Grow as a Family
Are you looking for an outdoor activity to enjoy as a family this Autumn? You could try planting vegetables together. Our new Grow as a Group activity can easily be enjoyed at home as well.
This March Munch kids in registered classrooms are enjoying Grow as a Group - our new classroom activity which aims to bring students together to grow a shared vegetable patch. This allows the whole class to enjoy growing, picking, and trying freshly grown vegetables.
This fun group activity can also be enjoyed at home as a family challenge. Growing food together is a great way to share quality time, not to mention the excitement of seeing seeds sprout and turn into little plants.
Check out our instructions on how to plant a patch at your place.
How to set up a vegetable patch
If you already have a vegie garden set up somewhere at home, then you are good to go! Simply read the instructions on the back of the seed packs, plant in a sunny spot and provide lots of water.
If you do not have an established vegie garden, here are our quick tips for setting one up.
1) Pick your sunny spot
Have a look around the garden and pick a spot that gets as much sunshine as possible. If you do not have a garden area or space is limited, then pick a nice sunny windowsill or spot on your porch or veranda.
2) Decide on a garden bed or planter that suits your space and budget
There are many options you can explore when setting up a vegie patch. These include traditional garden beds, wall planters or large pots. But did you know a vegie patch can also be grown in a small space, and using recycled materials you may already have lying around? These include containers such as buckets, small laundry baskets, and milk or water bottles. Just remember to poke some holes in the base to allow for drainage. As the plants grow in size, you may need to move them to a larger container.
3) Plan how you will plant
Figure out how much space your vegies will need and design the layout of your vegie garden or pot. Start by drawing a rough plan which includes size of the area and make a note of how much sunlight each part of the garden bed gets. This will help you decide where to plant. If you are planting in a smaller area then don’t plant too many seeds in the one spot. Each seedling needs space to spread their roots and grow. If you find there are too many sprouting from the one area, you can always thin them out by moving some to a second spot.
4) Plant your seeds
Before it is time to plant your seeds, make sure you loosen and aerate the soil. This gives the roots room to grow and spread. Now you are ready to plant your seeds, following the instructions on the back of the seed packets.
5) Water regularly as outlined in the instructions and enjoy growing as a family!
Happy Growing!