Question

I want to plant some veggies with my 3 year old (carrots, onions, spinach, tomatoes) Any tips on how start them off etc? I’ve tried to grow things previously and haven’t had a great outcome. We have a conservatory that we could use to keep seeds indoor for now but my husband seems to think there’s no need to do that and we can plant straight in the ground ‍♀️

Answer 1

I’m going to start growing a few easy things myself this year. I bought potato bags 2yrs ago & they r getting an outing this year, potatoes chitting as I type  I tried growing tomatoes indoors once & they just take over. My neighbours hav a greenhouse full of tomatoes & they grow too big. They also grow raspberries & blueberries in containers & strawberries in planters hanging on the fence. I think I mite attempt strawberry in hanging basket, carrots in 1 potat bag, some salad leaves & basil indoors. Dunno wot else to do that doesn’t require a lot of effort. I don’t hav any room to plant stuff & only really path sized room for bags & containers etc.  

Comments

@rosauraroscius they r currently in an egg carton until they grow shoots & can b planted. I think that’s wot it means.  

Answer 2

Pots are far easier. I've a large area for growing but still use pots depending what it is x

Answer 3

My 3 year old granddaughter and I planted an area of large pots, all 2nd hand they were a good height for her and we didn't get too dirty in all weathers. Planted directly outside salads , tomatoes etc for lunch and carrots and beetroot for peter rabbit lol I let her do want she wanted her garden, but I did sneak in a few little plants overnight for the ones she over watered or pulled up to check if they were happy  

Comments

Lovely grandma <3

Answer 4

I'd suggest picking really easy veg - carrots are remarkably unreliable. Onions, quite frankly, are just really really boring to grow. Potatoes are great, they can chit them themselves, plant them, see the plant cycle, then dig them up. If you want, it's fine to do these in sacks. Try getting some unusual looking varieties - Salad Blue and Pink Fir Apple are two I'd recommend. Jerusalem artichokes aren't to everybody's taste, but gorgeous plants, starting as a funny nobbly tuber, growing 7+ft tall, then when they die back, fascinating to dig up. Put those in a corner straight in the ground. Definitely tomatoes, but do them in sacks or pots (growbags are great). Pick little varieties that your child can pick off and eat like sweets (and they are incredibly sweet compared to from the supermarket). Those will work best in your conservatory. Have a go at Swiss Chard, get some rainbow variety, the colours are amazing, and there are different ways to eat them. Plus it'll be something totally new as they're very seldom in the shops. These are best in the ground. Have you somewhere you can put in a couple of summer raspberry canes? They're great for a child to walk amongst and pick the fruit the adults can't reach. Have you a spot you can put in some garden beans, growing up a pyramid of canes. Start those off indoors in little peat pots, but then plant out when they're about 6" high. Beautiful flowers, and the beans just keep coming in season.  

Comments

Another really easy one by the way is garlic - you can just buy a bulb of supermarket garlic, and put it in the fridge - the garlic sees the cold as winter frost and start sprouting (that's why we should never store garlic in the fridge! ). Once it's sprouting, gently pull the bulb apart into individual cloves, then plant about 6" apart in soil that you've dug some compost into outdoors, hopefully quite soon. It'll grow rather like an onion, when it wilts in mid summer, dig it up, brush the dirt off, and plat it into strings. Hang it up, and once the foliage is all yellow and dried out, the garlic is ready to use. If you want to buy proper seed garlic "Solent Wight" is a great variety.  

Answer 5

You can plant straight in the ground but you need the soil to be at least 10 degrees, so March onwards. Get some mixed lettuce and Oregon Sugar Snap peas. Sow a few every 2 weeks. Read the back of the seed packet for instructions. Eat the lettuce leaves that are crowding, and let the others bulk out. You'll enjoy it. Just keep them watered thoroughly once a week, none of that waving a watering can about - soak thee soil.  

Answer 6

My peas have blooms already but I live in Southern California. radishes carrots and lettuce are quick growers fun for kids to watch. If you start anything in doors harden them off before transplanting outside. Take a couple of days and set them outside before placing in the ground. So it is not so much of a shock to the roots.