Fall 2018.
Dealing with a cover crop. During the summer, one of the garden beds was planted in cowpeas, a legume that covers and enriches the soil by providing organic matter and nitrogen. The task for the children was to pull up the plants, chop them into small pieces, then compost them. Only then could the garden bed be planted in fall crops.
Dealing with a cover crop. During the summer, one of the garden beds was planted in cowpeas, a legume that covers and enriches the soil by providing organic matter and nitrogen. The task for the children was to pull up the plants, chop them into small pieces, then compost them. Only then could the garden bed be planted in fall crops.
Art & Math Projects from Pea Vines. Ms. Wheatley, Burch's art teacher, showed her students how to use the side of a crayon to create a leaf rubbing. This activity highlighted the vein patterns in pea leaves. The children also practiced counting by shelling pea pods and counting the peas inside.
Three Summer Crops. School is not in session during June and July, but students can work with summer crops during August and September if someone plants and keeps an eye on the garden while school is out.
Corn. A small 15' long stand of corn, planted in a raised bed around the first of July, tasseled and grew ears after school had started. Corn tassels and silks are large, clear illustrations of plant reproduction methods. Each stalk grew one or two ears of corn. Popcorn is a wonderful plant to grow, since teachers can have students shell the dried ears, then pop the kernels on a portable stove for a classroom treat.
Corn. A small 15' long stand of corn, planted in a raised bed around the first of July, tasseled and grew ears after school had started. Corn tassels and silks are large, clear illustrations of plant reproduction methods. Each stalk grew one or two ears of corn. Popcorn is a wonderful plant to grow, since teachers can have students shell the dried ears, then pop the kernels on a portable stove for a classroom treat.
Sunflowers. Large sunflower blooms turned into heavy heads filled with seeds.
To protect the crop, a garden helper tied small mesh bags around each head to protect it from birds and to catch seeds if they fell away from the plant. When a seed head was thoroughly dry, teachers took it into the classroom so that children could pull it apart and collect the seeds. (Large sunflower seeds make a wonderful counting activity.) They can also be soaked in salt water then roasted in a toaster oven in the classroom. |
Fall Planting. Cool weather plants sometimes must be planted during warm weather so that the crop can be harvested before the first hard frost. Plants with heavier leaves such as collards and kale can handle the heat better than lettuce, which sometimes needs partial shade to keep it from burning. Students planted kale, spinach, and Black-Seeded Simpson lettuce in one bed during the fall. Students used a "pluck and pluck again" harvesting strategy, picking off individual leaves to eat in the garden, but leaving the plant in place to grow new leaves.
Brassicas. Burch's Master Gardener started rutabagas, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower plants from seed and brought the young plants to be planted in mid September. This year was the first time for planting rutabagas, Principal Howe's favorite vegetable. The harvest was excellent.
Brassicas. Burch's Master Gardener started rutabagas, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower plants from seed and brought the young plants to be planted in mid September. This year was the first time for planting rutabagas, Principal Howe's favorite vegetable. The harvest was excellent.