UTAH families

Garden Science

By Melanie Skelton

Spring has arrived. After the long, dark days of winter we are always glad to see the snow melt and the warm weather return. But with spring comes the desire to leave academics behind and go outdoors. Don’t leave the learning inside. There is a big outdoor classroom waiting for us as we step out the back door. It won’t replace reading and writing, but there is some great science to be explored in the garden. And you never know when even math might be found outside.
Use the following ideas to bring the classroom to the garden. Watch for other ideas as well. You may find a long row of tomato plants serving as the timeline for the on-the-spot history lesson that pops up while you are outside working and talking.

• Plant Structure. Explore the structure of a plant by pre-planting seeds indoors. Tomatoes and peppers work well for this. Plant them in a mini-row or grouping. As they begin growing they will have one set of leaves. When the second set of leaves begin growing separate the plants, allowing children to see and handle the stems, leaves and roots. Plant them into their own individual containers so that the roots will have the space they need to continue growing. When it gets warm enough, help children transplant these into the garden.
• Mapping Activity. Even in a garden it is important to have a plan. With your children, decide what you are going to plant. Let them help you decide where you will be planting everything, and practice their mapping skills by drawing out that plan.
• Plant Reproduction. Watch for blossoms on your plants and dissect some of them to understand the process of reproduction. Learn that it is critical to plant corn in groups because of the way it reproduces. (The pollen floats from the top of the stalk down to land on the sticky silk. Each piece of silk that is pollinated produces a kernel of corn.) Explore the art of gathering your own seeds with your children. Beans and herbs are good plants to learn this on. The beans grow in the pods and are easy to find. At the end of the season let some stay on the plant after they are grown so they can be the seeds for next year. Watch for the flowering parts of herbs or other plants to find the part of the plant where the seeds form. Just remember not to collect seeds from hybrid plants. There will be no guarantee of what you will grow in the next season with these seeds.
• Composting. Learn about different ways to compost. Learn about the ratios of carbon and nitrogen needed in the items you are composting. Find simple ways of composting, such as tilling it under and letting the natural process take place. You may even want to experiment with a worm farm and learn the important role worms play in composting.
• Planting. Learn the needs of different plants. Some plants like sun and others like shade. Many plants will grow well from a seed when planted at the proper depth and cared for, while others are easier to propagate from an existing plant. Learn the process for taking starts from another plant. Plants also have different needs as far as space requirements. Learn what these are and let your children measure and determine where a pumpkin or beet should be planted according to the size it will grow to. (Hint: The pumpkin plant will need a lot of space.)
• Pests and disease. Learn what pests and disease can affect your plants. Sometimes the most effective way to learn about this is to include your young students in the process of getting rid of a peach boar when you find you have one or learning how to manage the snails that are overrunning your tomato patch. But learn about good insects too. Learn that ladybugs eat aphids and the praying mantis is a friend to your garden.
• Preserving Food. Teach them what it takes to preserve food you have grown.
Food from the garden can be dehydrated, canned or frozen. Children may complain about having to do the hard work, but once it is finished they will take great pride in food they helped preserve. With the state of our fast-paced society and the way food prices keep rising, self-sufficiency is a great lesson to instill in our children.
• Nature Notebook. Start a nature notebook with a simple sketchpad and pencils, paint or other medium. Have your children draw or paint the growing process, by drawing the plant every week or two at different stages of growth. If you want to learn more about nature notebooks, read about the Charlotte Mason method of teaching, which encourages nature notebooks as a way of studying nature.
• Work Ethic. This is the number one reason we plant a garden. Children can learn through the process of gardening that hard work has a reward. On a hot day when the weeding needs to be done, they sometimes have a lot to complain about. However, it is exciting to everyone when you pick your first red tomato or cucumber. In a world where children spend so much time with television, computer and sports, why not give them a reason to learn to work.