Sowing for the first time!

You want to grow with your children, be it in a home or school setting, but you’re not sure where to start.

Let us help!

Choosing a seed to start with can be a bit of a head scratcher sometimes. We default to things like cress or radishes but whilst they’re fun and quick growing , how much of it is eaten?!

You want to pick something fun , something that will be eaten but most of all tactile. What do I mean? Basically a seed big enough for small hands to handle easily. This is also brilliant for adults who can struggle with mobility and tactility.

This is why runner beans and peas are my ultimate favourite starter seed and what we’ve sown at home and also in the newly formed gardening club at the local school.

Using a seed that is easy to handle is a fantastic foundation for building confidence and independence which is what children want to be feeling in their gardening journey.

So what do you need for peas and runner beans?

We have started ours indoors (both at home and school) so you’ll need pots or trays, labels, seeds, and absolutely no peat compost.

We started by filling the pots up with compost, pressing it down as we went to remove air pockets (aids better root growth). The children then made holes no bigger than a knuckle deep in each pot. The children then popped a seed in each pot before ‘putting them to bed’ (covering with compost) and watering.

If you wanted to do it directly into the soil, make shallow trenches in your growing area before placing the pea seeds in the trench equal distance apart and covering.

You don’t just have to sow into pots either! There are so many other ways of sowing pea seeds, it’s all about being creative and using what you have. Why not sow in some old guttering or create a pea propagator out of an old plastic milk bottle. Cut in half, fill the bottom half with compost , sow your seeds and place the top back on. This is a great way of showing the children how warmth aids germination.

So why not see what recycling you have and be inventive.We can’t wait to see how the peas go and show you the next exciting part of the pea and bean journey! Building the structures