Planning our Garden

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OBJECTIVE

Students understand the different growing needs of different plants, the difference between perennial and annual plants. Students will understand the benefits and challenges of an annual raised bed growing system. Students are able to. organize a planting chart for different annual crops based on their growing needs.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

What are the diverse components of an annual garden system? How can we manage all those components to make a successful plan for our annual raised bed garden system? 

MATERIALS NEEDED

Within individual lessons

PROCEDURE

Lesson 1:

Materials: Blank seed templates, seed catalogs

Introduction: Share with a friend: what is an annual vs. a perennial plant?

Today we’ll be choosing the seeds we want to grow in our garden this spring. First we need to make sure we understand the information about each seed, so we’ll know when to plant it, when it will be ready to harvest, etc. Then we can make a planting calendar. Why would some seeds need to be planted earlier than others? Why would some plants be harvested earlier than others?

Go over definitions of growing information on blank seed template

Activity: Growing information for “Richmond Green Apple” cucumber

Can you find the important growing information about this crop?

Fill out blank template

Wrap up: Begin to discuss: Which crops should we grow in our school garden? What are our limitations and goals? We will talk more about this next time.

Lesson 2:

Materials: blank seed templates, seed catalogs

Introduction: Today we’re going to choose the crops we want to grow in our garden, and then choose the specific varieties we want to grow.

Review at tables: What is the difference between and annual and a perennial? What is the difference between a crop and a variety?

Activity 1:

Write up ideas from last time and add anything else. Discuss crops that would be good for the cafeteria or culinary program.

Assign each student a crop, have them choose a variety and fill out the growing information for their variety

Introductory game: your crop, variety name, days to harvest, 1 reason why you’re awesome

Wrap up:

Who takes the least amount of time to grow?

Who takes the most amount of time to grow?

Who can be planted in cool springtime weather?

Who needs to be planted in warmer weather?

Next time we meet we will fill in our planting calendar for when variety should be planted (indoors and outdoors)

Lesson 3:

Materials: student work, journals, google calendar, MV temperature chart, Johnny’s seed starting chart

Introduction: Review

Who takes the least amount of time to grow?

Who takes the most amount of time to grow?

Who can be planted in cool springtime weather?

Who needs to be planted in warmer weather?

Activity: Fill in Google Calendar as a class, using temperature chart and Johnny’s seed starting chart

Wrap up: record what we did today in journals, including specifics of when and why we will be planting the variety you chose.

FOLLOW UP & EXTENSIONS

Plant your garden!