Wednesday, April 16, 2014

How Green Does Your School Garden Grow?

Ideas For A  Greener School or Community Garden

Escola José Leite de Souza in Monteiro, Brazil School Garden
It's  Spring and a great time to initiate the school garden.  Perhaps it will be a community garden where the food or flowers grown will be given to seniors or sold to raise money for the school.

Whatever the mission of your school garden, teaching kids to grow is a lesson they will carry with them throughout their lives.  Why not add to that lesson and make it greener!  That means using natural materials as well as recycled materials. At the same time, encourage students to be resourceful, by challenging them to think of ways they can repurpose items to use in the garden.

School Gardening Projects Can Be Even Greener

Use one or all of these ideas to promote greener thinking in the school garden.
  • Start with a compost pile to provide healthy soil water bottle irrigation container gardening
  • Start seedlings in recycled containers, such as yogurt cups with covers 
  • Collect rain water and other water sources in containers or rain barrels
  • Use large soda or milk bottles for irrigation
  • Use soda bottles or other containers to make upside down planters
  • Make home made natural fertilizers
  • Encourage learning about growing techniques such as organic gardening or  hydrophonics
  • Encourage local suppliers of green garden supplies to get involved and sponsor supplies for the garden
  • Get senior citizens involved, many often know about gardening from experience. Young and old working together will be a lesson in itself!
  • Decorate the garden with recycled crafts such as bottle cap wind chimes (these projects are great for younger school children, too!)
Other Simple Growing Tips:.recyle jar lids
  • Use packing peanuts for drainage (instead of stones)
  • Cover the roots with toilet paper rolls (cut in half) When you plant seedlings in the garden-to keep insects away
  • Cover the roots with paper cups (cut out the bottom) When you plant seedlings in the garden- to keep insects away
  • Keep a tuna can in the garden to measure weekly watering--it should be 1 inch
  • Try packing peanuts instead of soil as Hydro phonics
  • You can mix peat moss with other materials to create your own growing medium
  • To start seeds using perlite, use a mixture of 1 part perlite and 1 part moistened peat moss
  • Cover post with plastic bags, wrap or clear container it helps to retain moisture, and keep the soil from drying out
Learn about composting with Squirmy Wormy:
School Garden Projects:
Other Handy School Garden Links and Downloads:
naturally 
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