Growing plants in small pots indoors catches many children's interest, perhaps because it feels controllable and personal, unlike using part of a patch outdoors. At any rate, winter is perfect for such small-scale activities.
Growing plants indoors should be fun and, of course, it can help foster a sense of wonder at the natural world. And it's almost impossible to avoid involving some science, maths or new vocabulary.
LEARNING
Even with small indoor gardening activities, children can learn that:
- - indoor plants need looking after
- - plants need water, warmth and sunlight - seeds grow roots, then shoots which grow into more plants
- - cuttings taken from plants grow roots and thus more plant
- - soil is full of small creatures such as worms
- we must water the soil, not the plant.
GROWING CACTI AND SUCCULENTS
Growing cacti from seed is a simple activity with ongoing interest that can make a good display. Buy a packet of mixed cactus seed and some cactus compost and follow the instructions on the packet.
Keep the pots in your sunniest place and watch for the exciting moment when tiny, bobbly cacti appear, complete with prickles! And perhaps try Rebutia miniscula, a small cactus which produces bright orange/red/pink flowers in summer. Don't water it in winter, then just a little in spring, and then once a week from April to late September.
Aloe vera is an easy-to-grow succulent will grow 'babies' (offsets) around the edge, which you can prise out when they're big enough. If there is any sap on them, leave them to dry out for a few days, then plant in small pots of sandy compost. Keep fairly dry to start with, then water about once a week, though as succulents store water in their fleshy leaves, they can survive for longer without being watered. Perhaps cut a slice off their leaves to see the juicy sap stored inside. Try Aloe vera variegata too, which has three tiers of stripy leaves.
SPROUTING SEEDS
All plants have roots, and it can be astonishing for children to see the dramatic moment when seeds split open and roots begin to creep out, and then, later, to see green shoots appear.
Big seeds are easier to grow, and more dramatic to observe, so try the old favourites of broad bean and avocado seeds, as well as smaller seeds.
Potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, avocado stones
Balance a potato, sweet potato or onion inside the rim of a jar with enough water in the jar to almost touch them, as when sprouting hyacinths.
Avocado stones should actually touch the water. Start several, as not all will sprout. Notice how each plant's roots are different. Can the children describe the differences? When the avocado stones have split, you could plant some in pots of compost. Perhaps create an avocado forest. Pinch out the tips if you want bushy plants.
Broad and runner beans
Fit a strip of double thickness sugar paper around the inside of a fat glass jar, overlapping the ends. Make sure the paper is flat against the glass all the way round. Moisten by tipping water in and out of the jar, then trap one bean between the paper and the glass.
Swirl water around the jar each day and also keep a tiny amount of water in it to keep the paper moist and provide humidity. Soon the bean will produce an interesting root formation, green shoots and tiny leaves. (Germination is quicker if the seeds are first soaked overnight in water. Compare how they swell up with unsoaked ones.)
Note how each seed knows its roots must go down and its shoots must go up. If you turn one of the bean jars upside-down for several days, the roots will begin to make a U-turn!
Sprouting seeds to eat
Use freshly bought seeds sold as food, not those sold for planting which may have been sprayed with chemicals. To sprout them, simply put some into a well-washed glass jar and cover with a circle of clean fabric (muslin is ideal), secured with elastic. Pour water into the jar through the cloth and leave overnight.
Next day, pour off the water. Then, each day, pour water in and out of the container through the cloth. Each time, leave the jar upside down for a few minutes to drain well. Keep in a cool, shady place. You should have sprouts to eat in about a week. Try cress, alfalfa, chickpeas, yellow or green lentils, mung beans and sunflower seeds. Use as a garnish, add to a salad or just to nibble, perhaps sauteed in a speck of oil.
Alternatively, grow small seeds on thick, damp cotton wool in sea shells in a little display, or as 'floating islands' in lids in a tray of water. Or inside Humpty Dumpty egg shells - each child can draw a face on a washed, empty egg shell and wait for Humpty to grow a shock of green hair!
Try growing baby salad leaves. On your sunniest windowsill, try growing some spinach, chard, lettuce or rocket seeds in compost in trays. Keep the compost slightly moist, and you could get enough baby leaves to add to a salad. In a sunny nursery, this could be a permanent feature.
SPROUTING TOPS
Cut a slice 3-5cm thick off the tops of parsnip, celeriac, beetroot, carrot, swede or turnip. Place in a dish of water. Wait to see lush green leaves appear and, later, roots. Perhaps make a 'floating islands' display. Notice the colour of the beetroot, the scent of the celeriac.
Avoid competitiveness in such activities. The fastest-growing plant is not the 'winner'. Point out that seeds and plants grow at different rates, and some don't grow at all, which is why gardeners plant lots of seeds. But keep a few hidden 'spares' to avoid any big disappointments.
LOOKING AFTER INDOOR PLANTS
- - When buying plants, check the label to see which conditions they need (light, temperature, water), and keep the label.
- - Don't kill plants getting them home! Enclose them in layers of newspaper to protect them from colder outside air, even if it's only for a few steps.
- - Periodically check for aphids; pick off any with a small wet paintbrush.
- - Keep plants away from draughts, radiators and fluctuating temperatures.
- - Indoor air can be dry. Standing plants on pebbles in trays of water creates humidity.
TURNING GREEN
Create a permanent backdrop of greenery with easy-care plants which children can help look after. Try:
Pelargoniums You've probably already got the nursery's summer pelargoniums indoors, perhaps potted into other containers. Just leave them on your sunniest windowsill until next June. Apart from a very occasional light watering, they need no attention in winter. Just check there are no aphids on them or your plants will soon be nibbled away. Children can learn to water the soil (not the leaves!), look for creepy-crawlies and help take cuttings.
Spider plants are tough survivors, but to stay green and glossy they need plenty of water, occasional food and indirect light. Stand each pot in a deep-sided container such as a margarine tub. Once a week, fill the tubs with water. Occasionally give them a few drops of plant food. Repot as the plants get bigger. Look for the appearance of sprays of white flowers, which soon grow into new plants. Compost over-large plants and plant the 'babies'. Children can refill the tubs each week and help repot larger plants and the 'babies'.
Asparagus fern has nothing to do with edible garden asparagus! It can last years and is extremely simple to look after. Treat like spider plants, though less water is needed. Place on a high shelf in moderately good light and allow to trail down. It has occasional white flowers.
Victorian parlour palm (Chamaedorea elegans) is an elegant, upright palm which does well in a slightly shady room and needs very little care. Provide good drainage by lining the base of its pot with a good layer of pebbles. Water about once a week.
Tradescantia comes in various colours and textures and prefers indirect light. Keep slightly moist. Children can help cut off straggly bits, root them in water and plant in fresh compost.
Variegated ivies prefer shady places and can trail attractively. Keep moist.
Cacti and succulents (see above)
Displays of winter twigs, deciduous, coniferous and evergreen, should also provide a good 'green' background for seeds and plants that the children are growing.
