Growing your own food with children is great fun. It’s an amazing hands-on learning experience, wonderful hobby and perfect for spending time together and our wellbeing.
Here's a year of growing vegetables, flowers and herbs! There's a growing suggestion and step by step instructions for each month.
Food growing teaches us about responsibility and where our food comes from.
We have to look after our plants, making sure we remember to water and feed them and give them what they need to thrive.
Watching them grow provides a sense of ownership and achievement.
There's something magical about gardening and children seem to get this. They find it amazing that vegetables and fruit can grow from the tiny seeds they plant. And it is incredible!
Growing your own food encourages children to eat and enjoy more fruit and vegetables. There’s nothing more rewarding than eating something you’ve grown yourself, is there?!
January
Tomatoes
Sow: February-April. Plant out: May-June Harvest: July-October.
Fill a 9-cm pot with seed compost & water well, sow 3-4 seeds, cover lightly with compost. Cover with a clear plastic bag & place on a warm window sill. Once seedlings appear (about 2 weeks), remove the plastic bag.
Transplant into individual 7.5-cm pots when seedlings have 2 true leaves. Continue growing on a warm & sunny window sill for about a month.
Before planting out once the weather is warmer, 'harden off' (this means preparing the tomatoes for outdoor temperatures so place the pot outside during the day and bring it in at night for about a week).
Support your plants with a bamboo cane. Tie main stems to the cane as they grow. Feed every 10-14 with tomato feed once the first tomatoes appear. Keep well watered.
February
Marigold
Sow indoors: February-April (in pots)
Sow outdoors: April-May Flowers: June-October
Did you know you can eat marigold petals are edible and can be added to make salads bright and colourful?
You can sow marigolds directly in the ground or in pots.
Directly in the ground: Choose a sunny position. Remove any weeds. Rake the soil so it's fine and crumbly.
Make a seed drill (a channel in the soil to sow the seeds along) about 1cm deep. Water the drill. Sprinkle the seeds into the drill. Cover the seeds with soil.
In pots: Choose a pot with drainage holes in the bottom. Fill with compost, water well and place in a sunny position.
Sprinkle the seeds in carefully and cover them with compost. Seedlings should appear in 1-2 weeks. If the marigolds become crowded, thin them out to 20cm apart.
March
Cornflower
Sow: March-September Flowers: June-August
Cornflowers are easy to grow and look after and bees and butterflies love them! You can sow the seeds directly in the ground or in containers.
Directly in the ground: Choose a sunny position. Remove any weeds. Rake the soil so it's fine and crumbly.
In containers: Choose a pot with drainage holes in the bottom. Fill with compost and place in a sunny position.
Water the soil or compost before sowing the seeds. Sow them 1cm deep and 5cm apart. Cover the seeds lightly with soil. Cornflower seedlings should appear in about 3 weeks.
As they grow, cornflowers need space so thin them to 20cm apart if they look crowded. They will reach their full height in 3-4 months.
April
Outdoor Cucumber
Sow: April - June Plant out: June-July Harvest: July-October
Sow 1 seed (on its side) 1cm deep in a 7.5cm pre-watered pot.
Cover your pot with a clear plastic bag & leave on a warm window sill.
Once seedlings appear, remove the plastic bag & continue growing on a bright window sill.
Plant cucumber outside from June once the weather is warmer.
Before planting out, 'harden off' (this means preparing the plant for outdoor temperatures so place the pot outside during the day & bring it in at night for about a week).
Dig a hole in a sunny position, water well & plant out the cucumber. As they grow, provide some support to grow up such as a bamboo cane, netting or string.
Cucumbers are hungry & thirsty plants so water regularly & give them tomato feed every 2 weeks when they have flowers. Harvest the cucumbers when they are about 15cm.
May
Pumpkin
Sow Indoors: April-May Plant out: May-June Harvest: September-October
Sow seeds in pots of pre-watered compost on a window sill in April/May (1 seed per 7.5cm pot), 2-2.5cm deep. Seedlings should start to appear in a couple of week or so. Before planting out in late May, 'harden off' (this means preparing the pumpkins for outdoor temperatures so place the pots outside during the day and bring them in at night for about a week).
Dig a large hole, water well & plant the seedling. Plant pumpkins at least 1 metre apart. Pumpkins grow well in large pots and grow bags too.
Pumpkins are hungry plants. Feed them every 10-14 days with tomato feed once the first pumpkins appear.
Place a tile or upturned plate under the pumpkins to keep them off the damp soil and prevent them from rotting.
Pumpkins are ready to harvest in September/October.
June
Parsley
Lots of herbs can be grown in pots indoors all year round but they need at least 6 hours of bright sunlight daily.
Fill 9-cm pots (make sure they have drainage holes in the bottom) with pre-watered compost and sprinkle about 10 parsley seeds on the surface.
Cover the seeds with a thin layer of compost. Place a saucer under the pot to catch any excess water. Cover the pot with clingfilm and wait for the seeds to germinate, normally 3-4 weeks.
Once seedlings appear, remove the clingfilm. Continue growing on a sunny window sill. Water when the compost is almost dry.
You can sow parsley outdoors from March to July directly in the ground. Make a seed drill (a channel in the soil to sow the seeds along) about 1cm deep and water the drill.
Sow the parsley seeds thinly. Cover the seeds with soil. Keep the parsley plants well watered and harvest regularly
July
Lettuce
Sow: March-Sept Plant: May-October Harvest: May-October
Fill pots (make sure they have drainage holes in the bottom) with pre-watered compost. Place a saucer under the pot to catch excess water. Sow the seeds about 13mm deep. Place the pots on a sunny window sill. Keep the compost moist. Seedlings should appear within 2 weeks.
Plant the lettuces out once you can see their roots growing through the bottom of the pot. Lettuce grows well in a slightly shaded position rather than in full sun.
From early summer onwards, you can also sow lettuce seeds straight into the soil outside. Sow the seeds thinly onto finely raked soil.
As the seedlings grow, thin them to allow 30cm between each lettuce to give them space to fully grow. Always keep them well watered.
Lettuces will be ready to harvest in 8-12 weeks.
August
Pak Choi
Sow: March-April, June-August Harvest: May-December
Pak choi can be grown in pots and containers (at least 30cm wide) or sown directly in the ground (sow seeds 15mm deep, 38cm between rows).
If sowing directly in the ground, be careful of slugs! It can be easier to start the seeds in pots and transplant seedlings instead.
Sow seeds,15mm deep, in small pots of pre-watered compost. Seeds should germinate in 1-2 weeks.
Keep seedlings well watered & transplant to their growing position (in the ground or pots/containers) once they are at least 10cm tall.
Make sure the soil is moist whilst the pak choi is growing, particularly during dry weather.
Gradually thin the seedlings to 30cm between each to give them space to grow. These thinnings are delicious in salads.
The pak choi will be ready to harvest after 8-10 weeks.
Great used in stir-fries.
September
Daffodil
Plant daffodils in early autumn, preferably September.
They are easy-to-grow bulbs which flower in springtime and their lovely happy yellow colours brighten window boxes, pots and the garden!
Daffodils prefer sunshine or light shade rather than deep shade. They like well draining soil so avoid planting in areas which get waterlogged and avoid overwatering pots.
Loosen the soil so it's not compact and remove any weeds. Create a hole for the daffodil bulb using a trowel. The hole needs to be quite deep - about 3 times the height of the daffodil bulb as shown.
Make sure the bulbs are large and firm and don't have any mould on them. Plant them in the hole with the pointy bit of the bulb facing upwards. Cover with soil & water gently.
Place a label where you have planted your bulbs so you know where they will come up in springtime.
October
Spring-Flowering Crocus
Plant spring-flowering crocus bulbs in autumn, from September to November.
Crocus are delightful little flowers which add a burst of white, yellow, lilac and purple colour in later winter and early spring.
They work very well in containers as well as directly in the ground, both in borders or amongst grass.
Crocus prefer a sunny open position rather than shade.
They like well draining soil so avoid planting them in areas which get waterlogged and avoid overwatering pots.
Loosen the soil so it's not compact and remove any weeds. Create a 7-10cm deep hole using a trowel.
Make sure the corms are firm and don't have any mould on them.
Plant the corm in the hole with the pointy bit facing upwards. Cover with soil. Allow 5 cm between each corm.
Water crocus in containers when the soil feels dry to touch. Crocus growing in the ground don't usually need watering.
Place a label where you have planted your bulbs.
November
Tulip
Plant tulip bulbs in mid-late autumn. November is ideal.
Tulips come in lots of beautiful colours and usually bloom in April and May.
They work very well in containers as well as directly in the ground.
Tulips prefer a sunny sheltered position rather than shade.
They like well draining soil so avoid planting them in areas which get waterlogged and avoid overwatering pots.
Loosen the soil so it's not compact and remove any weeds.
Create a hole for the tulip bulb using a trowel. The hole needs to be quite deep - about 3 times the height of the tulip bulb as shown.
Make sure the bulbs are large and firm and don't have any mould on them.
Plant them in the hole with the pointy bit of the bulb facing upwards. Cover with soil. Allow 5 cm between each bulb. Water gently but not too much.
Place a label where you have planted your bulbs.
December
Chives
Chives can be grown in pots indoors all year round.
Fill 9cm pots (make sure they have drainage holes in the bottom) with compost and water well. Place a saucer under the pot to catch any excess water.
Sprinkle about 10 seeds on the surface of the wet compost. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of compost.
Put the pot in a plastic bag or cover with cling film and leave in a light, warm place.
Once the chive seedlings appear, usually in 1-2 weeks, remove the bag or clingfilm.
Continue growing in a place which has plenty of light. Water the chives when the compost feels dry.
You can start harvesting the leaves when they are about 15cm tall.
Cut the leaves as required with scissors, snipping close to the base – the more often they’re harvested, the more new leaves will be produced.
I really hope you have fun with growing your own herbs and vegetables throughout the year!
For more gardening and food growing ideas, have a look at gardening with children and growing fairytale vegetables - each vegetable is linked to a fairytale or nursery rhyme for added fun!
Further information on gardening with children:
Garden Organic has some fantastic resources to download. These include grow your own cards which include growing instructions and growing calendar. There are also games and growing activities which are useful for schools.
RHS has created some Learning From Home resources to encourage children to start gardening.
Mr Bloom's Nursery has some great gardening advice for young children. Have a look at 7 tips for gardening with kids and gardening for kids.
The Kew Gardens Children's Cookbook is a fantastic introduction to growing your own vegetables. The step-by-step guides to growing vegetables in containers, window boxes, a garden or allotment are easy to follow. It also contains delicious recipes.
SHOP MAGICAL DRESSING UP COSTUMES FOR KIDS
Let's keep in touch!
Sign up below to receive a free children's activity pack delivered straight to your inbox each month, together with the latest news and special offers from Another World Costumes.
