School Garden

Just like the inside garden, there are many things you need to consider before establishing your outdoor school garden. 

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Keys to success

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1. Size of the garden

Make sure you have an appropriate space for the plants you have started or are going to plant. It is very helpful to follow a square foot garden guide when planning out your garden so you maximize your yield and experience. Just like the indoor garden, it is good to have a goal in mind so you only plant enough to meet your needs.

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2. Location

Be sure to select a good location that has plenty of direct sunlight, has a water source easily available, and is protected from the wind. 

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3. Soil 

Most suppliers offer a balanced 4 way mix that is excellent for growing but it is not free of seeds as the "soilless mixes" are. Depending on your budget and the size of the garden using the mix might be beneficial as it will limit the amount of regular maintenance required to keep your gardens weed free. 

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4. What to plant

Considering this is a school garden that might only get limited attention over the summer break there are a few things to consider.  You want to plant fruits and vegetables that require minimum care. Beans and peas can be intensive as they do require some regular maintenance to prevent them from taking over the garden and lettuce has such a quick yield that it might simply spoil before you can get to it. 

The indoor garden utilizes indeterminate tomato plants as they are vine like and can be trained to grow vertical taking up less physical space (they are also more interesting for the students to watch grow). In your outside garden you would be best to plant determinate tomatoes as they are more "bush" like and do not need the same level of care. 

Potatoes, corn, and onions could require the least amount of effort while root vegetables tend to need regular thinning to produce larger product.  If you prefer one large carrot over 5 small ones you will need to thin your crop regularly or spend the extra money on seed tape. 

 

5. Summer maintenance

Finding volunteers can be difficult at times and you might have gaps in regular care. There are a few things you can do to make things easier on everyone. 

The first, is to cover all exposed soil in the garden with straw mulch. A healthy 3" of straw cover will prevent weeds from growing through, limit germination of new seeds that find their way into your garden, make weeding easy as the roots can not "take" the same way, and will help maintain moisture levels in the soil. 

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Using a timer and an irrigation system. There are many options available that can fit just about any budget and they will lesson the hands on care needed. Simply layout your system, cover with straw and you've created a limited maintenance garden. If your garden is too far away from a water source there are options for that as well. 

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Purchasing a rain barrel or water tank would be highly recommended, it can be used with your irrigation system, and if possible you can collect all rain water from the school's downpipes.  As long as the barrel is off the ground (higher than your garden) gravity will do the work for you.

 

You can also use a timer with a rain barrel system as well and if your garden is too far away from a power source, go solar. Again, there are many options for a variety of budgets. 

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