[bungaro]

hi,
looking for advice from the experts on here for my classroom. i've 6th class this year and want to bring the garden into the classroom as much as possible. i've 33 in the room so i don't have a huge lot of space to work with.
i'm looking at two approaches:
1) planting seeds in trays and planting them outside in the spring/early summer. what kind of things can i be planting in the next month??
2) having some house plants in the room to add a bit of colour and also take the excess moisture in the air out.

so any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated! if you need more info about the room let me know.
thanks

[forest flame]

for children of that age cress is a great choice as they come up in a week.if you are in dublin bnq in tallaght are great at school stuff worth a visit

[tippben]

Can you tell me your term times? Will there be anybody to tend crops when schools out?

First thoughts. Spring cabbage. sow now, and the kids can take it home in the spring for bacon and cabbage at home. You could plant garlic and broad beans in november, but I'm not sure how many kids or families would eat those. I do have some great broad bean recipes though, if you're interested.

My vote is fruit trees. Plums, Cherries (Stella), apples (go to seed savers in scarriff co clare) and strawberries.

Indoors? Carnivorous plants. Excellent introduction to biology/botany. They must be fed on rainwater alone. If you get venus fly traps, be prepared to replace them regularly: the kids will get them to close, which takes energy away and eventually kills them. Also the sensitive plant , Mimosa pudica, whose leaves shrink away from touch. Indoor jasmine for scent, and christmas/easter cacti.

[medieval knievel]

i remember planting pea plants and sunflower seeds; the seeds are big enough for kids to muck about with, and germinate readily enough and grow quickly, which hopefully should prevent boredom...

[sgmgarden]

I definitely remember planting sunflower seeds when I was at school. I think it became more of a competition though as we were all desperate to see whos sunflower grew first and which one was the tallest!

[bungaro]

thanks for the replies everyone. some great ideas there.

i was thinking of doing sunflowers alright but i suppose it'll be spring till i can plant them. a long term plan is to plant some rainbow eucalyptus seeds i have too but again i've been advised to germinate them in late spring.

i'm after getting a dracaena and a peace lily too as there is a fair bit of moisture in the air. the windows are single glazed so when the heating goes on the walls get a bit of a glaze. is there any other plants i could get which would take any excess moisture out of the air???

[tippben]

Erm, not really, as during photosythesis, plants transpire water into the air. Good ventilation is the key to that problem. I suspect the vast majority of that moisture is coming from pupils breathing. You COULD use a big tray of silica gel (water retention granules) kept in a place where little eejits couldn't eat it. Unfortunately, if you dried the air out that much, you might have to mist the plants...

[Sive]

I believe ( electric ) dehumidifiers are very effective and could be your best solution.

[sgmgarden]

Have you decided what you want to plant yet?

[bungaro]

[tippben]

A dehumidifier or two would work, if your principal will agree to the increased electric bill (It's have to run continually). Not very carbon conscious though. Silica gel is available in garden centres, marketed as "moisture retention granules" for use in pots and raised beds.

I don't think the raised bed would work. Sprouts would be good. Each kid brings in a large jar (1 litre) with a screwtop lid. You need mung beans (chinese bean sprouts), alfalfa, or even broccoli seeds, all easily available at supermarkets/healthfood shops/garden centres. Soak the seeds overnight (1tbsp for a 1L jar, one tsp for a jam jar) and put the jars on their sides in a dark place (stock cupboard?). Rinse the seeds three times a day, and drain thoroughly, so that's first thing, after lunch, and last thing before going home. Within a week or two, you have a crop. Easy peasy!