Emma Keyworth is the gardener at Washingborough Academy, Lincolnshire, which has a 300sqm organic kitchen garden, including a polytunnel, bee hives, a Lincolnshire Heritage orchard and free range chickens.
HOW CAN SCHOOLS GET STARTED WITH A KITCHEN GARDEN?
Start by growing seeds in trays on the windowsills in classrooms – no space is too small. I’ve grown potatoes in stacked tyres! You need an enthusiastic person who can take charge. They can use their own initiative or join “gardening for school” schemes such as the RHS Growing for Schools which send seeds, instructions, posters and literature so children can get involved.
HOW SHOULD THE KITCHEN GARDEN BE DIVIDED UP?
I divide our allotment into different areas and rotate the growing area every year on a three year rotation to give the soil a rest and reduce soil living pests and disease. The areas are brassicas, roots, potatoes, legumes (beans), and squashes. We also have a polytunnel.
WHAT EQUIPMENT IS NEEDED?
This depends on the ages of the children. Nursery children use small plastic trowels and forks. Our year 5 and 6 students use the adult equipment such as hoes, rakes, shovels and so on. A shout out on a local Facebook or selling site will usually provide a few tools. You can start with just some seed trays and compost.
WHAT FRUIT AND VEG SHOULD SCHOOLS START GROWING?
Certainly stick to the easy ones at first such as tomatoes, cucumbers, squashes, salad leaves and herbs. These are easily germinated and can be grown in containers. Legumes are also easy to maintain. Root vegetables and brassicas need to be in the soil so they need an area that will be watered and weeded. We grow heritage and heirloom seeds which promote biodiversity. Most fruit and vegetables need to be planted after the frosts in March, April, May.
HOW CAN CHILDREN BE ENCOURAGED TO GET INVOLVED?
Like any subject at school, gardening is not going to appeal to everyone, so I try to keep these children busy with a job like weeding or let them dig a patch without anything growing in it.
WHAT ACTIVITIES CAN CHILDREN BECOME INVOLVED IN?
Digging is always a good activity to do to release some energy, the older children are usually great at this. Preparing seed trays with compost, planting the seeds, labelling the seeds and watering is good for all ages, although some seeds are unsuitable for smaller children. Close supervision is required so you don’t end up with seeds spilt everywhere or all the seeds tipped into one place and none elsewhere.
HOW CAN YOU KEEP IT INTERESTING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR?
It’s a tricky one to keep on top of it over the holidays, top of it over the holidays, unless someone is willing unless someone is willing to come in to keep on top of to come in to keep on top of watering, weeding, picking watering, weeding, picking produce etc. I come in produce etc. I come in during the holidays, but in during the holidays, but in September a garden of our September a garden of our size is still an overgrown size is still an overgrown mess and lots of produce mess and lots of produce has gone to seed. You can has gone to seed. You can grow some winter crops, grow some winter crops, but usually November, but usually November, December and January are December and January are used for digging, preparing used for digging, preparing soil by adding compost, soil by adding compost, turning over the compost turning over the compost heap, cleaning pots etc. heap, cleaning pots etc.