: Food Production
Climate Region: Arid | Temperate | Tropical
State or Territory:
Age Range: 7-13

STORY

Now that Beth and her Junior Landcare group have created and prepared their food garden bed, they were keen to start planting, this was the activity their group was looking forward to the most. Her friend Eliza wanted to know how to choose the best fruit and vegetables to grow. Since Beth’s family spent a lot of time in their garden at home growing their own fruits and vegetables, Beth eagerly shared her knowledge.

Beth and the whole Junior Landcare group discussed the fruits and vegetables they liked to eat, the time of the year plants grow the best, and how they will obtain the plants they need for their garden. The group collaborated with enthusiasm and were excited to be outdoors and active in the school garden.

The Junior Landcare group worked together in the garden, planting, monitoring and caring for the seedlings. It was not going to be very long until they could harvest what they planted and enjoy the fruits of their labour.

ACTIVITY OVERVIEW

Planting out your food garden is an exciting and fulfilling task. This learning activity is part of a sequence of 5 individual learning activities focused on creating a food garden. The order of these learning activities are: visionsite assessment, installing a no dig garden bed, planting and harvesting.

Outcomes

For children to:

  • understand the steps involved in planting out and maintaining a successful food garden
  • enjoy being active and productive outdoors and build their social and teamwork skills
  • follow the steps of plan, prepare, plant, monitor and care
  • learn how to choose the right food plants for the right location and season.
SEASONAL NOTES

Planting is best done in a pre-prepared garden bed. Choose the plants according to the advice on labels and in garden guides so that you get the best results from the garden. During the warmer months (spring and summer and autumn), it is recommended that you run this as a morning learning activity. This will help avoid heat stress for people and plants.

Did you know?

Plants absorb water from all their surfaces including leaves, roots and stems. Roots absorb most of the water in a plant.

Did you know?

Seedlings are young plants that grow from a germinated seed. Once they lose their first leaves (cotyledons) and begin to grow ‘true leaves’, they are ready to plant into food gardens.

Did you know?

Fruit and vegetable gardens can benefit from mulch that provides nutrients like nitrogen when they break down. Pea and Lucerne straw are ideal to help nourish the soil once broken down.

Did you know?

Plants absorb water from all their surfaces including leaves, roots and stems. Roots absorb most of the water in a plant.

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Why not try one of our other Junior Landcare learning activities?

Love Letters to the Land

Biodiversity|First Nations Perspectives|Food Production|Waste Management

Creating a food garden: vision

Food Production

Creating a food garden: installing a no dig garden bed

Food Production

Creating a food garden: harvesting

Food Production