- mobileGardening 4 Kids
Learning
how to grow healthy vegetables is child's play with new Floriana EASY
GROW 4 Kids. What better way to introduce youngsters to gardening and
the pleasures of eating their own healthy, nutritious home-grown
produce?
'Easy Grow' 4 Kids herbs and vegetables make a great fun and productive holiday activity for the whole family. All 'Easy Grow' varieties are fast growing, easy to maintain, fast maturing, simple to harvest and they taste great too!
Please select from below:
Herbs
& Vegies
Basil
'Sweet'
Ocimum Basilicum
Basil 'Sweet' is a sweetly scented herb. It likes well-drained soil and plenty of water during hot weather. Tip prune when young for strong bushy plants. Protect from frost and hungry snails! Use in your favourite pasta and pizza recipes, for salads and in tomato dishes.
Position: Full sun
Plant: 40 cm apart
Harvest: 6 to 8 weeks from planting
Carrot
'Roly Poly'
Daucus Carota
Cute Roly Poly carrots are easy to grow and sweet to eat. You can plant them out in the vegie patch and even in window boxes and containers. Carrots prefer well-drained, friable soils and potting mixes.
Position: Full sun to part shade
Plant: 10 to 15 cm apart
Harvest: 8 to 12 weeks from planting
Lettuce
'Combo'
Lactuca Sativa
Lettuce Combo includes yummy Mignonette, Cos and Butterhead varieties. They will grow best if make sure they get enough water and are fed regularly with a liquid fertiliser at recommended rates.
All Lettuce Combo varieties are loose-leaf varieties than can be harvested a leaf at a time as needed for an ongoing crop. Lettuces have shallow root systems so keep them well watered in hot weather.
Position: Full sun to part shade
Plant: 20 to 25 cm apart
Harvest: 6 to 8 weeks from planting
Pak
Choi 'Mix'
Brassica Rapa Chinensis
This mix of green and white stem Pak Choi is just great for stir-fries and soups. Pak Choi is easy to grow and likes well-drained position and lots of organic matter. You can even grow them in pots!
Position: Full sun to part shade
Plant: 25 to 30 cm apart
Harvest: 6 to 7 weeks from planting
Parsley
'Triple Curl'
Petroselinum Crispum
This easy to grow parsley has amazingly curly leaves and a great mild flavour. Harvest the outside leaves first. Plant parsley along the edges of an herb garden or vegie patch.
Position: Full sun
Plant: 25 to 30 cm apart
Harvest: 6 to 8 weeks from planting
Radish 'Round'
Raphanus Sativus
Radish Round is quick and easy to grow. This variety produces dark red, round roots that are full of flavour. Grow them ready for healthy salads and sandwiches in your lunchbox.
Position: Full sun
Plant: 7 to 15 cm apart
Harvest: 6 to 8 weeks from planting
Snowpea
Pisum Sativum
Snowpeas produce lots of sweet, flat, crispy edible pods. They are full of goodness. They plants grow to about 60cm tall. Pick pods when young and tender for the best flavour. Great for salads, hot dishes and stir-fries.
Position: Full sun - Protect from
frosts
Plant: 5 to 10 cm apart
Harvest: 8 to 10 weeks from planting
Tomato
'Cherry'
Lycopersicum Sp.
Tomato 'Cherry' produces lots of round, bite-sized tomatoes that are very sweet to eat. Plants may be grown in pots or in the vegie patch, and need 2m stakes. Grow them for your summer salads, hot dishes or for the lunchbox.
Position: Full sun
Plant: 50 to 75 cm apart
Harvest: 8 to 12 weeks from planting
Zucchini
'Black Jack'
Cucurbita Pepo
Zucchini 'Black Jack' produces long, dark green fruit with firm creamy-white flesh. It grows in rich, well-drained soil. Mulch deeply and harvest regularly to prolong your crop. Yummy in salads and hot dishes.
Position: Full sun - Protect from
strong winds and frost
Plant: 75 cm apart
Harvest: 6 to 8 weeks from planting
When gardening always wear gloves and wash your hands afterwards!
For best results always follow the directions on the label and
cultivate the planting area to a depth of approx. 15cm. Mix
fertiliser into the soil at recommended rates. If planting into
a container or pot, use a quality commercial potting mix.
Take care of your little seedlings by making sure they are kept well watered (but not too much) for the first couple of weeks until they develop stronger root systems. Watch out for garden pests too! Snails and caterpillars are fond of tender young plants.
To remove seedlings from punnet:
1. Place your hand over the top
of the punnet with your fingers between the seedlings;
2. Turn the punnet upside down and squeeze it gently;
3. Separate seedlings carefully from each other and plant as
directed by the label.
Here are a few tips for making your gardening experience as safe
as possible. Adult supervision is recommended at all times when
working in the garden.
Be Prepared:
Always wear gardening gloves and strong, closed shoes. Be sun safe. Wear long sleeves, sunscreen and a hat. On hot days avoid gardening during the hottest part of the day. Make sure drinking water is available. Gardening can be thirsty work! Check for spiders first before handling pots, gloves and shoes.
Gardening Tips:
Youngsters should only use well maintained hand tools such as trowels and small garden forks under adult supervision. Remember to store forks and spades with the points down. Never run with gardening tools. Children must not handle or be exposed to garden chemicals. Children must avoid heavy lifting, remember that one litre of water is equivalent to one kilogram!
Afterwards:
Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after gardening.
For more garden safety tips and kids gardening ideas visit the KidsGrow section of Life is a Garden website at www.lifeisagarden.com.au developed by Nursery and Garden Industry Australia.
