Our first harvest

Today was a great day in the garden!

It's been 2 weeks since our students met together. Many were amazed at how much had changed. A mailbox is now in place inside the fence to hold the watering journal and the cultivators for weeding. Families have been taking a turn watering and even one of our STEP volunteers stopped by the school, saw the garden needed a drink and figured out how to make the faucets work -- thanks, Gary!

Visitors to the garden today include one big sister and her friend who stayed and helped with the work. Thanks, girls! While thinning the radish plants kids discovered that many of the radishes were ready to be eaten. Pretty soon everyone had radishes and were munching on our first harvest.

Kids found at least 5 different kinds of weeds and noted them in their journal along with a sketch. There was a lot of weeding to do, but with the help of our 7 adult volunteers, we had the beds looking good in no time. Our AmeriCorps volunteer had the kids do a role-play activity from Mazon.org which was designed to help kids learn about hunger in our community.

The tomatoes are looking good with flowers on most of the plants. Students helped with the drilling and hammering to make collapsable "ladders" to support the plants as they grow.

There is good growth in one bed of cabbages, but something is eating the other cabbage plants. Here is a photo of the leaves with lots of holes in them. Click on the photo to see it up close. The only insects our students found this week were ants.

What do YOU think is eating this plant?

You can send us a comment by clicking the link below.

Planting Day

Now, where do we start? Our last meeting before school ends in the Spring is held to prepare the beds and plant the vegetables the students have raised from seed. Seven of the beds have soil and are raked and ready to go. We have our 4-H leaders, our regular volunteers, plus Mr. C. and Mrs. S. on hand to help guide the students.

Some students start with those tomatoes and peppers already grown tall and ready to transplant.

The group decides to devote the two beds on the far end to just tomatoes, and the next one up to only peppers. Four other beds will be planted by the teams according to their garden plot designs. One bed is left over for flowers, just for fun.

Mr. P. talks with Jared about where the best place to plant the cabbages would be. They have to leave a lot of room, so maybe on the other end? Mitch joins them and they decide that cucumber would be best at the very end of the bed.

Mrs. S. helps Mitch get the sunflowers and cabbages planted at the east end of the bed, and Mrs. W. helps Dylan with his garden plot. Radishes and carrots will go in here.

Brandon works with Dylan on their bed.

Alison is headed towards her team’s bed to plant the turnips. You can tell by looking at her knees that she’s been hard at work already.

Mrs. S. helps to tie the newly transplanted tomatoes to their stakes. It’s always windy here at our school, so the stakes will help support the plants. Later, we’ll have to have something sturdier for them to grow into.

Mrs. P. & Mrs. W. stop to check the progress. The pepper plants have all been protected by plastic cups cut by kids to form and ring and remove the bottoms. The rings will help protect against cut worms.

Here kids are readying the last bed to plant with a flat of flowers purchased from a local greenhouse. Slow and steady, one shovelful at a time. It takes a lot of soil to fill an 8 x 4 foot bed.

Mr. C. supervises as Teirra and Jared are smoothing out the soil. Teirra’s older brother has stopped by and he’s helping to tamp down the edges by using the handle of the shoves.

Dylan comes to help tamp the edges and Teirra gets a turn also.

Just about perfect. What a great work crew!