UF/IFAS
Okeechobee County Extension Service
458 Highway 98 North
Okeechobee, FL 34972-2578
Phone: (863) 763-6469
E- mail: dfculbert@ifas.ufl.edu
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Feature
Article - for release the week of
Dan Culbert - Extension Horticulture Agent
Last
week I was Buffaloed – actually, I was attending our National
Agriculture Agent’s Conference in that famous water-falling
city in
Teresa
is the program coordinator for the
The
ABC’s of Vegetable Gardening
(407)
836-7570
With
summertime vacation almost over, parents are preparing their children’s
mindset for the coming disciplines of education. The afternoon popsicles and
ice cream heat relievers give way to a new school year of healthy
meals. Early morning rising, homework, and proper eating habits are back.
“How can I encourage my child to eat healthy snacks…?” may be one of the
questions you are asking yourself. Unless you start very early to foster good
eating habits in your child, getting them to eat vegetables is sometimes a
difficult challenge. One of the easiest ways to get older children to enjoy
eating salads is to have them grow the vegetables themselves.
Vegetable gardening, whether container, or in the ground, is a wonderful way to introduce kids to the joys of eating healthy. Having to nurture broccoli to maturity gives great lessons in proper nutrition, responsibility and patience. It is not as messy as forgetting to let a puppy out, or as costly as taking the pet to the vet’s. Let’s see, if your son or daughter forgets to water and feed a pepper plant, the outcome is not as drastic as, let’s say, forgetting to water or feed the puppy!
Selecting the vegetables for your child to grow is as easy as knowing what season it is and going to the grocery to see what draws your child’s interests. Do you want them to learn how to make a delicious salad? Will they select the colorful carrots, lettuce or onions? Or maybe having your child understand the varied differences among vegetables and grow some peas, then some turnips? What lessons do you want your child to learn from this experience?
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Teach
your child that “A is for attention.” Pay attention to the details.
Everything has details. Preparation should be first. Junior gardeners should
research what is necessary to provide the proper needs of the vegetable they
have selected. What kind of soil should it have? How much sunlight does the
plant need? How much water will it get? How much fertilizer should it have?
What vitamins will it provide when eaten?
After
planting the vegetable bed, your new gardener will have to pay attention to
the care and maintenance of the garden. What kind of responsibility will the
child have? How will you help them? When your young farmer knows these
details, they will be able to provide the materials to ensure a healthy plant
that will provide a bountiful harvest.
B
Is For Beauty
When
considering a garden, do not forget that “B” is for “beauty.”
Vegetables in a garden can be beautiful and can help teach your child about
aesthetics of nature through their color, shapes, and textures. Vegetables can
have striking flowers, and also help attract butterflies and pollinators. Thin
about height, texture of leaves, color of the vegetables, and if you want,
allow them to plant them into your regular flowerbed as an annual.
If
planted in rows in a designated vegetable garden, what do they want to have in
the front? Taller vegetables on the last row can be a nice background for an
unattractive fence or shed. Make sure there is room for them to walk between
their seedlings. Encourage your junior gardener to think ahead and plan the
beauty of their vegetable beds.
C
Is For Consistency
And
the last detail is “C” for “consistency.” Your child must be
consistent and diligent regarding his or her care-taking roles. Timely
applications of water and fertilizer will ensure that the vegetables
themselves will have a good diet and will be able to supply a healthy meal in
return for their care.
Other
chores, such as weeding and aerating the soil will help to keep the vegetables
vigorous. Weeding will help combat plants that will compete for nutrients in
the soil and aerating will allow oxygen to get to the root system. Applying
the lessons of good soil and nutrition for the vegetables can bring home the
same lesson to the child about eating healthy.
Using
the ABC’s of gardening will help your child in growing a vegetable garden.
What a fun hobby that will also assure that your child will learn about Mother
Nature and responsibility - and about proper eating habits.
With
your assistance or even growing your own vegetable garden, you too can help be
an example of reaping what you sow. Its inexpensive, easy and its fun. What a
great way to grow together as a family!
I’ve placed more information on our Okeechobee web page, http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu. If you would like to see some additional references on vegetable gardening , please email us at okeechobee@ifas.ufl.edu or call us at 863-763-6469. Local residents can stop by our office at 458 Hwy 98 North in Okeechobee, and visit our Okeechobee County Master Gardeners on Tuesday afternoons from 1 to 5 PM.
-30-
Trade
names, where used, are given for the purpose of providing specific
information. They do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of products
named, nor does it imply criticism of products not named. The Florida
Cooperative Extension Service - Institute of Food and Agricultural
Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to
provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals
and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age,
handicap, or national origin. Florida
Cooperative
Extension Service / IFAS /
University
of
Florida.
Larry
A. Arrington, Dean Last update: 08/01/2005
. This page is maintained
by Dan Culbert