How to Start a Garden 'n Grow Program...
The Garden 'n Grow program is sponsored and administered by
University Extension. The Garden 'n Grow program is available to any Missouri community
that has two caring adults who are willing to teach interested children, ages 9 to
13 years old and will follow the guidelines established by University Extension.
The three basic components of the Garden 'n Grow program are two adult volunteers, twenty
children, and a plot of land suitable for gardening.
Adult Volunteers:
Program leaders. Start by finding two adults who will commit to teach a
group of kids for 10 weeks during the summer, meeting with the kids two
times a week (Mondays and Thursdays or Tuesday and Fridays) for an hour and a
half each day. Ideally, at least one leader should have gardening knowledge, such
as a trained adult Master Gardener. Both leaders should enjoy being with children
and have experience working with them.
Other helpers. Additional volunteers may be used to assist the two adult
leaders, especially during planting, weeding, watering, etc.
Training. University Extension personnel will schedule and provide two
training sessions to assist volunteer leaders in recruiting kids, assessing a
site, insurance, risk, safety, and using the lesson plans.
Children:
Age and numbers. A group of approximately 10-20 children, ages 9-13 years
old, are needed for a good Garden 'n Grow program. Lesson plans
and garden activities are written at a fifth or sixth grade level. The curriculum has
been designed to supplement plant science concepts presented in the sixth grade.
Younger children may not have the physical strength or knowledge to enjoy the
lessons. Older children may have already been exposed to the material presented
and may be bored.
Diversity is encouraged. A diversity of sexes and ethnicity makes the
garden enjoyable for all. Different types of children bring different assets
to the program.
Garden Site:
Size of land needed. Two children are assigned to each garden plot,
approximately 8 ft. x 12 ft. However, garden space needed for 20
participants will be a minimum of 80 ft x 200 ft. Often a border of annual
flowers is nice to enclose the entire garden plot. You may also wish to
separate each garden plot with a 2 or 3 foot border so children are not
stepping on other's plants. Additional space is nice to grow large vining
crops, construct teepees with runner beans growing on them or a simple
trellis for squash.
Location to kids. The garden site should be within walking or biking
distance to the kids. Many parents can not transport their kids twice a
week to an activity if they are working. Because of liability problems, we
can not accept the responsibility of transporting children. However, parents
may be encouraged to set up carpools to transport their children.
Access to water. Water at the garden site is essential! All vegetable
gardens will need to be watered during the summer. Kids do not enjoy
hauling water from another site or watching their plants die due to lack of
moisture. Consider locating the garden as close to the water source as
possible (within 50 feet) to minimize the length of hoses needed to water
the gardens.
Amount of sun. Vegetables require full sun for optimum growth. Be sure
that trees do not shade the garden during the day.
Who owns the land? If the land is owned by a church, school, home, or
private owner, this may be fine for your project. However, permission to use
the land for the Garden 'n Grow program should be obtained in writing.
Present use of the land. Ask neighbors about the lot's history. If cars are
parked on the lot, or drugs are sold there, it's likely that this will continue to
be an unsafe environment for the children.
Water drainage. Sites that have heavy clay soil are often waterlogged after
heavy rainfall or irrigation because of poor drainage. Also, sites with low spots
often have poor water drainage. Root rot and other diseases that are prevalent
in poorly drained soils will result in poor plant growth. In these situations, it
would be best to select a different site to ensure the success of the gardens.
Soil conditions. Soil tests should be conducted at least four months before
planting. Contact you local county Extension office for instructions on how
to obtain a good soil test. Often Missouri soils are deficient in phosphorus
or may require lime to raise the soil pH.
Additional Resources:
Program costs. The cost of the Garden 'n Grow program for 20 children is
approximately $1500. The
registration fee for the Garden 'n Grow program is $35 per gardener, which
covers the insurance and supplies for the lessons, gardens, notebooks and shirts for the
kids. University Extension can provide assistance is helping local groups with
fundraising ideas and activities. Often local civic groups or other
community organizations can help sponsor the program or "scholarships" for
the children. Local garden centers may also donate seeds, transplants, and
garden supplies.
More information? Please contact University Extension at the address
below for more information about starting a Garden 'n Grow in your community.
Michele Warmund
Department of Horticulture
1-87 Agriculture Bldg.
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO 65211
warmundm@missouri.edu
573-882-9632