I would like to help my DS1 grow a couple of plants this summer. He was very interested in the seed packets last time we were at the hardware store, and I think he'd enjoy growing a few things -- planting, watering, hopefully harvesting. He has expressed an interest in growing carrots because he saw Curious George do this.
Anyway, my DH and I are lacking thumbs in any shades of green. Also, I have no idea of the quality of the soil around our house. Ideally, I'd like to grow a couple of things in big pots, so I can use new soil and move them around depending on sun and possibly move them to the neighbors while we are on traveling this summer.
Is this even possible? I know there are some expert gardeners on this site. Do you have any suggestions on something that would be easy to grow in a pot and enjoyable for a three-year-old to "tend"? Eventually, we might be up for putting in some raised beds and having a bigger garden, but for now I'll consider it a success if we can keep one plant alive all summer.
Any advice would be appreciated!
Gardening help?
March 23rd, 2015 at 12:44 am
March 23rd, 2015 at 01:00 am 1427072404
I grow cherry tomatoes in pots( one plant per pot). Sun gold are orange colored and really tasty. You can buy one well-started plant a n d tend it. My grandson likes to pick the tomatoes and just pop them in. You can get a bag of potting soil at the garden center where you get the tomatoes.They like lots of Sun. Enjoy!
March 23rd, 2015 at 02:18 am 1427077125
March 23rd, 2015 at 02:22 am 1427077324
Green beans because they have big seeds for the three year old to handle, sprout quickly to keep up his excitement, and never fail to produce as long as you keep the plant alive. Your two basic choices are 1)bush type which bear sooner and stay small but quit making beans and die after a few week and 2) pole type which make a vine that need support on a trellis, fence, or dead branch stuck in the ground. Pole green beans have to grow bigger before they start bearing so, you have to wait longer. But you get more beans from them over a longer period of time.
Sungold is an orange cherry tomato such as you would put in a salad. They are incredibly sweet. Sometimes they taste like cotton candy to me! They are easy to see and pick. It, too, would need support like a large trellis or cage. I'd try to find baby plants rather than grow this from seed your first time (though they are easy from seed-- the initial watering is a little tickier than for beans.)
Both these things will do fine in very large pots. But wind can become a problem when growing big plants in pots. And if you live where it gets hot, you might sometimes have to water twice per day.
March 23rd, 2015 at 02:26 am 1427077614
March 23rd, 2015 at 06:54 am 1427093690
March 23rd, 2015 at 02:32 pm 1427121136
March 23rd, 2015 at 04:00 pm 1427126413
I'll probably have more questions once I actually start to implement this, so I'll probably post again about it soon!