Considerations Prior to the Unit:
Assistance from the school - It would be highly advantageous to have a grounds
keeper or another teacher to assist you to set up this task, particularly if you know
little about gardening. We hope that you find the following information useful to help
you set up the garden.
Location of Garden and Soil Conditions- Make sure it is near a water source and
away from areas where children generally play and big trees which are likely to
produce leaf litter. The soil needs to drain quite well, and therefore needs to be quite
crumbly top soil. Ideally the soil needs to have been used to grow crops in the past. It
is imperative that the soil has been weeded and prepared before the children undertake
the planting process. We have not included soil preparation as part of the whole class
unit activities, so it may be worth asking parents or students to volunteer their time
perhaps during lunch time or on the weekend so that the soil is prepared before the
students start planting their seedlings.
Compost – It would be ideal to set up a small compost bin as this is an essential
component in healthy soil. Under the resources list we have included information
about how to set up a small compost bin using a garbage can, worms and a variety of
fruit and vegetables. The bin needs to have a cover to trap heat and moisture.
Crop Harvesting – In the event that the crops are ready for
harvesting prior to the 16 week mark (this should be identified by the current
gardening monitors) there is no harm with going ahead with the process early.
The teacher should assist the children with the process so that veggies that
may benefit from extra growing time are left in the soil.
School Holidays – Due to the duration of the unit, the veggie patches will
require maintenance over the school holidays. It is worth considering creating
roster with the class which include all the students and parents who are able to
assist with maintenance at this time. Of course, if you decide to pursue this
option, you need to take into account access to the school grounds and the
equipment. It may be worth liaising with ground staff and asking them to keep
an eye on the patches. If possible, it would be ideal for you as the teacher to
regularly monitor the veggie patches and take the appropriate measurements to
ensure that it remains in the same conditions as it did prior to the school
holidays.
Products Required For Unit (refer to resources for
purchasing options)
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Compost would be beneficial for all of the veggie patches (1 :1 ratio with crumbly
top soil). If you decide not to set up a compost bin, this can be purchased from
your local nursery
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Loose crumbly soil – this is good because it drains well and allows for the roots to
extend far down into the soil
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Small raised garden beds – these offers many benefits such as improved soil
conditions, higher yields, ease of access, extended growing season, and better pest
control
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Seedlings - In a class of 20, it may be a good idea for every child to choose one
out of the three veggies to be grown and be directly involved in the planting
process. Therefore, each child will be responsible for planting one seedling (either
peas OR carrots OR broccoli)
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Basic gardening equipment (gloves, small spades, watering cans, wheelbarrows
and hoes mainly for the gardening monitors)
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Surrounding structure for protective covers – we would like to avoid using harsh
chemicals on the veggie patches as much as possible. These covers are designed to
keep away small insects such as cutworms and caterpillars. Unfortunately, these
nets won’t keep out aphids as there is no know mesh small enough to keep these
little bugs out. If the Gardening Monitors observe that the veggies are being
attacked by “predictors” they should be informed about eco-friendly pesticides as
a means of intervention. An eco-friendly pesticide includes the following
ingredients:
1 teaspoon of eucalyptus oil
1 teaspoon of biodegradable liquid detergent
500ml of water