Gardening
Would you like to learn more about gardening during your time in Lock down?
Check out Kristine's guide to organic gardening and below that see videos' from Mrs Chapman's garden as well as some activities you can do at home.
IMPORTANT: Make sure to ask permission from a parent or caregiver BEFORE you do any of the options
Organic gardening with Kristine
So many things to try here and you get to eat what you create. How great is that. Another Kristine production.
Click on the photo or the link below it to see the slideshow.
Week 1
Lockdown Garden Cleanup
Mrs Chapman gets ready to clean up her garden
How to trim Tomatoes
Mrs Chapman starts her Autumn tidy up in her home made tunnel house.
Activity Options
Choose one or more of the following activities to do. Add photos or a video to show what you have done in your Slideshow
Do you have a vegetable garden or a tunnel house? Take some photos of it before and after you do some work to tidy it up for winter.
If you don't have a Vege garden watch this you tube clip and then find a place on your land or section that you think would be good to make a garden. Check with an adult.
Have a go at starting some seeds in your own mini glasshouse.
You can also use any plastic container.
Find out about the dreaded white fly
What does it eat, what does it do to plants and how to control it
WEEK 2
Garden tidy up
What's in Mrs Chapman's garden in April during Lock down and what tasks need to be done:
Thinning carrots, harvesting beetroot, identifying and controlling bugs, and a general tidy up.
Activity Options
Choose one or more of the following activities to do. Add photos or a video to show what you have done in your Slideshow
What needs a tidy up in your garden?
Choose a small area to tidy. Take a before and after photo to show what you have done
Use Landcare Researchs website to identify 3 different bugs in your garden. Take photos and name them in your slideshow. Find out if they are good bugs (beneficial) or bad bugs (pests)
Hunkin Carrot experiment
Try one of the experiments below to regrow a carrot top
Make your own bug hotel
This will encourage the good bugs to stay in your garden for winter
Mrs Chapman's Carrot Experiment Update
I started this experiment on the 19th of April using a store brought carrot (odd bunch) which had the green part removed and one of my own carrots from the garden. This is how they look on the 4th of May 15 days later .
Store Brought Carrot
Old and shriveled and not growing. Maybe too much of the green part had been removed or it had bee sprayed to stop it growing
Carrot from my garden
After 2 weeks it is now growing a nice new frond which is starting to curve upwards in response to gravity
Week 3
This week it is all about COMPOST. Compost is important as you need to replace the nutrients the plants you have grown and harvested have removed from the soil. Compost is a mild, slow release fertiliser that is all natural, maintains the structure and fertility of your soil, retains moisture and can be used as a mulch. Compost is also a form of RECYCLING which will reduce the amount of rubbish going into landfill
Compost tips
Some things not to use in your compost heap and a look at the compost my old heap pro
Starting my compost heap
Activity Options
Choose one or more of the following activities to do. Add photos or a video to show what you have done in your Slideshow
Want to know what to put into compost and what not to use? Then watch this video- Composting for beginners
Try using kitchen scraps direct to the garden using trenches and pits
Composting in a pot using shredded paper, potting mix, leaves and wood chips
Compost in a bottle.
It might be best to keep these outside!
Composting 101
How to Compost on a large scale using pallets
Week 4
Pest control
This week Mrs Chapman has identified a pest in her garden- white fly. Find out how she combats this tiny creature that is sucking the life out of her Tamarillo and tomato plants
Watch the videos below and then answer the questions underneath. Add the answers to your slideshow
Mixing Maverick
1) What should you do before mixing any spray?
2)What should you do if you accidentally swallow some spray liquid?
What should Mrs Chapman Be wearing when she sprays the plants?
Sparying for White Fly
1) What PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) gear is Mrs Chapman using to protect her from the spray?
2) What do you need to do to the bottle before it will spray?
3) which side of the leaves should you spray?
Week 5
This week Mrs Chapman digs over part of her garden and plants some new seedlings for growing over autumn and winter. Watch the videos below and then answer the questions underneath. Add the answers to your slideshow
Digging the garden
What tool is Mrs Chapman using to turn the soil of her garden?
What will she add to the soil to make the plants grow better?
What other method could Mrs Chapman use in her garden?
Time lapse planting out
What tools and equipment does Mrs Chapman use to add compost to her garden?
Did Mrs Chapman use any PPE gear and if so what was it?
Watering in
What seedlings did Mrs Chapman plant out?
Why do you have to water seedlings when you plant them?
What other plant did Mrs Chapman want to plant?
Watch this video from Mitre 10 to help you choose what to grow and how to plant.
Your Turn
Is there anything you could plant in your garden- or if you do not have a garden use a pot.
Look at the second activity from Week 1 to help you choose a spot for your garden or the third activity from Week 3 for how to garden/ make compost in a pot.